87 Ways To Get More Out of Your Next Home Show

Transcription

87 Ways To Get
More Out of Your
Next Home Show
A.Comanche Marketing Guide
By Matt Michel
87 Ways to Get More Out of Your Next Home Show
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Contents
1. Select the Right Show ...................................................................................................... 7
2. Don’t Overlook Non-Traditional Shows................................................................................ 8
3. Set Clear Objectives ........................................................................................................ 8
4. Create a Show Budget ...................................................................................................... 9
5. Leverage Show Management For Maximum Opportunity.......................................................... 10
6. Enter Show Contests....................................................................................................... 10
7. Teach a Seminar ............................................................................................................ 11
8. Read the Rules .............................................................................................................. 11
9. Prevent Billing Problems.................................................................................................. 11
10. Promote the Show To Your Customer Base Beforehand............................................................ 12
11. Use Passive Promotion Techniques ..................................................................................... 14
12. Avoid the Yellow Pages Trap............................................................................................. 14
13. Promote Yourself to Pre-Registered Non-Customers............................................................... 15
14. Sort Pre-Registered Lists Before Mailing .............................................................................. 16
15. Market Free Passes ......................................................................................................... 16
16. Create a Mini Website..................................................................................................... 16
17. Design Premiums With Punch ........................................................................................... 17
18. Offer Thank You Gifts..................................................................................................... 18
19. Use Mobile Billboards ..................................................................................................... 18
20. Use Your Trucks ........................................................................................................... 19
21. Limit the Use of Printed Collateral ..................................................................................... 19
22. Hand Out Fliers Near the Show Entrance.............................................................................. 20
23. Offer a Show Special ....................................................................................................... 20
24. Extend the Special .......................................................................................................... 21
25. Visit the Competition...................................................................................................... 21
www.ComancheMarketing.com
© 2005-2008 Service Roundtable
www.ServiceRoundtable.com
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26. Don’t Reveal Too Much to Your Competition ....................................................................... 21
27. Pick a Good Location ...................................................................................................... 22
28. Pick Your Booth For Next Year Early .................................................................................. 23
29. Ask a Question .............................................................................................................. 23
30. Make the Signage Visible .................................................................................................. 24
31. Make the Booth Homey ................................................................................................... 25
32. Don’t Forget Storage Space............................................................................................... 25
33. Use a Trailer................................................................................................................. 25
34. Get Creative ................................................................................................................. 26
35. Use a Fog Machine ......................................................................................................... 27
36. Display a Mechanic ......................................................................................................... 27
37. Build a Money Cage ........................................................................................................ 28
38. The Greatest Home Show Marketing Idea Ever....................................................................... 29
39. Everyone Wins.............................................................................................................. 32
40. Print Concession Napkins ................................................................................................. 33
41. Spread Around a Few Magnets ........................................................................................... 33
42. Give Away Notepads....................................................................................................... 34
43. Add a Coupon to the Notepads .......................................................................................... 34
44. Spread Notepads Around.................................................................................................. 35
45. Don’t Forget Exhibitors ................................................................................................... 35
46. Staff With Your Call Takers .............................................................................................. 36
47. Staff to Match Audience Demographics ................................................................................ 36
48. Incent Your Staff............................................................................................................ 36
49. Give Your Staff Petty Cash................................................................................................ 37
50. Train .......................................................................................................................... 37
51. Give Booth Workers Breaks .............................................................................................. 38
52. Staff Adequately............................................................................................................. 38
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53. Designate an Omsbudsman ............................................................................................... 39
54. Designate a Blocker ........................................................................................................ 43
55. Assign Other Roles......................................................................................................... 43
56. Select Staff Appropriately ................................................................................................. 44
57. Meet Your Neighbors...................................................................................................... 45
58. Stay to the End .............................................................................................................. 45
59. Keep Your Booth Clean ................................................................................................... 46
60. Wear Your Name Badge on the Right .................................................................................. 46
61. Appear Uniform ............................................................................................................ 46
62. Dress Comfortably ......................................................................................................... 47
63. Bring a Change of Shoes ................................................................................................... 47
64. Eat Well ...................................................................................................................... 47
65. Avoid Turn-Offs ............................................................................................................ 48
66. Watch the Body Language ................................................................................................ 48
67. Get Rid of Chairs ........................................................................................................... 49
68. Arrive Early.................................................................................................................. 49
69. Adjust Your Display If Necessary ........................................................................................ 49
70. Capture Prospect Information With Lead Sheets ..................................................................... 50
71. Confirm ...................................................................................................................... 51
72. Review Leads Daily ........................................................................................................ 51
73. Classify Leads................................................................................................................ 51
74. Bring Extra Business Cards................................................................................................ 52
75. Be Interested ................................................................................................................ 52
76. Engage Everyone............................................................................................................ 52
77. Ask Open-End Questions ................................................................................................. 53
78. Qualify With Ruthlessness ................................................................................................ 53
79. Use an Elevator Speech .................................................................................................... 54
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80. Prepare a Presentation Story ............................................................................................. 55
81. Close .......................................................................................................................... 55
82. Debrief Daily ................................................................................................................ 56
83. Be Prepared for the Media ................................................................................................ 56
84. Follow Up Post-Show...................................................................................................... 57
85. Add Everyone to Your Mail List ......................................................................................... 57
86. Say Thank You .............................................................................................................. 57
87. Conduct a Final Post Mortem ............................................................................................ 58
About The Author............................................................................................................... 58
About The Service Roundtable................................................................................................ 59
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87 Ways to Get
More Out of Your
Next Home Show
Home shows represent great selling opportunities for all sorts of companies, but they are especially attractive
for home service companies. Yet, few companies take advantage of the shows like they should. This is a quick
primer on ways to maximize you home show potential.
Most service companies take a haphazard approach to home shows. They set up, staff the booth with
salespeople or whomever is available. There’s little planning, little training, poor lead collection, and worse
follow up. As a result, their
results are less than optimum.
With only slightly more effort
and expense, a home show’s
productivity can be boosted
dramatically.
One of the big mistakes is to
assume that setting up and
manning the booth is the bulk
of the activity. It’s only the
tip of the iceberg. The bulk of
the activity is below the water.
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Select The Right Show
Not all home shows are created equal. You should select the show based on the cost and
opportunity. The cost includes booth space cost, the cost to man the booth, and so on. The
opportunity is the number of legitimate prospects from your service area. This may mean a smaller
show could yield better results than a larger show if the smaller show costs less and is more closely aligned with
your territory.
Unfortunately, you might not be able to get much information about some shows. Here are a few questions
you can ask before exhibiting…
What is the attendance? Be careful. Take any response with a grain of salt. Home shows organizers tend to
include exhibitors in the attendance figures. They also count each person while you only care about owner
occupied households. Surprisingly, the show may not be able to break down this figure. You should still ask
for it. If you only get a breakdown of exhibitors and non-exhibitors, cut the non-exhibitor figure in half.
What is the demographic profile of attendees? Again, some home shows collect this information. Most do not.
Still, it helps you to understand if you are reaching a mature market or young professionals.
Where do the attendees live? This is one of the more critical questions. You only care about people from your
service territory. The number of owner-occupied households from your service territory represents your
target potential.
How many exhibitors? Large shows with lots of traffic will have lots of exhibitors. These can be great
opportunities, yet you might also get lost. Compare past attendance with the number of exhibitors. The
higher the ratio of attendees to exhibitors, the better.
Who are the ten largest exhibitors? This gives you an idea of the show theme. If the largest exhibitors are all
interior design related, this gives you an idea about the nature of the show. It still might be a good
opportunity, but it likely changes the themes you push at the show.
What is the cost per square foot? This balances some of the other considerations. A low cost show may be
worth a try, even though the target potential is light.
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What are the show dates and times? Weekend dates are best. Longer shows are more wearing, but generally
give you more opportunities if the show is well attended. Divide the target potential by the number of show
hours for the traffic. A short show might be attractive if the traffic levels are strong.
What is the show doing for promotion? This is obvious. The more money spent on promotion, the better the
likely attendance.
What booth locations are available? Should you pan a show because you cannot get the booth location you
want? Probably not. However, the availability of a great booth location might make a show more attractive.
Don’t Overlook
Non-Traditional Shows
Not all home shows are “home shows,” per se. Church bazaars, civic events, street fairs, farmers markets, flea
markets, craft shows, and county fairs might all represent good opportunities. This is especially true if your
competitors overlook these shows.
Set Clear Objectives
Know what you want to achieve. The mere presence of a goal helps you stay focused and
increases the likelihood you will achieve your desired outcome. The objectives should be
straightforward and quantitative. Some possible objectives include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Number of leads generated
Number of appointments set
Number of service agreements sold
Number of resulting sales
Number of prospects added to your mail list
Number of potential employees recruited
Create a Show Budget
Your costs are not merely the cost per square foot of floor space. Don’t forget pre-show
promotion, post-show promotion, ad premiums, employee salaries, booth design,
collateral, electrical, carpet, and so on.
Two rule of thumbs from B2B trade
show exhibiting are:
•
•
Multiply the cost of space by 4
and add 10% for incidentals –
Candy Adams, president of
Trade Show Consulting
Multiply the cost of space by 5 –
Edward Chapman, Exhibit
Marketing author
B2B Trade Show Budgeting
Source: Center for Exhibition Industry Research
Promotion
6%
Other
5%
Exhibit space
28%
T&E
21%
Exhibit design
12%
Shipping
9%
Show services
19%
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Leverage Show Management
For Maximum Opportunity
The show managers want to work with you. They want you to be successful. They will
help, but you’ve got to ask for help. Show managers are juggling a lot of details leading up to a show. They
are dealing with scores, if not hundreds of exhibitors. They’ve got a tough job already. Don’t make it harder.
Make it easier and you’ll find they are more than willing to extend extra consideration to you.
Ask about the show promotion plans and how you can participate in any pre-show or post-show promotions.
See if there is co-op fund available if you market the show. See if you can get a link from the show’s website.
Ask where the show managers recommend a booth location. Ask to be notified about booth cancellations if the
booth is in a better location.
See if the show will provide booth training. Some provide it. Some can refer a good trainer.
Enter Show Contests
Many shows have contests for exhibitors, such as best new product, best service, and so on.
Because the entry dates are usually well in advance of the show, few exhibitors enter. The
winners are usually featured or profiled near the entrance to the show.
According advertising executive, Wayne Dunham of Dunham Communications, “In a field of 3,000 exhibitors,
I’ve seen situations where there were only 11 submissions for 12 awards. Why not get the extra exposure?”
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Teach a Seminar
If consumer seminars are to be held in conjunction with the show, see if you can
provide a speaker. If you can’t get on the agenda the first year, try to put your name
in the ring for the second year.
Read the Rules
Each show has minor differences. Read the rules. Are there limitations on the height of
your booth? Can you project your logo onto a wall?
One contractor private labeled bottled water to pass out at the company booth, only to discover at the show,
that passing out refreshments wasn’t allowed (presumably, it impacted the show’s concessions).
If there’s a question, don’t wait until the show to find out. Ask the show managers in advance.
Prevent Billing Problems
If there’s a problem with the bill, address it immediately. Do not wait until the end of the
show or worse, after.
Keep a copy of your quoted billing prices for show services. Compare these to the final bill. Is the carpet
priced per square foot when it was quoted per square yard?
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Promote the Show To
Your Customer Base
Beforehand
According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research
(CEIR), pre-show advertising or email campaigns raises your
booth attractiveness by 46%. Even better, conversion of
visitors to qualified leads is 50% higher. Yet, CEIR says the
average company only spends 6% of their show budget on
pre-show promotion. It should be two to three times as
much.
What kind of promotion should you perform? Start with
your own customer base. You’re spending a lot of money to
display at a home show. Your team will be attending.
You’re presenting a good face. You’re showing off.
Everyone is in sales mode. This represents a great time to
meet and greet your own customers.
For home service companies in particular, home shows are
opportune. Home service companies, by definition, conduct
business at the customer’s home, not the shop.
Consequently, home service companies often operate out of
a dump. The “shop” is more of a workshop than a store
front. Few home service companies have showrooms and
fewer still are located in areas where a showroom would do
much good. They do business “somewhere out there.” Thus,
they try to save on bricks & mortar. At a home show,
however, you do have a store front, even if it’s temporary.
Email About a Trade Show To Existing Customers
The most discouraging thing in the world is to exhibit at a
dead show, without traffic. Even worse is to exhibit at a
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show with traffic, but none of it is at your booth. It sucks the energy right out of your highly motivated team.
When someone does stop by, your people are either lethargic or they pounce on the prospect harder than a
brand new life insurance salesperson at his first cocktail party. The show costs too much for you to take a
chance on traffic. Do your best to guarantee it.
Market your presence at the show. Mail or email to your customers, inviting them to come see you at the
home show. Give them an incentive, such as a gift they can only get if they stop by the show or a special
drawing held at the show for people who received the mailing and stop by to register (note: be sure to
emphasize that only a select number of people are eligible for the drawing and that since they must stop by
your booth, the odds are pretty good). Give special attention to anyone on your customer list who’s been MIA
for the past couple of years; it’s a chance to renew old relationships. And when mailing to existing customers,
make the invitations personal, from the owner or their service advisor.
Identify people who might be in a position to make a significant purchase in the next year or two and invite
them to attend the show and come by your booth as well. You can identify these people based on the age of
their home. For example, an air conditioning contractor, fencing contractor, or painting contractor should
market to subdivisions built just old enough that they will be entering a replacement cycle. By contrast, a
plumbing contractor might try to target homes built in the first five years after low flow toilets were
mandated, before the manufacturers had worked out the problems with low flow toilets. The plumbing
contractor could offer homeowners a solution to stoppages with the new “super toilet.”
Visiting a booth at a home show is far less intimidating to these people than asking a salesperson to drop by
their home. The show represents an opportunity to see what you’ve got – actually see it – and to meet the
people at you company in a non-threatening environment.
When you bring people to the show, and then to your booth, you will energize your team. It’s exciting. You
can feel it. It’s like playing golf on a day when every drive you hit goes 300 yards down the middle of the
fairway. Things click. Plus, you attract other homeowners attending the show. People tend to follow the
crowd. They want to know what’s going on, what’s so interesting.
Do not count on the show to bring enough people to you. It might, but it might not. If you are proactive, you
can ensure the show works, no matter what the turnout. You can use the show to renew old customer
relationships. You can use it to create a non-threatening environment for homeowners-at-large who have a
need or desire for your products and services to learn more about them and your company. Plus, when you
attract a crowd, your booth appears far more dynamic, attractive, and interesting.
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Use Passive Promotion
Techniques
Create stickers promoting the show, the dates and times, and your booth number. Attach these to all mail
pieces, invoices, and other collateral in the month preceding the show.
Promote the show in your email signature. Tell people why they should come to the show, why they should
visit your booth in particular, and give the booth number.
Avoid the Yellow Pages
Trap
It’s always amazing to me that companies spend marketing dollars advising prospects to look for their ad in the
yellow pages. Are you kidding me? The yellow pages? Isn’t that a little like advising your prospects to check
out the competition. It’s one thing if they find their way to the yellow pages on their own, but you shouldn’t
help. In fact, the focus on much marketing is to keep people OUT of the yellow pages.
Similarly, if the show is heavily populated with your competitors, don’t push it with your customers or
prospects at large. This is especially true if your competitor has a better or bigger booth than you. It’s like
sending people to a manufacturer’s dealer locator. Sure, you’re on the list, but who’s listed above you?
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Promote Yourself To
Pre-Registered
Non-Customers
Some home shows push hard for preregistrations and provide lists of pre-registered
attendees to exhibitors. These are people
already committed to coming to the show.
Your mission with these prospects is to
persuade them to stop by your booth. But
why should they?
Contact pre-registered attendees in advance
by mail or email. Give people a good reason
to visit your booth. Focus on the benefits of
your products and services and play your
message on WII-FM (What’s In It For Me).
The reason may be more mercenary. Create a
promotion, a contest, an ad premium, etc.
Limit the number of giveaways to add urgency
to visiting your booth early.
Email to Pre-Registered Attendees to a Trade Show, Offering a Free CD
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Sort Pre-Registered
Lists Before Mailing
Don’t waste your money mailing to people who live outside of your service area or that you can identify as
non-propsects (e.g., exhibitors). Take the time to sort the list before you mail to it.
Market Free Passes
Let’s assume the show is not overrun with competitors and you’re
provided with a number of free passes. Market these to a few target
neighborhoods or a target zip code. Promote the fact you’re
exhibiting. State the reason to visit your booth. Then, state that you’ve got a limited number of free passes for
the first X number of people who call your company. In fact, the headline should focus on attending the home
show free.
Create a Mini Website
Design a one page website about the show and your booth. You can
link to it off your website or off the show’s website. Like other
collateral, the mini website should give people a reason to visit your
booth.
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Mini websites are especially apt if you plan on promoting the show by email. Link to the site in the outbound
email message, in your email signatures, and so on.
Mini-Website Promoting a Trade Show As An “Unofficial Guide” to the Show
Design Premiums With
Punch
Most money spend on advertising premiums at home shows is wasted. It does little build memorability of your
brand. That’s why marketers often refer to ad premiums as “trash and trinkets.” Make yours different. Offer
useful items, worth keeping.
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Sometimes useful items are no more than tip sheets, checklists, or audio CDs. Information is valued, but
inexpensive to replicate.
Offer Thank You Gifts
Better ad premiums cost enough that you may not want to pass them
out casually, especially if the show is filled with non-prospects, people
from outside your geographic area, and so on. You might want to limit
them to the customers who schedule appointments or who are qualified in your booth as legitimate prospects.
Use Mobile Billboards
When the Comdex computer trade show was at its prime, companies
would rent mobile billboards to circle the various Las Vegas convention
centers. For particularly large shows, mobile
billboards represent one more opportunity for you
to get your message out to people entering the
show. The uniqueness of mobile billboards (i.e.,
specially designed trucks that are truly mobile
billboards) is likely to attract attention.
If you live in an environmentally sensitive area, you
might want to avoid the mobile billboards. In
today’s hyped up environmental world, some
consumers are near hysterical about carbon
emissions. Parking the billboard would be acceptable. Driving it around the show perimeter is not.
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Use Your Trucks
An alternative to renting mobile billboards is to use the ones you
already own. If you can spare them for the day, position service
vehicles near the main entrance to the parking lot, so that everyone
who enters must pass by your vehicles. Consider placing banners or signs by the vehicles stating "YOUR
COMPANY welcomes you to the show!"
Limit the Use of Printed
Collateral
Let’s face it. Most of the literature you dispense at home shows never makes it out of the literature bag.
People politely accept any literature you hand out, only to discard it later. Don’t waste your money. Limit
your literature to a company brochure or fact sheet about your products and services.
Instead, mail literature as a follow-up to people who register at your booth. Mailed separately, the literature is
more likely to stand out. You’re also sending them information they requested when registering. Whether
someone overtly requested it or not, by registering at your booth the prospect is indicating an interest in your
products and services, which indicates a request for more information.
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Hand Out Fliers Near
The Show Entrance
If you cannot get a booth located near the entrance, hand out fliers
outside the show. Hire a high school or college student to hand out
promotional material that indicates why people should make a beeline
for your booth in particular. Again, play the message on WII-FM.
Give people a selfish reason to visit your booth.
Oldest Furnace Contest Home Show Flier
Template (Courtesy of the Service
Roundtable)
Offer a Show Special
Many companies find it beneficial to offer a show special, typically
special pricing. While prospects are “belly-to-belly” with your
employees in your booth, bump up the urgency to act. In an hour, the urgency will diminish. Give them a
reason to buy a service agreement now, to order a water purification system at the show, etc.
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Extend the Special
In follow-up mailings after the show, consider extending your show
special for a few weeks. Again, you’re building up the urgency to act.
If the show provides you with a list of people who attended the show, sort the list and make the offer. Many
probably didn’t get a chance to stop by your booth. Let them know how they can save.
Visit the Competition
If your competitors exhibit, visit their booths. Take pictures of the
booth for future reference. Pick up their literature. Be upfront that
you’re a competitor and ask questions. Many companies fail to remind
booth workers to avoid revealing information to the competition. Often, they will reveal competitive
intelligence about their target markets, sales strategies, and so on if you merely ask.
Don’t Reveal Too Much
to Your Competition
Make sure your employees don’t make the same mistake. Train your
people how to dodge questions from competitors. When a competitor asks you to reveal information about
your sales strategy, say, “Well that would be telling, wouldn’t it?” And smile.
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Give you competitor any literature and ask for his in return. Marketing is never secretive. If it is, it’s
ineffective.
Pick a Good Location
If possible, locate your booth in high traffic areas. These are the
entrance, bathrooms, or a food court. Since people tend to turn to
their right upon entering a show, locate to the right side of the show
over the left. If a show has many entrances, try to locate dead center.
If you can’t get a good location, it’s not the end of the world. The company, Exhibit Surveys, has performed
extensive research on booth location and concluded that location does not affect your show traffic or
memorability. Of course, if you can get a great location, why chance it?
If you have a particularly compelling message, you might consider locating near your competition. You can
peel people away from competitors with a better booth design, offer, or message and benefit from any preshow marketing your competition might have performed.
Conversely, if there’s a particular competitor who dominates your market and you do not have a compelling
reason to visit your booth, locate on the other side of the show.
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Pick Your Booth For
Next Year Early
If you know you want to return to a home show next year, pick your booth location at this year’s show. See if
you can get an attractive location on a first come, first served basis.
Ask a Question
Face it. Most home show booths are boooorrring. Suspects (we
suspect they need our services, even though they haven’t got a clue)
and prospects (they know they need our services) alike stroll down the
aisles looking for something to catch their attention. There's Bubba's Air Conditioning booth, Acme Plumbing,
Fred's Carpet Cleaning, and so on, and so on. Ho hum. Yawn.
Yes, you want to promote your company name, but the real mission is to get prospects in your booth. Unless
they are looking for your name specifically (e.g., you’ve done a lot of advance marketing), they look at your
name and think, "So what?" It's another service company, probably one of
five or six offering the same service.
Take your company name down from the top of the booth and instead ask
a question. Ask something that strikes at the heart of a problem many
people face, a need that's unmet, or a desire they want fulfilled. Give
them a compelling reason to stop and find out more. Drape a huge banner
across your booth that asks…
•
Are any rooms in your house too hot or too cold? (HVAC)
•
Does anyone in your house suffer from hay fever or allergies? (HVAC)
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•
Would you like water so pure from your household tap you could bottle and sell it? (RO systems)
•
Do you frequently run out of hot water? (plumbing)
•
Is your home safe while you're at this show? (security systems)
•
Does your carpet look like faded and worn? (carpet cleaning)
•
Are you going to let algae take over your pool again this year? (pool cleaning)
•
Will you be able to afford to send your kids to college? (financial planning)
•
Could your family afford your home without your income? (insurance)
There are an infinite number of questions you could ask. The questions should emphasize the benefits of one of
your products or services. They should scratch an itch of the consumer. Pick the right question and people
will make a beeline to your booth to find out more.
Make the Signage
Visible
The rule of thumb is one inch of height for every three feet of
distance. You should make your booth benefit question
visible from at least 30 feet away, which means 10 inch high
letters.
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Make the Booth Homey
You can make your booth more inviting by bringing some simple touches
from home. Add a table lamp to contrast with the overhead glare of
fluorescent lighting (at least, add one while you can still buy incandescent
lights). Bring a few house plants.
Don’t Forget Storage
Space
You will need places for your booth workers to store personal belongings during the show and for you to store
ad premiums and literature. This is even more important if the show takes place during colder weather. Coats
are bulky.
Use a Trailer
Ben Stark, a Dallas/Fort Worth air conditioning contractor built a
trailer for home shows and other events. The trailer interior is the
room of a house with a duct traversing the room. The trailer is
designed to allow Stark Air employees to demonstrate the various products the company sells. Ben pulls up,
opens up, and is set up in minutes.
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Even better, the trailer was practically
free. By featuring a manufacturer on
the outside of the trailer, Ben was able
to get most of the trailer’s cost paid for
by the manufacturer.
Get Creative
Design something that makes people ooh and ah. An example is a
plumber’s magical faucet. Attach a faucet to a piece of clear PVC that
is mounted on a base in a small tank of water. Use a fountain pump to
pipe water up through the PVC. At the top, it spills down back down the outside of
the PVC. It takes a little adjusting to get it right, but when you’re done it appears as
though water is pouring out of a
faucet suspended in air. People
will look at it, marvel about it, and
poke it.
If you own a thermographic
camera, this can be a simple,
creative attention getter. Point
the camera at consumers walking down the aisle see their heat
image on a large video screen.
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Use a Fog Machine
Party City and other retailers offer low cost fog machines that you can
use to create some movement and life to some aspect of your booth.
Have fog drifting out of a refrigerator or an air conditioner.
Strategically use flood lights or Christmas lights for dramatic effect.
Display a Mechanic
Well, not a real mechanic. Rent or buy a mannequin. Put a company
uniform on it and set it on a revolving
pedestal. Again, the idea is to create
movement and action.
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Build a Money Cage
A money cage is one of the most powerful contest and promotional
tools ever created. The money cage is a cage with a slot
to drop a big pile of cash and one
or two powerful blowers attached to blow the bills around. The money
cage can be constructed using chicken wire or clear Plexiglas.
When a money cage contest winner enters the cage, the fan is flipped on,
the money is dropped in, a race timer counts down the seconds, and the
contest winner grabs as much cash as possible before time expires. What he
grabs, he gets to keep.
A money cage is an event. It draws a crowd. People shout and cheer like
it’s a game show. It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s memorable.
Money cages can be used at home shows and neighborhood
fairs. They can be used in your parking lot or a retailer’s
parking lot. When a consumer wins time in the money cage,
he should be encouraged to invite friends and neighbors to cheer.
The length of time in the money cage ranges from 10 seconds to 20
seconds. Ten seconds may not sound like a long time, but it’s plenty.
Money cages are effective employee promotions as well. When an employee wins a contest and earns a trip to
the money cage, do not announce the winner beforehand. Set a time after hours on a Friday or on a Saturday
so that all employees can show up and bring their families with them. If a chance in the money cage isn’t
enough to motivate the employee, the employee’s family will supply whatever motivation is lacking once they
see a money cage in action.
After a home show, give the employee who collected the most leads a shot in the money cage.
Building a money cage is simple. Build a sheet metal frame with Plexiglas sides. Frame a small slot at the top
to drop the cash. Connect one or two blowers to the bottom and/or top and let ‘er rip. Of course, it’s wise
to test it a few times before you use it. Make sure your configuration and blower speed results in enough air
29
circulation with the cage that the money dances in the air, but not so much that the cash simply sticks to the
sides (that’s no fun). Inevitably some will stick, but the bulk should swirl around.
If you envision carting the money cage to home shows and other events, make sure you design a money cage
that collapses for easy transportation. Also, don’t forget to mount a sign at the top displaying your company
name and logo.
The amount of cash you use is up to you. You can drop $1,000 in the money cage and someone may only be
able to grab $20 or $30 in a ten second trip. Yet, when you promote it, you promote the cool thousand.
The money cage can be used successively at home shows or fairs. You can have a ten second trip every hour,
on the hour. To win a trip to the money cage, make it a requirement that consumers complete a registration
form, which is actually a lead sheet, containing all of the information you need for future sales and marketing
efforts.
Money cages are fun. They’re exciting. They are effective in motivating people, whether consumers or
employees, to take actions you desire. Go ahead. Have fun with a money cage.
The Greatest Home
Show Marketing Idea
Ever
In the 1990s, I was struggling to come up with a way to create a home show promotion that was focused on the
product. The idea was to give away a furnace to the registered homeowner with the oldest furnace. A
contractor in Walnut Creek first tried it. It generated so many qualified leads that he was unable to run all of
the leads. He gave many away to friendly competitors.
30
Based on his results, I realized that an oldest appliance contest is the
greatest home show marketing idea ever. Contractors have run
oldest furnace, air conditioner, and water heater contests. While
there are no guarantees, I’ve often received overwhelmingly positive
feedback.
In the contest, offer a free appliance to the homeowner with the
oldest appliance, provided the homeowner pays for the installation.
Every registration for the contest is a qualified lead. First, the
homeowner thinks he just might have the oldest appliance in town,
which means the darn thing should probably be placed in a museum,
not a home. It’s ripe for replacement.
Oldest Furnace Contest Home Show Rules
Board
Second, the homeowner is willing to pay for the replacement. In
other words, he knows he needs a new appliance and is willing to
spend a little money to get one. So even if he doesn’t have the
oldest appliance, you know he’s already willing to spend something.
He’s already half bought. You only need to convince him to pay the
difference between the installation and the full price.
In the contest, collect information from the homeowners and inform them you’ll
need to make an inspection. After the show, schedule the inspection. While
you’re in the home, collect the information necessary to prepare a proposal. Some
contractors make a presentation on the spot and offer to refund the price of the
furnace if they win.
Others take a two-step approach, calling the homeowner to inform him that he
didn’t have the oldest furnace, but telling him that he did win second prize, which
is a gift certificate with the contractor’s company (everyone wins second prize).
While he’s got the homeowner on the phone, he might tell him, “You know, even
though you didn’t have the oldest furnace, you furnace is still pretty darn old.
You’re wasting a lot of money on utilities and the comfort level of your home could
be improved with a new furnace. I’m going to put together a proposal for
replacing it and drop it off with your gift certificate. You may not want to replace
it right now, but chances are that you’ll have to replace it in a few years whether
you want to or not. At least you’ll know what you’re in for.”
A variation on the “oldest”
appliance contest is the
“ugliest” bath contest
31
Remember, stress the difference between the
price the homeowner would pay if he won the
contest and the total price. Say, “You know,
it’s only a little more than if you had won the
contest to go ahead and replace now. Plus,
you can use the gift certificate.”
Comfort Gift Certificate Template (Courtesy of the Service Roundtable)
You can reduce costs by persuading a
manufacturer to donate a furnace in return for the promotional value (and the promise to push the
manufacturer’s brand with all of the second place winners). This makes the contest virtually free for you. The
manufacturer donates the equipment and the homeowner pays for the installation.
The contest continues to work well for contractors across the country. Recently, Juan Cardona from JC
Heating and Cooling used the Service Roundtable’s Oldest Appliance Contest Toolkit, adding his own creative
spin.
Oldest Air Conditioner Contest Home Show Booth (Courtesy of JC Heating and Cooling)
32
Juan placed dinosaur prints the full length of the aisle leading to his booth. He said, “This was a hit with kids,
dragging their parents to find where the prints led to. He had a cavewoman emerge from the cave and used a
fog machine from the cave. Juan would activate the fog machine periodically. He also played a soundtrack of
dinosaur sounds throughout the show.
Here are Juan’s results…
•
•
•
•
•
Over 400 people stopped to look.
Sixty people signed up for the contest.
Juan visited forty of the sixty, following the show.
Juan made 12 sales, totaling $93,600.00 to date (Juan said he’s still following up).
Spent $2689 for booth space, performers, advertising, handouts, and artistic talent.
Juan is located in a small town in West Virginia. The home show attracted 2,500 people, who paid $8 to get in
the door. Imagine what this can do for you?
Everyone Wins
For any drawings, you may only have one grand prize winner, but
everyone who enters should win second prize, which is a gift
certificate to your company. A gift certificate is the same thing as a
coupon, but carries more intrinsic value.
People keep gift certificates until they can use
them. They toss coupons.
Plumbing Gift Certificate Template (Courtesy of the Service Roundtable)
33
Print Concession
Napkins
Print a notice on the napkins about a contest that people can enter by
bringing a napkin to your booth or offer a special prize (i.e., an ad
premium) when people bring the napkin to your booth. Leave the
napkins in the concession area. Place some on every table and by the
condiments.
Spread Around a Few
Magnets
Take your refrigerator magnet and leave it all over the show. Find
metal door jams leading in and out of the show and place magnets
around them. People will grab them. Periodically make a run and
replenish the magnets.
Wind Chill Magnet Template (Courtesy of
the Service Roundtable)
34
Give Away Notepads
Notepads are a great show giveaway. People always need notepads.
They’re cheap to make. They’re often placed near the phone. And
they get used!
Add a Coupon to The
Notepads
Don’t limit yourself
to your name and phone number. Include a coupon in the
corner for a percent off or dollar off. Not only will people
be tempted to use it when calling you for service, but they
will tear off a page and give it to a friend or neighbor who
needs your service. Print the name of the show along the top
of the coupon to show people it’s a special coupon for the
show and to provide a tracking mechanism.
Coupon Notepad Template (Courtesy of the Service
Roundtable)
35
Spread Notepads
Around
When you spread around your magnets, take notepads and place them in strategic locations where people
might pick them up.
Don’t Forget Exhibitors
Home show exhibitors are also potential customers. At the very
least, they can be the source of referrals. Consider making up t-shirts
with something like, “I Survived the Spring Home Show” on the front and your company name on the back.
Pass them out to exhibitors at the end of the show when
people are packing up. Make sure you give them your ad
premiums as well.
Oldest Air Conditioner Contest Home Show Flier For
Exhibitors Template (Courtesy of the Service
Roundtable)
36
Staff With Your Call
Takers
Working a home show differs from in-home sales. It’s faster. It’s more energetic. The visitor to lead
conversion rate is low. The environment is noisy. The attention spans are limited.
It’s engage, collect information, disengage. Engage the next person. This sounds like something your call
taker does. It is not something your salespeople are trained to do.
Staff to Match
Audience Demographics
If the show audience is married couples 35 and over, you want to staff you booth with people who match that
demographic. Outsource if you need to. Call a temp agency and ask for people who have worked in hotel
reception or as call takers and who match the right demographics.
Incent Your Staff
Face it. Working a home show booth is a beating. Offer an incentive
to your staff for hitting your targets. It could be cash, gifts, or time off.
Match the incentive to the preferences of your team.
37
Give Your Staff Petty
Cash
Depending on the show, give everyone on your staff petty cash for
incidentals, such as parking and food. These are legitimate business expenses. By providing employees petty
cash, you remove the need for the employee to front his own money, fill out and turn in an expense report,
and for you to review and approve the expense report and cut expense checks. In the long run, giving
employees the money to pay for incidentals costs less and conveys the feeling of generosity.
Train
According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR),
training your booth staff increases the booth visitor to lead conversion
rate by 68%. Yet, few companies train.
Consider hiring an outside trainer. If you cannot afford one, conduct an in-house training session.
Agenda for a Training Session
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Overview of the Show
Your Objectives For the Show
Audience Demographics
Information About the Competition
Duty Schedules
Assignments
Dress
Sales Practice
Elevator Speech
Demonstrations
•
•
•
•
38
Lead Capture
Role Play
Collateral Material
Premiums
Give Booth Workers
Breaks
Standing in a booth all day is hard work. Anyone in the booth should be
"on." People in your booth should be alert, outgoing, friendly. That's hard to pull off when you’re exhausted,
sick of talking with people, your voice has worn out, your feet and back ache. Rotate your booth personnel. If
possible, work people in two-hour shifts. After people work the booth for a couple of hours, give them a
break for a couple of hours.
Staff Adequately
Estimate the number of prospects who will attend the show and visit
your booth. Divide this by the number of show hours. Then,
estimate how long you will engage each prospect at the booth. This
lets you know how many prospects each booth worker can engage in an hour. Divide the prospects per hour
by the number of engagements per hour to determine staffing.
39
Example
•
•
•
•
•
•
100 Prospects
8 Show Hours
Traffic = 100 Prospects / 8 Show Hours = 12.5 Prospects Per Hour
10 Minutes Per Prospect Engagement
Worker Capacity = 60 Minutes Per Hour / 10 Minutes Per Prospect Engagement = 6 Prospects Per
Hour
12.5 Prospects Per Hour Traffic / 6 Prospects Per Hour Capacity = 2.08
You could probably get by with two workers. However, three is a safer bet, especially since traffic is uneven.
Designate an
Omsbudsman
Exhibit at enough home shows and you will eventually encounter the irate past customer. Designate someone
to deal with angry customers using service recovery procedures. Have this “omsbudsman” grab the customer
and leave the booth area.
Service Recovery Steps
•
Listen – Do not try to interrupt the customer. Let him get it off his chest without interrupting.
Often, the customer calms down after he has had a chance to blow off a little steam.
•
Clarify – Make sure you understand the customer’s problem. Repeat it back. Say, “Let me make sure
I understand the situation. What you’re telling me is…” Probe to find out what else might be wrong.
•
Empathize – Acknowledge the customer’s feelings. Say, “If I were in your shoes I might feel upset
and angry too.” It is a legitimate statement that disarms the customer and calms his ire. You may not
40
be in his shoes, but if you were, given what the customer (not you) understands and believes, you
might be upset too.
•
Apologize – Apologize to the customer that the company’s performance did not meet his
expectations. Sometimes, this is all the customer is looking for. And it is amazing that even when they
are dead wrong and they know it, many people will refuse to admit it.
•
Reassure – Tell the customer that you will personally do everything you can to get his situation
resolved to his satisfaction. Tell the customer that he will be taken care of.
•
Solve – Ask the customer what he thinks would be a fair solution. Most people are reasonable. More
often than not, they will ask for less than you are willing to provide. If the customer cannot come up
with a solution, offer one. Get agreement from the customer.
•
Give – Whether the customer proposes a solution or you propose a solution that he agrees will be
fair, offer something extra to help make up for how he has been inconvenienced. This is why it is
important to get agreement on a solution from a customer. The “something extra” does not need to be
much. It can be something as small as a gift certificate with your company. The point is that it is
something unexpected. It completely disarms the customer. By now, he is ready to come around from
being your critic to being your apostle, spreading the gospel about how great your company is.
•
Follow Through – This is the most important step. If you do not get it right the first time, you
better get it very right the second. Whoever records the customer’s problem should take personal
ownership of the problem until it is resolved, giving personal attention to ensure that all promises are
kept.
Use a Customer Action Report to take notes. When you have finished taking notes, write contact information
at the bottom, include a promised response date. Tear off the bottom, hand it to the customer and say, “If you
don’t hear from me by this date, please call or email. We will get this resolved.”
Have a local print or copy store pad the forms, 25 per pad. Take one to every event where you have face-toface customer contact. The owner or service manager should review all open items weekly or daily.
41
Service Recovery Training Handout/Poster (Courtesy of the Service Roundtable)
42
Home Show Customer Action Report For Unhappy Customers (Courtesy of the Service
Roundtable)
43
Designate a Blocker
Have one person stand in the aisle outside your booth. His job is to
engage people and help steer them into your booth. Make sure that
someone is standing just inside the booth to take the handoff and walk
the person inside.
The best connected person in the community should be the blocker. Usually, this is the company owner, but
not always. A very active member of a large church might be well suited for the role of blocker.
Assign Other Roles
Depending on your circumstances and staffing, you might assign
individuals to be greeters. The greeters attempt to qualify visitors to
your booth and direct qualified individuals to subject area experts
and/or closers. Greeters can be office staff, spouses, or temporary workers. The greeters should be naturally
pleasant people and should match attendee demographics.
Closers are just what name implies. They are good at asking for the order and closing the sale. On staff sales
professionals make good closers.
44
Select Staff
Appropriately
The days of the infamous “booth bimbo” are over, especially if you are interested in attracting homeowners.
Even trade shows for contractors are moving beyond booth bimbos as exhibitors have discovered that the signal
sent is opposite of the one a professional company desires. Booth bimbos are more likely to attract unqualified
visitors than qualified prospects and turn off more prospects than they attract.
45
Meet Your Neighbors
You should always meet your neighbors at a home show. Strike up a
conversation. Make friends. Aside from the potential to refer people
back and forth during the show, it helps pass the time during periods
of slow traffic.
Stay to the End
Most salespeople who work shows will eventually encounter a
qualified prospect in the last half hour. Even though traffic is light and
exhibitors are tearing down their booths left and right, stay to the
end. Remaining show attendees are there for a reason. They are buyers.
This Trade Show Is Not Over, But This Exhibitor Packed Up & Left. Two Booths Down, An Exhibitor Speaks With a Customer. In
Between, The Exhibitors Sit, Draining Energy From The Booth.
46
Keep Your Booth
Clean
It’s amazing how quickly a booth can get cluttered. Keep it neat. Keep literature neatly arranged. Dispose of
trash promptly. Keep personal items out of sight.
Wear Your Name
Badge on the Right
Most people put their name badges over their heart. For some
reason, this seems to be the natural place. It’s unnatural to put it on the right, which usually means that
someone who places a name badge on the right has been trained to put it there.
When the name badge is on the right, it’s easier for people you meet to read your name off the badge when
you shake hands as you introduce yourself. Placing the badge on the right is a courtesy for others and a way to
increase the odds someone will remember your name.
Appear Uniform
Everyone working the booth should wear the same color company shirt and
the same color slacks or skirt. It gives you a more professional appearance
and it makes it easier for consumers to find one of your employees to ask
questions. Without a uniform appearance, prospects are likely to walk up to another consumer and start
asking questions, making both uncomfortable. You want everyone to be comfortable.
47
Dress Comfortably
Whatever attire is selected, it should be comfortable. While you
might draw the line with jeans, wearing chinos and polo shirts will
keep your team fresh longer and look fresh longer than wearing
starched button downs with neckties.
Dressing comfortably includes wearing comfortable shoes. There are a variety of shoes with rubber soles and
leather uppers that are perfect for home shows. Look for nice looking “walking shoes.” If the shoe does not
come with gel inserts, purchase the inserts separately.
Do not wear new shoes. Break them in before the show.
Bring a Change of
Shoes
For all day shows, bringing a change of shoes can help you stay on your
feet longer.
Eat Well
Food at home shows is notoriously bad. Standing by a trash can,
chomping down on a chili dog, and returning for an afternoon of
gaseous duty is not recommended. Eat a good breakfast. Eat a
healthy lunch. Avoid spicy foods. Avoid beans.
48
Avoid Turn Offs
In indoor shows, smoking is probably banned. In
outdoor shows it might not be. And while it should
go without saying that no one should smoke in your
booth, it happens often enough at local home shows
at outdoor venues that it should be said. Don't smoke. Don't chew gum.
Don't eat at the booth.
And everyone reporting for booth duty should be showered, shaved, and
generally well-groomed.
Watch the Body
Language
Instruct everyone to smile a lot and to hold their arms at their
sides or behind their back. Next show, look around. You will
see fewer people gathered at booths where the people
manning the booth are scowling, with their arms crossed,
as though they are daring anyone to come up and say
something to them.
49
Get Rid of Chairs
Chairs have no place in your booth.
When chairs are present, people will sit.
This sucks energy from your booth and
makes it look boring. It sends the signal that you’re tired and don’t want
to be bothered.
Arrive Early
Arriving a few minutes early gives you the opportunity to ensure
everything is as it should be. It gives you a chance to pick up any fliers
left by other exhibitors or show management. It also gives you a few
minutes to check out the other booths up and down your aisle.
Adjust Your Display If
Necessary
As the show starts and you get an idea of the actual traffic patterns, do not hesitate to adjust your booth display
based on the traffic.
50
Capture Prospect
Information With Lead
Sheets
A visitor to your booth becomes a true
prospect when you complete a lead
sheet. However, due to the pace at a
home show, data collection needs to be
quick and simple.
Use check boxes on your lead
collection form to speed things along.
Casually ask the homeowner if you can
collect a little information and then
quickly run down the checklist. In
fact, you might ask the homeowner to
fill out the lead sheet for you.
Next to the contact information, the
most important data is the notes.
HVAC Home Show Lead Sheet (Courtesy of the Service
Roundtable)
51
Confirm
Whether the homeowner or your employee completes the lead sheet,
confirm the contact information. The last you thing you want to discover is
bad contact information for a hot lead.
Review Leads Daily
Whoever completes a lead sheet should review it at the end of each
day. Sometimes notes written in a hurry are undecipherable a few
days latter. What were clear notes at the time the lead was collected
can quickly become cryptic references.
Classify Leads
Use some form a lead classification system to help prioritize postshow follow up. One system is to classify leads as Hot, Warm,
Lukewarm, and Cold. Hot leads are excited and ready to buy now.
Cold leads, by contrast, are unlikely to buy anytime soon. Warm and lukewarm are gradients in between.
If possible, classify the lead at the time it is collected. Just wait until after the prospect leaves.
52
Bring Extra Business
Cards
You can run out of other collateral, but don’t run out of business cards. Typically, people who take a business
card are interested in using your services.
Be Interested
Do not turn your back on the show traffic. Face outward. Smile. Set
your mobile phone to silent. Don’t use the phone in the booth.
Don’t read your Blackberry. Don’t talk with co-workers, while
ignoring show traffic. Don’t do anything that indicates disinterest.
Engage Everyone
Never let a visitor wander through your booth without speaking to
anyone. Think of the booth as your home. Would you let someone
wander through your home without saying anything? If not, don’t let
anyone wander through your booth without approaching him.
If everyone is busy with prospects, don’t disengage qualified prospects for a possibly unqualified visitor.
Instead, pause your conversation, make eye contact with the visitor, smile, and say you’ll be right with him.
Then, return your full attention to your prospect.
53
Ask Open-End
Questions
As people approach your booth or walk by, engage them. Ask open end questions. Ask, “What are you
looking for at the show today?” “What do you know about indoor air quality?”
Avoid any question that can be answered with a yes or no. The trick is to engage.
Qualify With
Ruthlessness
Many, if not most of the attendees at a home show will not be legitimate prospects. Some aren’t homeowners.
Some do not live in your service territory. Some simply have no interest. Use the questioning process to find
out who is a legitimate prospect and who is not. Every minutes spent with an unqualified visitor is a minute
wasted.
Assume you spend ten minutes with each prospect. For an eight hour show, that results in a theoretical
maximum of 48 prospects per booth worker (i.e., 6 prospects/hour X 8 hours = 48 prospects). Assume a
booth worker encounters two unqualified visitors an hour. This can reduce your theoretical maximum
productivity by one third (i.e., 4 qualified prospects/hour X 8 hours = 32 prospects).
If, after qualifying, you reduce the time spent with unqualified visitors from 10 minutes to 5 minutes, you
boost your productivity by 25% (i.e., 5 qualified prospects/hour X 8 hours = 40 prospects). Frankly, even
five minutes is too much time. If it takes five minutes to qualify and disengage an unqualified visitor, and you
spend five minutes with two unqualified visitors an hour, each booth worker is wasting an hour and twenty
minutes out of an eight hour show.
54
If the visitor is not qualified, disengage quickly. Thank the visitor for stopping by and wish them a good show.
Sometimes, handing the visitor a piece of your collateral while you thank him for stopping by can help you
disengage.
Use an Elevator
Speech
An elevator speech is a short description of your company. It’s called an elevator speech because it’s short
enough to give in an elevator. In the elevator speech, describe the services you offer, who you serve, and why
you’re different.
Here’s an example:
We are a plumbing company providing repair and installation services for existing homes in
South Denton County. We started the company over a decade ago with the simple
philosophy that we will respect our customers in all aspects of our service. That means we
arrive when we promise so you won’t wait around all day. We conduct background checks
on our employees so you don’t need to worry who is coming into your home. We use welltrained, quality mechanics who do the work right the first time so you won’t have to call us
back to fix our mistakes. We clean up so you don’t have to. We guarantee our repairs for
two full years, longer than any other company.
55
Prepare a Presentation
Story
Stories are memorable. Use a story to give your presentation about the products and services you want to
stress at a show. Weave the elements together, telling the history of your company’s involvement or telling
the story of a homeowner who bought the product. As much as you can, inject emotion to increase
memorability.
Close
Return to your objective for the show. Is it lead generation or sales from the
booth? If lead generation is the objective, that’s the close. After your
elevator speech, ask what the booth visitor would like to learn? Answer any
questions. Give product demonstrations if appropriate. Then, ask for the order.
Say, “If you don’t mind, let me get a little information from you.” Follow the lead sheet. Thank the prospect.
Disengage.
If you fail to ask for the order, you fail to achieve your objective for the show. All the money and all the effort
is for naught.
56
Debrief Daily
For shows that span several days, gather your team together at the end
of the day for a brief review. What was memorable? What is
working? What problems were encountered? How can the problems
be fixed? What other adjustments are necessary. This is also a good time for each person to review the lead
sheets and clarify or add to the notes.
The meeting is also a chance to celebrate. Review the number of leads or sales generated by each person and
total for the company. Compare it to the objective.
Be Prepared for the
Media
Prepare a show press kit for the media. The press kit should contain a press release related to something
displayed at the show, a company fact sheet (e.g., contact information including your website, unique selling
proposition, company size, company longevity, products and services offered, and so on), a bio of the owner, a
backgrounder on the product or service featured in the press release. Place all of this in a company folder.
Work with show management to ensure you meet any press registered for the show. Add a small placard
promoting the press kit. Print, “Press Kit: Available for Media.”
57
Follow Up Post-Show
When someone registers at your booth, follow-up. Mail personal
thank you notes to every lead. The thank you note should come
from the person who talked with the prospect. Send a personal
letter covering literature requests. If you are extending the show special, remind the prospect of the end date.
Add Everyone to Your
Mail List
Any homeowner who registers for a contest or provides contact information should be added to your mail lists.
Mail promotions. Mail your newsletter. The home show is the start of a relationship with the prospect. Stay
in touch.
Say Thank You
A home show is exhausting, for you, for your staff, and for the show.
Send thank you notes to everyone. Thank your staff. Thank their
spouses (especially if the show spans a weekend). Thank the show
management. Thank your neighboring exhibitors for their help. Thank anyone at the show who referred or
directed a prospect your way.
58
Conduct a Final Post
Mortem
After the show is complete, the thank you notes are sent, and the
leads are closed, hold a final debriefing meeting. Use the meeting as an opportunity to talk about
improvements for the next show. Use the meeting as a venue to celebrate your performance.
About The Author
Matt Michel’s fast paced, information packed delivery style for motivational, technical, sales, and marketing
presentations has made him one of the most sought-after and highly acclaimed speakers in the service trades.
Known as one of the country’s best small business marketers, Matt started two national contractor groups,
developed the marketing systems used by five national franchise organizations, a national consolidator, and two
contractor alliances.
Matt is a regular columnist for two national magazines and publishers Comanche Marketing, the Internet’s
most popular small business marketing ezines (free subscriptions are available at
www.ComancheMarketing.com). He is the author of Results Driven Marketing, Never Lose A Customer, and
The Power of Positive Pricing.
Matt’s company, the Service Roundtable (www.ServiceRoundtable.com) is the world’s largest private
contractor group. Matt can be reached by email at matt.michel@serviceroundtable.com and by phone at
214.995.8889 (Mobile), 817.416.0978 (Office), or 877.262.3314 (Toll Free Sales Line).
59
About The Service Roundtable
The Service Roundtable is the world’s largest private contractor group. Why? It’s obvious…
Every week, Service Roundtable members receive new, original sales, marketing, and business tools they can
use in their business.
•
Over $3 million of content is available to members in the content archives.
•
Members can participate in the company’s very active, business oriented peer-to-peer discussion
groups 24/7/365, which include the industry’s leading consultants.
•
Members can take advantage of select buying programs, such as a merchant bank account program, a
second look consumer financing program, an extended warranty rebate program, and other programs
that each save members many times the cost of membership.
•
More than one contractor in five can take advantage of manufacturer co-op programs to pay for up to
half of their Service Roundtable membership.
•
The turnkey, flat rate, cost of membership is only $50 per month.
Learn more at www.ServiceRoundtable.com. You’ll like it. I’m positive!

87 Ways To Get More Out of Your Next Home Show

Transcription

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