Archive For: Exhibiting

Take Me Home

One of the key things you need to know as a speaker (or as a budding rock star) is that the audience want to take you home.

They may have only heard you for an hour or two but there is a connection and they want to get more info from you or hear more of your stories or find out more about your message.

This is true regardless of your “status” in the market place. There will be audience members that just connect with you, even if you are not the headliner legend in your field. For example, my lovely wife and I went to “Burn the Floor” at Crown Casino on Friday. It was a very good show with lots of dancing and some great music. A very solid casino kind of show. Everything done really well and done within budget.

But they still had a merchandise stand with posters, CDs, trinkets and clothing. At the end of the show there was a significant crowd there all wanting to buy their merchandise.

So as a speaker, educater, professional what do you have that lets your audience take you home?

Following in the footsteps of others from Professional Speakers Australia (The association for experts who speak) I have created over thirty differents discs (some CD, some DVD and some template discs), two books, two e-courses and many other products. After presenting at the Professional Speakers Australia event on the weekend on how to create product like this, some of the audience wanted to take me home. Having this product meant that they could.

If someone wants to take you or your company home, how do you make that happen?

Stop Goating Around

My gorgeous wife and I seem to have a penchant for goat based cafes.

We had three attempts at getting to the Giddy Goat cafe in Yarck before we actually made it on a time and date it was open. Recently we double our goat cafe participation by dining at the Gippy Goat in Yarragon.

Regular readers will know that one of my strongly held beliefs is that you MUST make it easy for the customer. Remove any barrier you can to make it so simple for your customer to discover what you are offering, why they may need it and then help them buy it. Don’t make them have to act the goat to give you their business.

During our trip to the Gippy Goat (which was lovely) I over heard a member of the local council (you could tell because it was embroided on her blouse) enquire about a booking for 10 people. The junior person said, “I’m sorry we don’t take bookings.” There was not much conversation after that.

Don’t get me wrong, maybe there is a great reason why they don’t take booking. Maybe that policy exists for a good reason. Maybe they don’t need they money or loyal customers. I would have approached it differently.

Looking around they had a room that could be used for a private function that seated about 12 people. That would have been a great room for them. 10 people at about $50 a head for lunch, coffee, dessert is $500. 10 happy council people who live in the area and then tell other people how good this place is could represent five to ten times as much. What if this became a regular booking for the council for a monthly or bimonthly group?

Again, I don’t know enough about the venue or the reason for the policy. What I do know is that you have to make it easy to be the customer. There are always other options so the best thing you can do for your business is make sure you are the one easiest to do business with.

Stop goating around and get the sale.

PS Stay tuned for some exciting news … ok I can’t wait. So here it is.
The Get More Success show is launching in 2 weeks.
Video and Audio interviews with successful people sharing their secrets on how to achieve success.
I will let you know when it launches!

Why Are You Shouting?

AIME2016 is on this week. That’s the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo. It is held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre and it is a real focus for the meetings industry. It is always good to go along and see what is happening in the industry.

It is interesting looking at some of the comments coming out on social media, and they are typical of many exhibitors and events all over the world. Essentially they are shouting “LOOK AT ME”

The actual comments are more like “come by stand 26B to see XYZ. You could we an ipad/bottle of wine/(insert token gift here)”.

Can I humbly suggest you save your breath and stop shouting?

What is happening is the more you do it, the more your fellow exhibitors think it’s a good idea to and then they do it and then you do it again and fairly soon everyone is shouting.

Meanwhile, all of the delegate have been scared off and purposefully avoid you.

Here is another approach. Make a personal offer to the people you want to talk with. If you have their emails or phone numbers, contact them directly and make an appointment or let them know why you would love to see them. If you don’t have their details, you will know the type of person you want to speaker to so make an offer directly to them that is intriguing and makes them want to come and visit.

For example, “For all the association event organisers visiting AIME, how would you like complimentary shoulder massage as we share with you ways to get more members at your events? Drop by the Event Strategists and let our masseurs work their magic for you”.

Isn’t that a little more attractive?

Find out what your niche customer will be attracted by and provide it. Then get ready for the onslaught of visitors. (Naturally this idea translates in to normal marketing, sales messages and even parenting)

So why are you shouting?

By the way, I will be at AIME on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. If you want to chat about how you can make your next event more fun, memorable and successful, call me on 0408 592 158 and we can catch up on the show floor.

Are You in Their Shoes?

Hosting conferences means that regularly I get exposed to some great ideas from the sponsors.

Yes, it is true that I run the Exhibiting and Sponsorship Institute, but the first thing you need to know about sponsoring and exhibiting is that there is no ONE WAY to do things. There are many ways and trying new ideas can deliver great results.

One of the great ideas I saw recently was when hosting the Crane Industry Council of Australia’s conference in Perth.

The exhibitor was FinLease, a finance company. They had some awesome socks.

Here are the key reasons they are a great give away:

The audience was predominantly male – men always need new black socks
The message for the wearer can only be seen by the wearer – otherwise it is in their shoes
The message is subtle – for the most part, they are standard black socks
The cost per impression is very low – the wearer will see the message many times unlike some other gifts
The cost per pair would be relatively low
It is a great message – “We put ourselves in your shoes”. It is true literally and figuratively

A little bit of brainstorming, a dash of creativity and a willingness to do something a little different has created a winning marketing piece.

What would you do for your business?

It’s Good to be The King

Elvis

On Saturday night, I was The King. The picture above proves it.

The Australian Glass and Glaziers Association celebrated at their annual conference with a Gala Ball that was themed as “Viva Las Vegas”. The Platinum Sponsors Viridian and G James got in to the act and created a Little White Chapel as well as extra theming including our own Vegas sign with flashing lights. One of the delegates even dressed up as one of the guys out of The Hangover.

For me, not only was I dressed as Elvis but I played the role the entire night This included presenting the awards as him (extra cheeseburgers and all!) and singing a bit of one of his songs to close the night off. The reason this is important is that it was more than just dress ups. Looking the part only gets you so far. You really need to BE the real deal.

The same can be said for what you do. Dress up, turn up and BE the person your role needs. Whether it is a professional role, a role you play in the community or a role in your family, you can’t just LOOK the part you need to ACT and BE the part as well.

Don’t worry, it’s OK if you don’t do it well, make mistakes or don’t quite hit the goal you have as long as you give it all you got.

If you give it everything then you can’t help but succeed. Then you too will know why it’s good to be the King!

Have You Got A Secret?

This is Ron Gottlieb.

He is the CEO of Ricky Richards, a manufacturer and wholesaler of industrial and commercial textiles and they are the platinum sponsor of the SpecTex 2015 trade show.

Also, he has a secret.

Ricky Richards are doing something very different for their industry. They have an exciting new industry partner. Click on the image above to see a three minute video where Ron talks about it and reveals the secret.

What was really cool was how they announced it. Over the past few weeks Ricky Richards has been posting images on their social media sharing how they have a “special announcement” and that you need to come to the trade show to find out what it was.

Their email footers have also been encouraging people to come and find out “the secret”. So the industry has been abuzz with this secret and many have come to the trade show to uncover it. But you had to go to the trade show to find out what it was and from there they have released it to the market place.

The secret is a great one. They have partnered with Melanoma Institute of Australia and are committing to significant donations on an ongoing basis. There are some real synergies between the companies and it not only helps Melanoma Institute but also Ricky Richards’ clients in the selling of their products.

What about you? Have you got a secret? Can you “reveal” it in a way that attracts attention?

Success is Smart (and Brave)

I spent last week hosting the Manufacturers Pavilion at Austech15, a trade show for those in the manufacturing sector.

You can check out some interesting observations and videos from the show (including the 3D printed push bike) here.

The summary from hearing the likes of Google’s head of Sales Engineering, the CEO of Committee for Economic Development in Australia, CEO of Innovative Thinking, CSIRO’s head of Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing), Director of AusIndustry and Dean of Engineering from Deakin University is very simple – BE BRAVE.

Too many firms in our manufacturing sector (and from my experience in many others as well) struggle to move from business as usual. This is not new, this is not unique and worst of all, it is not unexpected!

This article in Forbes from 2013 talks about it and in particular refers to the Sigmoid Curve which first came to my attention in the early 1990s. A quick Google search brings up many images, theories and case studies to supports its application.

Yet still we ignore it.

One of my clients has dedicated half of every Monday to work on the strategy of their business so they do not get stuck in the day to day of their business. By looking at what the industry offers, what the issues are and what roles they want to play, they are shaping their future not responding to it.

Success requires bravery and it requires us to be smart as well. What clever edge can we take advantage of? What unique approach will put you in front?

Once you know this, be brave and work for it.

Manufacturing is Dead, Long live Manufacturing.

At the Austech 2015 Trade Show and there was a lot of talk about manufacturing, as you would expect. But there was a lot of talk about the death of manufacturing in Australia.

Based on the empirical evidence at Austech, this is clearly not the case. Manufacturing is strong in Australia, but we are focusing on the negativity not the success stories. Some of the stories heard at the show prove that there are some fantastic companies doing amazing things.

It is fair to say that Automotive Manufacturing in Australia is in decline, but the feeling is that this is not a bad thing. The margins were extremely tight, the demands were high and the profitability was very low. Remove of the government rebates and financial incentives and it would be difficult to find profitable manufacturers in the mainstream automotive industry.

So what are the success stories?

One company, Lovitt Technoglogies based in Melbourne is a first tier supplier to Boeing in the aeronautical industry – among other things, they manufacture tail pieces for 737s and other equipment for the FA8 Super Hornets.

Another company based in Dandenong, Volgren is manufacturing buses made of aluminium. They they are more expensive than importing a traditional steel bus but because they are made of aluminum – which no other company does – they are lighter to run and that they are more cost effective, so the total cost of ownership is lower. What they are also doing is starting to export these buses to Japan.

We have another company called Tomcar making an urban utility vehicle that was originally made in Israel, but the owner of the intellectual property could not get them made to the specification he wanted, so he started having them made in Australia. They are now exporting them and selling them to the US Defense Force.

In fact, throughout the course of Austech Tomcar were searching for local suppliers to increase the Australian made content of the vehicle. Current the Australian made content sits at around 60% and their target is to lift it to 85%

There are some amazing success stories in the Australian Manufacturing Industry if we choose to look for them.

The significant shift for Australian manufacturing is that we are moving out of commodity manufacturing – mass production. Our labor costs become prohibitive to be able to afford to do that, but what we do have is the ‘smarts’.

Clever manufacturing is where the future of Australian manufacturing lies. There is no reason why we can’t manufacture high specification, high quality products that we can then sell to the rest of the world.

Both Roger le Salle from Matrix Thinking and Professor, the Honorable Stephen Martin, CEO of CEDA, stated at Austech that this is the future for Australia. One of the questions they asked is that instead of looking to Switzerland and Germany for high specification products, why can’t we manufacture them here?

We have a history of clever innovation and we have proven that time and time again. From farmers who invented the ‘stump jumpers’, which were ploughs that would jump over stumps to secure plastic bank notes and WiFi, Australia has created some amazing inventions.

David Lake, MD of ATTAR mentioned that his team were able to create some non-destructive testing processes that were previously thought impossible to do and by creating a unique team structure and management style within the business, continued to get significant innovation from his team.

Australia has some amazing universities and technical resources.

The CSIRO have recently created Lab22. They invested a significant amount on the latest in additive manufacturing equipment, typically referred to as 3D printing. Industry can access this equipment and CSIRO’s expertise and you don’t have to make a significant outlay. You can rent this Lab for some prototyping or looking at how you might be able to use additive manufacturing processes in your own business.

Australia has the ‘smarts’, we have the opportunities and we have the capacity. All we need is manufacturers who are willing to look beyond their current business to see what the future holds.

Now is the time to fully embrace being “smart manufacturers” looking for the niche, looking for the high specification product you can export to the rest of the world.

This kind of manufacturing would be ideal for our new submarines. Many visitors to Austech felt it was outrageous that our current Government is not letting Australian companies even bid for the manufacture of these submarines. There may well be politics involved, but it is important to know that we do have the ‘smarts’ to be able to do this – and we are a clever and lucky country.

Be confident that our manufacturing industry is recalibrating not disintegrating.

Manufacturing is dead, long live manufacturing.

PS Here are some videos of a couple of the interesting machines at Austech2015

Hilton Digital LED/CD Displays

Renishaw 3D Printed Bike

5 Axis Sculpting

Freedom (At Last)

Saturday night I had the great joy of hosting a Trade Show and Gala Dinner for one of my fabulous clients.

Like most Gala Dinners, there were awards, formalities and speeches. Once that had happened, it was time to relax and celebrate. This event had a great band that was really suited to the audience. They were called The Chosen Few. Dinner done, formalities over and so the band started.

The dance floor was empty!

Now I know that people are like sheep. No one wants to be the first person on the dance floor, they are waiting for others to go first. As part of what I do for clients, I will typically find someone during the course of the dinner who is happy to dance and then set the example by hitting the dance floor first. On Saturday the lovely Sam from The Cartridge Family joined me on the dance floor.

I know why people don’t want to get on the dance floor. They are scared of what others will think, whether it is their outfit, how they dance or some other thing people are scared of being judged.

Eleanor Roosevelt is quoted as saying, “What other people think of me is none of my business.”

The freedom of letting go of what other people think and just enjoying the moment meant that Sam and I had a great night on the dance floor. There were others sitting around the edge just bursting to get on the dance floor (they were dancing in their chairs almost) but when we invited them to join us, even when there were more people on the dance floor, they declined.

So where are you denying yourself freedom by being constrained by what other people think? What will you do today to give yourself the gift that freedom is?

Are You Really There?

Registration Desk

I had the great joy of working at a client’s three-day conference and trade show last week as Master MC and Exhibition Host.

It was a huge success on so many levels. But still…

It is a personal bugbear of mine that companies pay large money to sponsor an event or exhibit an event and they get the wrong people on the stands.

While this was a great show, so many of the exhibitors were not really there. They were on their phone, on their laptop, chatting to colleagues, doing anything but being present and focussing on the delegates – THEIR TARGET MARKET!

It is really simple, don’t take your phone to the stand. If you need to be near your phone all day you are the wrong person to be there so get someone else. Use the conference as a marketing tool by creating a special out of office message.

Leave a phone message that states; “Hi you have called YOUR NAME. I can’t take your call because I am hosting a stand at the XYZ Conference. Come and see me at stand 123 or leave a detailed message and I will get back to you once the show closes for the day.”

Do what it takes to focus on your target market – the whole reason you are there!

What about you?

Whether it is on a trade show floor, chatting with friends or meeting with colleagues, are you really there?

It’s (not) Hard to Be Humble

With the rise of the celebrity culture (both in business and in popular culture) it seems some celebrities struggle to remain humble and in the process disengage with their followers.

In fact, you would think that many of them subscribe to beliefs presented in the Mac Davis song, It’s Hard to Be Humble.

I had an interaction with someone who knows it is NOT hard to be humble. Australian songstress (in both Opera and Pop/Alternate music) Kate Miller-Heidke showed me how it is done.

On Friday I sent a tweet about how I was doing some writing while listening to her music and she replied.

I did a bit of cyber stalking and saw that Kate (we’re friends now so I call her Kate) showed appreciation to several others that had mentioned her. I get how this could be an onerous task for huge celebrities with lots of fans writing to them. But it is amazing how a simple “Thank you” shows you are human. Shows that you appreciate those that support you and have helped you to get where you are.

So how is your humility level? Regardless of whether you are a super star or not, do you let your humanity show? Go on, it’s worth it.

It’s (not) hard to be humble!

Who Is It About?

Too often people in business get this question wrong, particularly in the Exhibiting industry.

The answer is, it is NOT about you – it is ALL about them.

Let’s be incredibly honest, no one really cares about what you do. What they care about is what you can do for THEM. That great saying of “What’s In It For Me” is running through their subconscious as they talk with you.

So with what you do, who is it about?

Your signs and posters, are they about you or are they about them?
Your new processes, are they about making it easier for you or making it easier for them?
Are the images you use about you or is it about them?
Your exhibiting booth, is it all about you or about them?
When you network, do you talk about you or do your talk about them?
When you get home from work, do you go on about your day or do you ask about theirs?

Life is not about you. It is about them.

The funny thing is, if you make it about them, they will happily make it about you – so everyone gets what they need.

PS Someone who did a lot for others and who has always been a personal idol is Robin Williams. His passing affected me deeply so I wrote about it. You can read it here.

Where Do You Get Them?

Let me be blatantly obvious. I am promoting a 30 minute webinar I am running this Friday on Successful Sponsorship Management. You probably got that from the last edition.

I will be covering Where to get sponsors, How to get sponsors and How to retain sponsors. If you want to find out more, be on the call or get access to the recording, register here.

In response to the last edition and some of my marketing of the webinar, I keep getting the questions, “Where do I get sponsors from?”

It is similar to the question, Where Do I Get My New Customers From?

Too often people will say “EVERYONE needs what I am selling.” It may be true but it is really hard work selling to people who don’t want to buy or don’t realise they need your product or service.

My sales coach, Paul McCarthy, has always said, “Go where the love is.” Years of being a muso taught him that it is easier to perform in front of people who love your style of music than those who don’t know it.

What sort of reaction would you get from a punk crowd if you started playing folk music? How would country and western fans respond when you start playing rap music?

It is the same when you are looking for sponsors. Go where the love is. Who loves your stuff, wants your stuff, needs your stuff and will pay money to access your stuff? They are your IDEAL sponsor.

To find out more, register for Friday’s webinar. Simply click here to find out more and enter your details.

Want Someone Else to Pay For It?

Running events is expensive. Whether it is a small event for 30 people or a huge conference for 600, costs seem to escalate with every little thing you do.

Why not get someone else to pay for it?

There are ALWAYS organisations that want access to your events attendees and they are willing to pay for it.

“So what” I hear you say. “Everyone has sponsors”

True, many events have sponsors but most events treat them poorly. It is no longer enough to give them a logo on the flyer, logo on the screen, five minutes on stage and an exhibitor booth. What the sponsor wants is real engagement, real conversations with attendees and, let’s be honest, real business opportunities.

If you provide these for your sponsors, they will happily sign up with you year after year.

So do you have sponsors? If so, what are you doing for them?

NOTE: If you want to find out the Secrets to Successful Sponsor Management, I will be running a complimentary half hour webinar on Friday 20th June at 1pm Melbourne time. Find out more and register here

Who Has Time For That?

One of the lessons I learn’t early on in life was that I don’t have the time, energy or inclination to make all the mistakes I need to.

Mistakes are one of the biggest and best ways to learn how to do and how not to do things.

I don’t know about you, but who has time to make that many mistakes?

I am a big fan of learning from the mistakes and lessons of others. It saves me pain and accelerates my success.

It is for this reason I have set up Entrepreneurs In Action

It is a regular podcast of interviews with successful Entrepreneurs. The first episode is out there and the first interview is launching tomorrow.

You can subscribe with your iTunes account at www.EntrepreneursInAction.com.au or create a Podomatic account at http://warwickmerry.podomatic.com/

When you next make a mistake or have a “learning experience” make sure it is not just you who learns from it. Share it with people who need to know because when it comes to learning everything by doing it yourself, who has time for that?

Warwick In Action

« 1 2 3 4 … 12 »