Archive For: Exhibiting

Need More Adventure?


Need More Adventure?

When was your last “Adventure”?  I don’t mean tracking wombats through the state forest (although some people may have done that), I mean done something that is an adventure for you.  Something that gets your heart racing, your adrenaline flowing and your sense of anticipation at full alert.

So many people get into the rut of everyday life.  All of a sudden it becomes: get up, go to work, come home, have dinner, watch TV, go to bed and repeat.  Even if you have a few hobbies like sport, study or theatre thrown in, it can get repetitive.  So where’s the Adventure?

Your routine maybe different. It may include flying around the countryside exhibiting at Expo’s and Trade Shows, but we have all had that feeling where one show just blends into another.  Sometimes we need a bit of adventure to break the routine.  (By the way, the adventure can frequently give us ideas to use at the next show!)

My challenge to you is to plan for and then have some adventure in your life.  Plan and do something within 2 months time, something that challenges and excites you and that you are interested in doing.
It could be:

  • 10 minutes of stand up at an open mic night
  • Karaoke singing with friends
  • Auditioning for a local theatre production
  • Booking guitar lessons
  • Going skiing (we almost have snow on the Victorian high plains)
  • Writing a book (if you want the short cut to a best seller, check out this great opportunity that I am taking part in)

Mine is going in a radio competition to be on Melbourne’s Fox FM Breaky Show.  It’s a little out there but you can check out the details (and please vote Yes for me and No for the others) on http://www.fox.com.au/shows/mattandjo/you-and-jo-entries

What is your challenge?  Let me know what it is as I would love to hear about it.

Photo Credit:  www.studentsoftheworld.info It’s a Wombat! 

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Are You Insane?



Of late I have seen more insanity in the workplace that usual. Here are some samples of insanity I have been a witness to:

  • A friend of mine told me how one of her peers had her office door removed (without consulting her) so he could “better communicate with his team”.
  • I was chatting to someone on a flight to Alice Springs who worked for a major bank. An external consultant recommended that as part of an OH&S audit one of the branches to be sampled was Tennant Creek. An external OH&S lawyer and senior HR person had to travel for a day and a half to perform a 90 minute interview that was not permitted to be done by phone.
  • I have personally sat in a meeting called to discuss why we were having so many meetings

Personally, I cannot understand why any of these and many other things happen. I see insanity on the Trade Show and Expo floor also.

At a recent three day trade show, one of the exhibitors was so embarrassed about how her stand was doing, she would not call her manager and tell them their figures at the end of each day. They were 75% down on previous shows. I asked if she had done anything different from a previous show and she said yes. Their new products needed some explaining so they kept the stock out of the customers reach. For almost two days they had this format. Even though in the old format they had made major sales! I told her to instantly change the booth back to have the stock at the front with the new stock to one side. They had not finished the change and it started to make an impact. Visitors saw the stock and came up to ask questions and buy.

Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.

If what you are doing on a show floor is not working, change it. If your greetings and attempts to engage don’t work, change them. If you booth doesn’t look good, change it. If your staff are

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not working out, change them. Most shows are at least two days long, don’t get to the end and say “It didn’t work”. That would be insane. If something is not working, change it.

What insanity do you need to change at your next show or in your work place?


Warwick

PS Many people have asked where can they see me speak. I am speaking at an upcoming seminar (that is remarkably affordable – some would say insane!) in Melbourne on How to Get More Face to Face Sales. Get the details here.

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He Touched Me!

As some of your know I sing with Mood Swing – you can check out what we sound like on our facebook page (maybe become a fan?)  We were delighted to be part of the Get Vocal festival over the weekend.  As well as concerts, there were workshops for artists during the day.  A highlight for me was attending the workshop run by Tripod.  If you are not familiar with them check out one of my favourites of theirs on YouTube or their home page www.3pod.com.au


I had heard so many stories about meeting your hero’s and being disappointed.  While I may not rank them as “Hero’s” they are definitely people I admire and look up to.  As a speaker, trainer, coach, tradeshow guru, I am constantly trying to balance the entertainment, education, laughs and valuable resources mix.  I had a one on one chat with Scott (the one with glasses) who was very humble and gave me some great pointers.  He even touched me!!  Well…we shook hands.


It got me thinking, how do we really know how we positively affect people?  When we give to them, inspire them, lead them, love them, parent them, coach them, advise them, befriend them or even just talk with them?  You never know what impact you will have on those around you simply by sharing what you know and what you have.  There are people out there who are better off having been in contact with you.  They may even be thinking “(s)he touched me!”


Thanks for being such a cool you.  Keep it up.


Lovin’ your work.


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Stop Whinging!


I was working at a trade show for three days last week and I was amazed at the high whinging level.  So many exhibitors would drone on:

“Why aren’t there people here yet?”
“Why are there so many people here?” 
“How come I haven’t made more sales?”
“The food here is pretty bad”
“We need more signage”

While some of them were valid questions, it was also an absolute waste of time.  For every subject they had a whinge about, there was something they could do about it but didn’t.  For some reason it was not their responsibility but someone else’s.  


I have what I call my two “Killer Questions” for every situation and they are:
1) What is my part in this?
and
2) What can I do differently?


Regardless of who is to blame, when I take responsibility for a situation, I am then empowered to take action. Taking action lifts my spirits, makes me more attractive to clients and moves me forward to where I want to be.


So how much do you whinge?


Enjoy! 

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Five Observations Fresh From the Floor

I am fresh off the floor from the 2010 Pregnancy Babies and Children’s Expo and I have some valuable observations to share.  I spent three days working with exhibitors to help them Get More from their show experience and here are the top 5 learning points:

  1. It’s all about Engagement.  Some of the exhibitors were concerned about not getting enough interest in their product/service.  It was usually the same exhibitor who was just standing in the booth saying nothing as someone walked past.  Live by the rule, if you are not speaking to anyone, speak to everyone!  If ever you have a quiet time, engage with the very next person.
  2. Why are you there?  Some exhibitors forget why they are there.  They get swept up in the excitement and buzz of the show that they forget their prime objective.  Start each day with a briefing refreshing the objectives for the day and what actions are required to meet it.  If you are there to get names and addresses, then get names and addresses.
  3. How is your signage? Do you have short, snappy, easy to read (that means HUGE font), action oriented signs?  If not, get some.  People don’t really care much about your brand, your long winded mission statement or the features of what you have, they care about a problem they have and how you will solve it.  Find the problem and let them know you solve it.
  4. Prepare for the show.  I don’t understand people and organisations that spend thousands of dollars to get to a show and all they do is turn up!  At the very least read the exhibitor manual to find out information about the show.  Know what signage, stationery, product, and other items you need in your booth.  Be crystal clear on what you want from the show and what your message is.  Know how you will measure your success and whether it was worthwhile.  If you don’t know these things, then why are you even there?
  5. Stop whinging!!  Shows are part science, part art and a big chunk of magic.  Things will always be different than expectected.  There will be lulls and peak times.  If things are not going how you want, then change.  You can’t expect to turn up last minute, lack half your signage and get the results you got last time with out some change in your approach.  Focus on what is going well and then change the things that are within your power.  Once you start whinging, you bring a whole lot of negativity to your booth which guarantees you wont get the results you are after.

Master these five, and you are half way there!

Enjoy

Warwick

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Do you Do the Numbers?

Not just the simple “How much money did we make?”  I mean really do the numbers.

  • Do you consider the total costs? (not just booth cost but labour, pre show marketing, post show followup, accomodation etc)
  • Do you know how many people stopped at your booth? (you could measure people for 6 mins each hour and multiply by 10 for an hourly average)
  • Do you know how to measure your brand impact?
  • Do you know how many people bought from you after the show because they met you at the show? (maybe using a special code from the show)
  • Do you know whether the numbers add up to make exhibiting worthwhile?

Use these ideas to make sure you do the numbers for your next show!


Lovin’ your work!


Warwick


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Happy Birthday!


Yesterday was my birthday.  Yay!

I have long been a believer in not working on my birthday so I spent the day having brunch with some work friends, lunch with an old singing friend and then dinner with Wifey.  It was a hard day, but someone had to do it and I was up to the challenge!!

I would encourage you to also plan to have your birthday off and do something fun.  Even if your birthday is months away, put your leave form in now!

But what is a birthday without presents!!  So here they are.

First, it’s a freebie – the Birthday Bash checklist.  Use this on your birthday to look back at the year gone and celebrate your achievements.  Then look forward to the year ahead and build in some fabulosity!  Click here to download the Birthday Bash Checklist.

The second birthday present is a discount off the Get More Energy CD.  This CD has tips, tools and techniques on how you can have more sustainable energy in your life.  Usually $35 plus postage and handling, simply use the discount code “bday42” and get a $20 discount. That makes it only $15 plus postage and handling.  Click here to order the Get More Energy CD.

The third present is a discount off my speaking or MC services.  If you book me to speak/MC at your conference or workshop before the end of May 2010, I will give you 33% off my standard speaking fee.  Just email me to make the booking.


I wish you the best on my birthday and I trust the coming years brings great things!




Warwick

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Would your Hard Drive survive?

At any show, it is hard to stand out above the crowd.  Thousands of people coming in the doors, hundreds of exhibitors, loads of press, blogging and tweeting, how can you bee seen???

Here is how ioSafe did it. 

  • They invited reporters to leave the show and go on a field trip
  • They arrived at a typical suburban house
  • Photos were taken of the reporters and loaded on the hard drive in the ioSafe
  • The ioSafe was tossed into the backyard pool
  • It was retrieved about 5 mins later
  • The ioSafe was then placed in a pottery furnace and baked
  • It was removed from the oven and hosed down until it was cool enough to handle
  • The drive was then taken from the safe and the photos were loaded on a handy computer
For the full story, check out Corporate Event Magazine’s write up (full credit to them for the photo too).  It is worth the read as it also talks about how they handled the press releases to their advantage.

While this sounds like a cool thing to do, I am sure most of you don’t have data safes to drown, burn or explode.  But some principals can still be used for your next expo.

  • Can you do something specifically for the press (it would need to be special and not just “let me tell you about my product”)?
  • Can you arrange an offsite meeting?  It could be for hot prospects, press, existing customers, influential industry members – get them away from the cacophony of the show and you are more likely to have their attention.
  • How can you demonstrate your product in action? Telling people about it is never as good as showing them.
  • What can you do that is different from the others, and in particular, different from your competitors?

Now you can take action!




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What is Most Important?




I have just come back from three days hosting an Expo/Trade Show. There was a great array of brands, products and services all displayed and promoted in different ways.  It struck me that the most important thing was most over looked.

It wasn’t the booth set up, some of the simplest booths were extremely busy.
It wasn’t the give aways, samples or bowl of lollies on the table.
It wasn’t the price of the product or service as items of all prices were selling.

It was the “Engagement” process, how the exhibitor captured the attention of the visitor.  Many of the expensive corporate booths had people walk past because the people on the booth were not focussed on attracting the people.  Some smaller business owners were a bit shy and waited until people came to them. Yet there were some star performers who ALWAYS had someone at their booth, and nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd.

The same can be said no matter what you sell.  The first step is to get the prospect’s attention, to get them engaged with you so they can discover what you are selling.

So no matter what you are selling, it could be a new idea to colleagues or a the idea of taking a holiday to your partner or selling the concept of staying off drugs to your kids or selling an actual product to your prospects, how will you engage with them? How can you put yourself aside and appeal to what is important or interesting to them?

That’s what is most important!

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What about Others?

What about others?


It is very easy to get hung up about how things are for you in a situation, but what about others?


Melbourne recently got hit by a hail storm and unfortunately, wifey and I got caught in it in our 2 week old car. The car now has serious dents all over it (only the drivers door was spared) and it will now have to be fixed. While that is disappointing and frustrating for us, what about others?


I saw one guy trying to stop water from flooding up the driveway and into his house. Wifey’s relatives have had their patio roof smashed, the TV has images of peoples with their ceilings caved in and others got physically injured by hail at an outdoor festival – so we got off very lightly.


Next time you have a situation, stop to think “What about others?”


* If you have an irate customer, how would things be from their perspective?
* If you have a disagreement with a colleague, what is the impact of the situation on them?
* If a friend is not doing or saying what you want, what is going on for them?


Considering the situation from different angles helps you get a better and healthier perspective on your own situation and helps you focus on the solution and

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not the pain or discomfort of your own situation

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What does the "X" stand for in TEDx

I have been given the honour of being the Master of Ceremonies for the third TEDx Melbourne session on Saturday March 13th at RMIT. For those of you who are not familiar with TED, it stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. Presentations of up to 18 minutes are given by leaders in their fields. Check out www.ted.com and see for yourself some of the presentations.

In Melbourne, we have TEDx. It is slightly different in that the “X” signifies that this is not an official TED event but an independently organized event. Having been

involved in the second TEDx Melbourne session, I

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have another perspective. I reckon the “X” also stands for the following:

  • X-citement – People get fired up not just by the presentations but the conversations after.
  • X-traordinary – Just mixing with people who have a similar interest in stretching their mind exposes you to some amazing people and ideas.
  • X-ray vision – Ok…perhaps we are not all Superman but the ideas shared can give you an idea into the future or at least your own future.
  • Finally there is the X-factor. The mysterious “A-ha moment” or idea or contact or conversation or unknown thing that you get just from rubbing shoulders with other TEDsters.

If you are interested in coming along, visit the facebook page HERE with all the details and instructions for the day.

So my question for you is, what will you bring to TEDx Melbourne to share with others?

See you there!



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Who is Driving?



When it is time to make decisions (important or otherwise) who is driving? It is you or your ego?


My ego wanted to kick in this week and I struggled to keep it at bay. Wifey and I bought a new car. As a male, I wanted the latest and greatest with all the bells and whistles and for it to be brand new and shiny!


Once I was able to put my ego to one side I could see that as much as I wanted a shiny new car, a 10% saving on the cost of the car to have a one year old model with 10 thousand kilometres on the clock made sense. The difference between the two cars was minimal (16 inch rims vs 17 inch rims).  


Even though I could tell myself “I am worth a new car” (and I know I am), the 10% saving was worth it. Now I can invest that 10% rather than just spending it.


When you are making your decisions, how big an impact does your ego have? Don’t get me wrong, as the Skyhooks said, “Ego is not a dirty word”. But we need to make sure that our ego is not driving us.


So who is driving?

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What Inspires your Booth?

In talking with many exhibitors, one of the things that comes up frequently as an issue is “How should my booth look?”

Now you don’t have to have a person bungy jumping through the floor or hanging from the cross beam like these guys did, but what can you do to stand out and still reflect the values of your business?


A common suggestion I make to my clients is look at the big players in your category.  If you are selling a low to medium priced product, check out the department stores.  Department stores spend millions of dollars on their visual merchandising and store layout.  Get inspiration on what you think appeals to your customer and what can be adapted to your product.  Maybe they have a certain rack or shelving system or types of posters or backdrops that would work well for you.  Be open to anything.


If you sell higher priced items, make sure the quality and presence of your booth reflects your product.  If you are selling high end, high quality products, you can’t afford to have a cheap, dodgy or low quality looking booth.  Again, inspiration can come from your own product.  Like our bungy friends above, maybe you product shown in action is what your clients would like.  Or a large replica that your prospects can interact with how they never could before.  For example, if you sell high end data storage, imagine a hard disk device about 10 times normal size that a prospect can touch the insides of.


Inspiration can also come from other displays in a completely different industry.  As an example, if you are selling custom made clothes, you could display your range of fabrics and accessories like a Lexus dealer displays their car colour charts.


You will be amazed at where your ideas come from.  The secret is that you have to go out looking for them.  You are far more likely to get the burst of brilliance when you are submersing your senses in possibility rather than sitting at your desk willing the ideas to come!


So what inspires you?

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Let them touch it!

People want to touch it!!


They want

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to feel the new product. They want to see photo’s of the service. They want to experience what it’s like. Brochures can be good but the real thing is better.


I was speaking to my brother who is big in Send Out Cards (among other entrepreneurial ventures!) and he was describing a booth he was going to show Send Out Cards at. We talked about different ideas but just seeing cards was not enough. You could hold the cards or see big pictures on the walls. You could talk about how easy it is to send out personalised cards to your clients, prospects or family members but it’s not the same as doing it yourself.


I suggested that he let them do it. Let them work through the whole process

so that they are doing it and can touch and feel the process not just hear about it. So he was going to look at setting up at the booth with his camera and laptop. Prospects get their photo taken and then use the system to send themselves a card with their own message. So not only do they see how simple it is to use, two or three days later they get a card with their photo on it showing them how cool it is to receive the card.




Let them touch it!


If you can find a way, get the prospect physically touching your product or service. This makes it personal, memorable and way more sellable.


So what about

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your next show? How can you take your product or service and make it touchable? Make it real for your prospect and very soon they will be your client!




Let me know if you need ideas to make it touchable.

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How is your Copy and Pasting?

I see many people who are masters at Cut and Paste. But it is not their documents they are cut and pasting, it is themselves!

  • They read management books and do exactly what they say.
  • They hear jokes and tell them as if they are their own.
  • They go on management training and try and be exactly like the training examples.
  • They read biographies and try to be like the heroes they idolise.

Lots of copying and pasting.

Don’t get me wrong. I am a big fan of training, biographies, books and jokes. But I am a bigger fan of authenticity.

Use the training, the books, the event – whatever it is – as a stimulation

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to be you. Get the idea, the inspiration, the stimulation and do it your way. Don’t be a pale copy of someone or something else. Be a shining example of the authentic you – warts and all!

——————-
Need some inspiration? Due to the success of the initial Get More from 2010 session, another will be run in early February. Email 2010@warwickmerry.com if you are interested. Detail on the session can be found at www.warwickmerry.com/GM201

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