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Sales Tips from a 10 Year Old Sri Lankan

It is amazing what you can learn in the strangest of places.
On the road from Colombo to Yala I learnt a valuable sales tip that is applicable to any sales situation but particularly to exhibitors. All across Sri Lanka there are huts on the side of the road where the locals sell their produce. Here is one we stopped at that had a

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lot of different beans, peas, grains and chillies.

Some of the more humble huts are staffed by children. (Hut is a bit generous. It is more a simple table!) As you got closer they were smiling, holding high what they had to sell and inviting you to stop and look at their produce. Originally I just dismissed them as kids selling vegetables but then I noticed something. After we went past, they were still smiling and simply tried to engage the next passer by. It got me thinking and comparing this young boy to many of the exhibitors I have seen and worked with.
Here is what that 10 year old Sri Lankan taught me:
  • Smile! It helps to engage with the passers by.
  • Make sure the prospect knows exactly what you are offering – even if this means waving around your product.
  • Use some kind of pick up line to engage the passer by.
  • If they don’t stop, don’t take it personally. Keep smiling and look for the next person.
Such simple things that so many in sales, and particularly those exhibiting at Trade Shows or Expos, forget to do.
Enjoy!

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Do You Go To The Butcher For Bread?


Co Homa The Machan – That is Singhalese (Sri Lankan) for “Hello Good Friend”.  Wifey and I are back from three fabulous weeks in Sri Lanka.  It was an amazing trip with far too much to tell in the Get more Goer, but there were some definite learnings to be had.

Most of our trip was spent with family.  Family are such wonderful people.  Sometimes they don’t realise their kindness is killing you, or at least stifling you.  They love to save you from yourself and tell you how to live life or throw in a mixed message.  In Sri Lanka, food is love.  So every visit has a meal and you have to have two or three helpings.  Usually it came up in conversation afterwards how much I ate or how “big” I was.  EXACTLY what I wanted to hear!

Things are not that different in Australia.  When I first left the corporate world and set up my own business, my parents urged me to stay in the corporate world where the job was secure and the money was good.  They didn’t say this to hold me back, it was said as a protective instinct.  They were fearful that I may struggle financially.  Frequently family are so protective of you or only want certain things because “they would be best for you”.  Unknowingly, they can cause you additional distress.

My theory is, don’t go to the butcher for bread.

What I mean is, you wouldn’t get financial advice from someone on social security, you wouldn’t get fitness tips from a chronically ill or unwell person, and you wouldn’t take ethic lessons from a lifelong criminal, so pick who you turn to for support.  Sometimes your family is great for that and sometimes they aren’t.  If your family have no experience as an exhibitor at a trade show or expo, how will they know what is “best practice”?  If your family have never sold services, how will they know the trick of the trade if that is what you are trying to do?  Sometimes you need a paid professional who will be brutally honest with you, sometimes you need a mastermind group to aid your progress and sometimes family CAN be of great assistance.

When you are next looking for support or resources for what you are trying to achieve, don’t go to the butcher for bread!  Go to the leaders in that field.  Chances are much higher that they will have what you need.

What do you need?

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What is All This About Climate Change?

Iceberg



You may have noticed that the weather has started to warm up. Melbourne has had a very cold winter this year and many of us are excited about the prospect of temperatures above 15 degrees C! But I noticed something during the cold spell. Talking with friends they said, “It’s been so cold I had to really turn up the heater.” Work environments almost had fights breaking out about how the heater needed to be turned up because it was too cold!!!

It got me thinking.

It seems more and more now that people expect a response on a larger scale. I am

too cold so I will turn up the heating in the entire house. The office is too cold so increase the temperature of the entire office. Our work culture is wrong so something has to change. House prices are too high so the government should do something. Something is wrong in the climate so the climate should change.

I strongly disagree.

I think if there is something wrong with the climate, then we need to change as individuals. Ask yourself the question, what can I do about it? If you are cold, put on warmer clothing. If you don’t like how things are done at your work place, change it (either the way it is done or your employer!). It is time for personal responsibility. What can we do as individuals that can impact our own personal climate?

You will find the change will happen quicker than if you waited for the larger scale response, and you can focus on what is really important in your life.


What changes can you make today?

PS For those of you who based in Melbourne or who are in Melbourne on Tuesday 26th of October and want to find out how to give your next session some big change, come and visit me at Meeting Mart. Tickets are free from the website and I will be exhibiting my wares

as a Speaker and MC. For my Exhibiting clients, come and see how I do it and for my speaking clients, come and get some great resources from myself and others to make your next session fabulous.

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Would You Like A Drink?


Water
One of the things that many people forget to do is drink.  I don’t mean whip down to the pub and have a sly bevy, I mean drink plenty of fluids during the day.  Too often we can get so involved in what we are working on that we neglect to have enough fluids.  This leads to the typical symptoms of being thirsty, dry lips and also headaches, dizziness and cramping.

For those of us on the trade show or expo floor it is worse.  One of the best ways to release fluid from the body is by talking.  We exhibitors talk non-stop for 8 hours and it is common to do this without any breaks.  So often I see exhibitors get headaches or cramps and lose focus.  I believe a lot of this is not looking after your basic needs.
So the question is how much fluid should you have?

The correct answer is, “It depends”.  The old standard of 8 cups (2 litres) of water a day is not entirely accurate.  There are many factors to consider.  The best thing to do is review this simple guide on the Kidney Health Australia website.  There is some great information there.

Personally, I swear by the old backpacker trick I learned while traveling (it gets handed down from generation to generation).  If your urine is yellow, you are dehydrated so you need to drink more fluids.  Water is the best fluid but others will contribute to re-hydrating you.
So to keep your head clear, your mind focused, your day on track (and your urine clear), drink more fluids!!

Can I offer you a drink?

Enjoy!

PS For those of you who based in Melbourne or who are in Melbourne on Tuesday 26th of October, come and visit me at Meeting Mart.  Tickets are free from the website and I will be exhibiting my wares as a Speaker and MC. For my Exhibiting clients, come and see how I do it and for my speaking clients, come and get some great resources from myself and others to make your next session fabulous.

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When Was Your Last Holiday?


This blog comes to you while I am gallivanting around the Sri Lankan countryside. I have left the computer at home and will be having three weeks to just relax. But that is not the Australian way. We call ourselves the “Lucky Country” and the image of going surfing, playing footy or just having a BBQ comes to mind when you think of Australian Lifestyle.

But research by the Australia Institute shows that Australia has that longest hours of work in the developed world.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that:

Very long hours of work (50 hours or more per week) have become more common for full-time workers in the 20 years since 1985, particularly for men. In 2005, 30% of men working full-time worked 50 hours or more per week, up from 22% in 1985. Fewer women working full-time worked very long hours, with 16% working 50 hours or more per week in 2005, up from 9% in 1985.

Personally, I have met people

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that wear their annual leave entitlement like a badge of honour!! “I’ve got 200 days of annual leave owing! I haven’t had a proper holiday for 15 years!!!”
That is INSANE!!! You need rest and recreation because it is Re Creation. It rebuilds yourself and restores your energy. In Australia, we typically get four weeks of annual leave a year. I believe you should have all four weeks in that year. No matter how important you think you are, the place will not fall down without you!

So what about you? How much leave do you have owing and when will you take your next holiday?

Enjoy!

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People are Lovely!

Hi All


I find Marketing to be a delicate balance between telling people how damn good you are and humbly sharing the results you have been able to achieve.


In this vein, I wanted to share with you some lovely comments I received after MCing and speaking at a conference.  Here is what the lovely people said:


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Why Would You Tear Them Down?


Cut TreeLast week wifey and I had 18 trees cut down out of our front and back yard.  It was not something we did lightly and it does prompt the question, “Why would you tear them down?
The majority of them were pine trees planted as a hedge over 20 years ago.  It was a great idea.  It gave extra privacy from the neighbours and passers by as well as some wind protection.  For the first couple of years they did their job well but over time, things changed.  The owners of the house got new tenants in who didn’t prune the trees as they needed.  The larger trees dropped more needles.  The ground beneath the trees stopped growing lawn as it was starved for nutrients and sun light.  The path under the trees was not maintained and over grew with weeds and the trees grew so tall that they blocked nearly all the light from the northern sun.  With minimal light, moss started growing on the roof and on the path up to the front door making it slippery and unsafe in the wet.

What started as a great idea grew way out of control.

Have you ever seen this happen in the work place?  A system, process, work idea, project, guiding principle or cultural element of an organisation starts off well, has great intent and then becomes the nightmare of the business.  I have seen in many times.

Sometimes a “mild trim” is not enough, you have to rip it out at the roots and start again!
So wifey and I are now planning the redesign of the gardens including replant more suitable and more productive trees.

What about you?  What behemoths need to be torn down so fresh new ideas and practices can flourish?

Image: Warwick Merry 

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What a Disaster!

I couldn’t believe it! I was just giving myself a “tidy up trim” an hour before I flew out to work for three days on an Expo with a major client and a DISASTER happened!  


Being male and with a simple hair style means that I cut my own hair.  Simple “Number 2” attachment on the clippers and just move it all over my head.  I also have a technique to tidy the base of the hair cut at the back.  Just take off the attachment and trim a little with my guide.


Naturally, as a well trained husband I then show my “new do” to wifey for the final approval.  In business you always ask for a second opinion, this is just the same.  She spotted a few “tufty bits” at the back so I returned to the bathroom to trim them. A quick trim and then…… hang on….. that is way more hair falling off than a “tuft”.


Nooooooooo!!!!!


I had neglected to put the Number 2 attachment back on so now I had a Number 0 on the crown of my head!!  I couldn’t cover it up, I couldn’t “blend” it in.  There was no alternative, it all had to come off.  What a disaster!!!  Here is the result.





The surprising thing is that several of the exhibitors mentioned how much they liked my hair cut when I was coaching them.  They didn’t even realise I wear my hair longer.  But most people didn’t even notice.  Have you noticed that happening in your business and in your life?  Something happens that you swear is a major catastrophe, the worst thing that could possibly happen, we will never get over it, how can we cope……. but most people don’t notice or just don’t care.


My hair will grow back (well… most of it), your situation will resolve one way or the other. Life and business continues.  Don’t get distracted by your own perspective. Keep your focus on what counts for your customers.


Enjoy!!

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Why Not?

Last week I said goodbye to an amazing friend of mine, Jen. She has battled four different types of cancer over the last 10 years and it finally took its toll. Yes it is sad that she died, but let’s face it – we are all going to die one day – so the reality is that it was inevitable. What is more important was that she lived!
Jen was one of us mere mortals. She was not a super star athlete, actress, model or other demi-god type of person. She was an average everyday woman who put on her pants one leg at a time. She had her demons like everyone else. She had several husbands, a couple of kids, many jobs, a few retrenchments, and all the other fun stuff that comes with life.
But as her son so eloquently said at her funeral, she had a mantra for life that never failed her. That mantra was “Why Not?”
When she was told that she shouldn’t drive her campervan around Australia on her own for almost two years she asked, Why Not?
When she was told that she couldn’t beat the four different types of terminal cancer that she had over the years, she asked her doctors, Why Not?
When she was asked why she had purple streaks in her hair that changed all the time, she

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asked Why Not?

After some major surgery on her throat that left major scars, she stuck on some Frankenstein type bolts and went to a party. When people said, you can’t dress like that she said, Why Not?
Too often we let the people who love us, who care about us, and sometimes who ARE us, stop us from doing things. It is not safe, it is not natural, it is not normal, it is not socially

acceptable, it is not what business people do, it is not what we should do, it is not how we should be seen, it will scare people away, it will attract too much attention, what if it doesn’t work….. You have heard all of the reasons.

The gift that Jen gave me was “Why Not”. I would love to pass it on to you.
When you are told you can’t do something, simply ask “Why Not”?

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How Good is Your Signage?

A speaking colleague of mine and Marketing Guru Winston Marsh, told me years ago that you have to be a better Marketer of what you do than a Doer of what you do.  Without some effective marketing, people wont know what product, service or value you offer.


At a Trade Show or Expo, you need to put this principle on steroids!


You have such a short time to get the visitor’s attention, let alone their interest.  It astounds me how people still put up posters with sooooo much text on it that it makes your head spin. Or has a fabulous picture but nothing that actually tells you what they do.  You have to make your signage work for you.


Here is a great example of signage which misses the mark.

It may have worked in 1919 for the Temperance Movement (I have my doubts), but it wouldn’t work today.  People would just keep on drinking!

How is your signage?  
Is it easy to grasp? 
Does it encourage your target market to find out more?
Does it lead to more sales or qualified prospects?

If it doesn’t do these things, then change it.  You don’t want your target market to just go on drinking!





PICTURE: Not sure of the original source, but lovely Bronwyn sent it to me. It sure is funny!

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Do You Look After Your Self?

I was suffering from Man Flu last week.  Men are always the last to know that they have it.  Luckily wifey was able to point it out to me.  It is when a man has a slight cold but they think it is the end of the world!!

Now I am not a believer in “Soldiering On”.  I believe that when my body is ill I need to rest and let it get better.  Consequently I cancelled several business and social appointments.  Now I could have gone along but was just not worth it.  There was a slight chance I could have infected the person I was meeting (and depending on their air conditioning system, half of the people on their floor too!), I would have been foggy headed and not had my wits about me for the meeting and most importantly, my body would be straining to “Soldier On” and not simply recover.

So I stayed home, taking my hippy pills (horseradish, garlic and vitamin C) and let my body rest. Three days later and I was feeling fabulous.  Compare that to many who Soldier On and “just can’t seem to shake it”.

When you get ill, do you look after yourself?  Not just when you have a cold (or Man Flu) but also when you are grieving, distressed, or just need a doona day.  I am not saying we should all have a sick day. What I am saying is you HAVE to look after yourself and do what it takes to maintain a healthy body, mind and spirit.

How well do you look after yourself? 




Image: www.justonemore.info

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Avoid the Empty Aisle Syndrome

I was looking at my Twitter stream recently and saw some disturbing pictures from @TimboReid as he was visiting an Expo in Melbourne.  The scariest of which was this one:


Scary expo, huh?


Unfortunately exhibitors get into the habit of expecting the organiser to bring in the crowds.  That is not how it always works.  They are flat out organising the exhibitors, the set up, charging the visitors and doing some broad marketing for the entire show.  What you want is people and companies who are specifically focussed on your product and services.  No one knows them better that you.  Typically the Expo organiser will give you some free tickets as part of your exhibitor package, if they don’t then ask for some – they can only say no!


Once you have some of these free tickets, use them wisely.  Invite some people from the group below and even book some appointment times with them so you can focus on them.  So here is who to invite:


Your existing customers   
It is commonly accepted that it is five times easier to sell to an existing customer yet most organisations focus solely on marketing to new clients.  Build on your existing relationships and re-engage with your customers by having them refresh what they think they know about you.  You can show them what is new for you and what else you can do for them


Industry Leaders
If you have been wanting to get the attention of Industry Leaders or key players, invite them along to visit your stand.  You know they will probably want to come to the show anyway, so why not make a time for them to be at your stand.  At the very least it will be a good photo opportunity for your marketing or internal newsletter.


Hot Prospects
If you have some hot prospects or organisations then get them to your stand.  Yes they will probably visit your competitor or see what else is around but they will know who invited them.  You will have enough confidence in your own solutions that you can deal with the fact that they will be visiting your competitor.  Take the opportunity to shine in front of your prospect.


Your Niche
No doubt you have some kind of regular marketing process, be it your blog, newsletter, twitter stream, advertising or networking.  Make sure that your niche know that you will be at the Expo and you would love for them to visit.  Give them a reason to visit – maybe a “Mention this newsletter/blog/card and get a free…..”  If you are giving away gifts you may as well give it to someone in your niche versus someone who just walks past.


So now it’s your turn.  Who are you going to invite to your next show?  Get it started well before the show and you will definitely avoid the Empty Aisle Syndrome.


Enjoy!


Warwick 
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com









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It is Fantasy of Planning?

I bought some tickets in the Royal Melbourne Hospital Home Lottery last week.  It is not something I have done before.  Like many people, I will by a $2 or $5 raffle ticket here or there but it is rare to spend $100 or more on a ticket. I just figured I have 1 chance in 26 of winning a prize and 1 chance in 80,000 of winning the grand prize.  Those are far better odds than Tattslotto (1 chance in over 8 million) and the money goes to a good cause.

Discussing the prizes with Wifey, we started planning what we would do when we won the Aston Martin Vantage (she likes Aston Martins).  Which of the other cars would we sell, where would be park it, where would we drive it and that kind of thing.  It struck me, is it fantasy or is it good planning.

It’s a bit of both really.  In the same way when you are planning a new business venture, you need to consider some of the finer points and put yourself in the position of achieving what you want.  It gets the mind ready for it and you will already know how to deal with the situation happening.  Yes it is a bit of fantasy, but it is planning for what your hard work will bring about.

Where do you need to do some more of this kind of planning?


Warwick


PS  Doesn’t it look sweet??


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Marketing via Humour

A friend just sent me this joke email
Instructions for a fun time on the interstate … 

Step 1. Tie 3 balloons to your pickup truck…
Step 2. Drive like a bat out of a hell!
Step 3. Watch people freak out!!!


This is very funny.  Almost like a Warner Brothers cartoon funny.
But then I noticed the truck. NonStop Action.  I did a search but couldn’t find further info about them, so lets play “What if”
What if “Nonstop Action” was a:

  • TV Channel
  • Paint Ball park
  • Video game arcade
  • Extreme sport agency
  • Balloon manufacturer
  • Event organiser

This simple idea of driving on the freeway/motorway/interstate with some unique balloons and some appropriate contact detail on the side of the car would definitely get you some attention.
A more detailed search has shown this to be the 2004 Cannes Lion Grand Prix Winner for Outdoor Advertising.  The company was indeed a TV Channel.
So what about you?  What can you tie to your car to attract attention?  Or maybe just stick to the side of the car, colour in the window, attach to your brief case, hang from your hand bag?
Use this award winning idea to come up with a funky idea to market yourself.
Let me know what you do!


Warwick Merry
The Get More Guy
www.warwickmerry.com



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Do You Hear Voices?

Yesterday I was contemplating the old saying “The person who says something can’t be done is usually interrupted by someone doing it.”  I am not sure if it is a quote, saying, proverb or adage, but its meaning is true.

It may surprise you who the person is saying that it can’t be done, it’s you!!

I suspect you will be telling other people they can achieve their dreams but you may hold yourself back on your own.  Have you ever heard that little voice saying “Who are you to attempt this?”, “There is no way you can do it”, “What if it doesn’t work”, “Don’t bit off more than you can chew”, “Think of all the things you will have to do and you are not that lucky”.

I know these voices because I have heard them a lot over the years.  But yesterday I was reminded of a fantasy I had years ago where I would be paid a lot of money to sing or play music.  It popped into my head as I was returning from singing at a sell out gig with my vocal group Mood Swing.  At the same gig where we were paid well and sold CD’s as well.

What do you think is impossible for yourself?  What do you stop yourself from doing before you even get started?

It’s time to change the voice in your head.



Photo Credit: Me! On stage looking at audience on the right

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