How Does Your Trade Show Partner Behave - Class & Integrity?

 Today, while I was scrolling through LinkedIn, I saw a post labeled, "learn from the oops moments at CES 2024".  This post was from a local competitor.  I will not name them here, because I do truly think it is tacky to do so. Stand on your own merits, don't put other companies down on any social media platform.  But I digress.

I took a look at the blog post for this company, and it actually contained photos and text that clearly called out the exhibiting companies!  Yeah, shaming them for their exhibits at CES. Really?

Here are a couple of phrases they used describing not only the exhibits, but the exhibiting companies.

"This year however, the streaming giant got it all wrong."

They went on to say that people waited in line to get into the exhibit and had they known what they were going to see, they "wouldn't have wasted their time"

"The fact that this was their solution would seriously make one think twice about partnering with (Insert exhibitor name here).

"The devil's in the details even when you are shelling out millions on an otherwise sensational stand. (Insert exhibitor name here) would have been better served by scraping these vinyl letters of their exhibit entirely."

There are more, but you get the gist. I was astonished and disgusted enough to make a comment saying it was tacky to post the exhibitor names and slam them like they did in this post. The language in the post was arrogant and condescending. 

Suffice it to say, my comment was removed by their social media people.

Unless you are the exhibitor, you have no idea what these exhibitor stories, maybe their freight was lost, maybe they are a start up.

Shame on this exhibit house. Really.  This, to me, was a HUGE OOPS moment on their part. Why would you do business with someone like that?

One of These Things Is Not Like The Other...

 

   

In the past, elegance and structure have not really been associated with portable trade show displays.  Let's think back to many years ago and Sesame Street!  Here is a blast from the past.

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other - Credit Sesame Street.

I will answer your question, but we need a little history lesson to get there.  Portable exhibits have come in many shapes and sizes.  The most common had fabric panels, you could print graphics and Velcro them to the exhibit. They were revolutionary many years ago.  There have been a lot of product advancements with this system and many people still use them.  Photo mural panels elevated the popup to another level.

There have been many other portable/pop-up displays systems over the years.

One of the most popular is tube stands.  They are an aluminum tube system with a pillowcase graphic that slides over the aluminum frame.  

There have been advancements in this system to adding different frame sizes, accessories and more.  Different frame sizes used together to make modular displays.

Tube stands with pillowcase graphics have been around for a long time.  They are lightweight, they are easy to set up.  The pillowcase allows for 2-sided graphics.  

They have some downsides though too.

• They are beginning to look dated
• Graphics, unless done well can be saggy
• The cheap versions (usually sold by promotional product companies or others that have no business selling trade show exhibits) are not stable.
• Most carry limited warranties (you break it, you replace it)
• They really have become a commodity item
• Everyone seems to have them now

Now, why would I tell you the downsides of a system that we sell a lot?  Total Displays has always provided good quality products.  We do sell a lot of tube systems.  Typically, the people that are buying them are upgrading from an old school pop-up display.  They are often replacing retractable banner stands with simple tube stands.

1. If you are insistent and love the look of a tube stand, please be sure to buy from a reputable trade show exhibit company.  If you want to see the difference in quality, let me know and we can do a Zoom meeting where I can show you one of ours vs. one that was produced by a promotional products company.  Trust me when I say, they should stick to pens and hand sanitizers.  They really know nothing about trade show exhibits.

2.  Next time you walk the show floor, take notice of them.   How many look good, how many do you see?

Another popular portable option has been retractable banner stands.  Again, really a commodity item.  Seriously, everyone has them.  I have seen 10 x 30 and 10 x 40 exhibits filled with retractable banner stands.  They may be easy, but do they really represent your brand in the best light possible?  When used in the right situation and environment, retractables can be a great solution.  But if you really want major impact?  Look for something else.  

Why do you exhibit at a trade show?  What is the purpose of your exhibit materials?

One of the whole points of a trade show exhibit is to make you stand out in a crowd!  

I'm sure you are all on pins and needles wondering what we would recommend?  

We have an amazing line of products, called Symphony.  PORTABLE ELEGANCE.  Portable exhibits have generally looked portable.  The tube systems were a step in the right direction.  But now we have the next step.

Do these look portable to you?   

• Multiple frame shapes/sizes to build customs looks
• Large monitor support.  
• Cell phone charging ports on backwall counters.
• Curves.  
• Sturdy, aluminum extrusion frames.  
• Professional tight fit, silicone edge graphics.

• LOCKING storage in counters.
• COMPLETELY Tool-less assembly

Take a look at some kits to show you some examples of looks you could build with these components.  

Elegant Portable Exhibit Ideas

Or better yet, call or email us at 952-941-4511 or sales@totaldisplays.com to review components and build your own custom look with this amazing new system.  

If you like what you read, please share it!

====================================================
Lori Hanken has been in sales and marketing for over 30 years. She is passionate about service and providing value to her vendors, prospects and clients. Lori is currently co-owner of Total Displays with her husband David. They help people look great at events, trade shows, in retail, museums and develop long partnerships with customers and suppliers. If you would like to learn more, email her at lori@totaldisplays.com. She is an open networker, connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/ or check out our website at www.totaldisplays.com    

Are You Interested Or Not?

 If you follow me on LinkedIn at all, you know how much I dislike the people that connect and then pitch their product or services immediately.

Here at Total Displays we build more than trade show exhibits. We build relationships. You cannot build a relationship with someone through email, or LinkedIn messages.

This month I connected with someone that does website development. The first message was pretty generic asking to connect because we had some "synergies" (a word I dislike, but that is another story). 

Since connecting with this person, I have received 5 messages since connecting on August 7th. 

Today I received this message.

Now, I am all about responding to salespeople that I have engaged to provide us with product or services. I do NOT feel the need or responsibility to respond to people that have sent unwanted or unsolicited pitches. I don't like being ghosted by a customer or a prospect any more than the next person, but this felt a little aggressive considering I have never replied to a single one of his 5 messages.

I will say it until my dying day. Provide value. Build relationships. Treat people with respect. 

People buy from people they like.

Progress? What Does Recovery Look Like?

 I have always used the phrase, cautiously optimistic. I have always been a glass half full kind of girl. If you look hard enough, you can find good in almost any situation. It isn't always easy, but you can. 

I have noticed the shutdowns in our industry have changed me. I promise and am committed to the fact that it will not change me forever.  But I am painfully aware that I was changed by those events. The world was changed by those events. I ran into some people I knew last night, and we talked about the effects of the shutdowns on entire generations of young people. I don't want to dwell on those things, but realizing how I have changed is the first step to moving beyond it.

I am still slightly fearful in our business. Not in what we do, or what we deliver, but in the future. It is my current reality.

Our industry has rebounded beyond belief. There is so much encouraging news and activities surrounding trade shows.  For example, Shot Show, one of the largest shows of the year boasted record numbers of exhibitors and attendees this year.  You can read some stats here:  Shot Show Stats.

All over my LinkedIn Feed I see reports like this one showing a 69% increase from 2022 (which by the way was a great year for trade shows) to 2023.  Read more here:  69% Increase

Also, all over LinkedIn are trade show exhibit companies like Total Displays, all over the country that are looking for new staff in absolutely every type of position.  

Today, what got me, as I was sitting at my desk, is watching 4 cars drive into our parking lot to park out front and come into our office. We have an interview this morning for another position.  I so clearly remember the days where it was just David and me in the office, wondering, honestly, if we were going to make it. Watching those cars pull in, I teared up a little. There is always hope. 

I am thankful for the partners that stood by us, the customers and prospects that trust us with their business. We are very blessed.

Suitcasing at Trade Shows

Normally the image of suitcases brings up fond memories or dreams of travel to exotic places. Especially for those of us in the Midwest this winter, it has been brutal. But the term "suitcasing" has other meanings in our industry. This subject hit very close to home for us in the last couple of weeks. I'll touch briefly on that at the end.

I spend a fair amount of time talking with clients and prospects about trade shows. They are EXPENSIVE, but for many, they are worth every dime that they pay. It is the only "tool" in sales & marketing that gets your business and your sales reps in front of hundreds or even thousands of potential and current customers under one roof. Trade shows, if executed well (that is another story) can provide you ROI and help grow your business.

Occasionally, too often if you ask me, I talk with a prospect that tells me that they don't exhibit at trade shows anymore. When I ask them why? They tell me they have found it less expensive and better if they just walk the show and hand out cards/flyers.  Or, even worse, they don't even walk the show, they stand in the lobby to meet customers and prospects and engage in conversations with them.

So, imagine this example. You plan an open house at your facility. You spend a lot of money on marketing, cater in food, promote your event and much more.  A local competitor gets wind of it and sends a new sales rep to your event. that sales rep mingles with people, meets them and gathers their business cards. They proceed to call on every one of your clients to try to capture their business. Is it illegal? No. Is it unethical? ABSOLUTELY. 

In the trade show world it is called suitcasing or outboarding. It is actually against show regulations at most shows.  These are people that want your leads and your customers without spending the money to participate at a trade show.  They hang out on the show floor looking for prospects, they set up meetings with people outside the show without attending the show.  Even worse, they linger outside the show altogether to connect with your customers and prospects.  Does that make you angry? It should.

Industry standards say a 10 x 10 exhibit can cost you anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000 depending on various factors. That includes the concrete, the exhibit & graphics, flooring, furniture, travel, shipping, and material handling at a minimum.  A suitcaser might spend $1,000 - $1,500 in travel costs, airfre, hotel, meals etc.

There are a couple of things that need to happen.

1. Show producers need to make it very clear that this practice is NOT allowed at their show. (It hurts the show producers too, they lose revenues because the people are not exhibiting.)

2. Show producers need to actually kick out the people that are participating in this practice.

3. In order for #2 to happen, people need to report it. If you experience someone trying to sell you something, or make a connection to sell you something later and they are not exhibiting?  Take their card and immediately take it to the show services desk to report it.

Is this going to end it?  Absolutely not, but as exhibitors it is important for you to protect your investment by doing what is right.

I won't get into a lot of details on this, but here is where this got very personal for us in the last couple of weeks. What is even more egregious to me, is when another exhibit house, someone in the trade show industry, tries to poach other exhibit house clients on the show floor. Yes, this happened to us recently with a large exhibit house. They approached at least one company (who knows how many they approached) on the show floor. This company happened to be our client and we have a great relationship with them, so they told us about it.  Shame on that display house. They certainly should know better. 

If you didn't know this practice isn't allowed and you have been doing it? I would encourage you to do the right thing, be respectful of those that spend the money and work hard to go to trade shows and live events. If you continue to choose to "suitcase" then I guess, we know a little more about what kind of person you are and your nature.

2023 & Beyond!

I am NOT a fan of New Year's resolutions.  My personal opinion is that they set you up for failure. Very few people actually accomplish or live out their resolutions. So, I thought I would share my small bit of wisdom.

This is always a time of retrospect for me as the year comes to a close. We have MUCH for which to be thankful. There is no doubt about that. 2022 was one for the books for sure.

I have learned a lot this year. After 18 months of wondering if we would survive the shutdowns, the answer is a clear and resounding YES.

What I learned or reinforced in 2022.  These are not in order of importance.

1. RELATIONSHIPS MATTER

Relationships are more important than money. Now, as David likes to say, our door does not say 'not for profit' above it. But what we found, especially this year, is that doing what is right, making things right, working with a client's budget. Those are all important things and that the long-term relationship with the client is more important than the short-term financial gain.

2. SHOW UP

No matter what you are doing?  Show up. Give 100%. People need people and our business depends on live events. What I will tell you? Our clients that fully participated in trade shows were glad they did. Very rarely did we hear from a client that they wished they had not gone. We need to be done hiding at home, not seeing people. Get out, show up and even do something out of your comfort zone.  Show up for your clients, your prospects, your neighbors, your friends, your family.

3. SELF CARE IS IMPORTANT

We had a lot of down time. I went back to exercising and eating healthy. Taking time for yourself, to read, practice a craft, take a class, go for walks. Make time for yourself.

4. LEARN A NEW SKILL

Even if it is not related to your business, learn something new. Get an accreditation. Find something you love and explore it.

5. BE GRATEFUL.

This is SO important. Many studies have shown that people with a grateful attitude and/or heart are healthier. Start a gratitude journal. Write down even 3 things every morning for which you are grateful.

6. LAUGH

Sometimes the only way you can survive the craziness of this world is to laugh.  Laughter boosts serotonin. Read more about the benefits of serotonin here:  Read about serotonin.  Laughter also reduces stress.  Who doesn't need some natural stress relief?

7. GOALS

Write down, small attainable goals. Set yourself up for success! Stretch yourself a bit, but know that they are attainable.

2023 Trade Shows, Planning, Process, Process, PROCESS

What a riveting blog post title right? I must not be feeling very creative right now. We have a number of best practices documents and recommendations we make to our clients regarding trade shows, and I thought I would share a bit of one of them right now.

Since trade shows have made a comeback, we continue to be plagued with shipping issues. Things are better, but we are not out of the woods yet. Two very specific issues include:

• Shipping Delays
• Increased Shipping Costs

FedEx & UPS will just plain deliver whenever they feel like it. They make very few guarantees anymore on deliveries. With FedEx the only service you can even dispute is overnight service and that is expensive.

But this isn't about shipping. Increased shipping costs COULD/SHOULD be a catalyst to your organization to do a better job in planning.

Here are our suggestions.

• Plan your ENTIRE year worth of trade shows NOW. If you are in growth mode that may not be possible, but at least plan a full quarter in advance.
• Work with your trade show exhibit provider to be sure you have a calendar of shows with at least dates and locations set. Many trade show exhibit companies have online portals that you can utilize to manage your trade show schedule. Total Displays offers one to their storage clients.
• Consider using a trade show exhibit company like Total Displays to manage and ship your trade show assets. That frees up your marketing team do work on actual marketing rather than packing and shipping your trade show assets.
• If you handle your own logistics, be sure to have a documented process for the people that are preparing your trade show assets to go to the show. The last thing you want is for something to arrive at your show broken, dirty or not functional.
• If you are going to handle your own logistics (see above) hire someone like Total Displays to help you create documented processes to ensure your success.
• PREPARE. Last minute show orders and requests are EXPENSIVE.   Again, be sure you have a written policy internally or with your exhibit company that indicates what you want to happen when an overnight or expedited show request is received. Don't get surprised with a shipping bill that is more than the cost of the concrete for the show. Last minute orders costs everyone a lot of money.
• Who makes decisions about what assets go to each show?  Is it your sales reps? Is it a marketing rep? Do you sales reps pick the best and most expensive give aways to go to an underperforming show?  Again, I can't stress this enough. PROCESS PROCESS PROCESS. Have documented procedures and make sure your staff or your trade show exhibit company follow them!

These thoughts are a drop in the bucket. Be sure you have good partners to help you navigate the brave new world of trade shows. If you want to chat more about any of these items or need help in creating documented or best practices procedures for your organization and trade show team, contact us at:  sales@totaldisplays.com

When Your Prospect Says No

 Anyone that even remotely follows me knows that I am not a fan of the immediate pitch on LinkedIn.

Recently though, it has gotten worse. People that are requesting to connect with me are pitching me and then arguing with me.  I have had this happen more than once this week!

I know sometimes it is really frustrating to hear 'no' over and over again. Honestly, if you can't take 'no' gracefully, you may want to consider another career.

There are days when I am prospecting that I get the urge or sense that I want to be snippy with a prospect, it is time to move on to something different.  Do something, anything to distract and recenter your focus.  Clean up some data in CRM. Work on a new lead list. Do an expense report.  ANYTHING other than sending another email, message or making another phone call. Unless you want to write that prospect off forever.  Ok, there is a chance that they may not remember you being rude or short with them, but is it worth the risk?

Here was the conversation:

Monday, I received this.  I accepted her connection request.

Hi Lori! I see we share three mutual connections and wanted to reach out. Do you have 20-minutes to discuss how HR outsourcing can help your business? Our approach is different than most companies in this space. The renewal period is also near so wanted to share how we can offset cost long-term.

I have to give her credit; she actually did a little homework before sending me the connection request.  We were local to each other too. Tuesday, I replied.  As a salesperson, I appreciate when someone tells me that they are not a good prospect for me. I don't want to waste anyone's time.

We are a very small company and are all family.  We have no HR needs.

 She immediately responded:  

Lori, I appreciate your response. A lot of the small, family owned and operated businesses we work with find that our services actually give them the chance to enjoy family time outside of the work setting. Insperity may not be the best fit for everyone but, if you are looking to get back some time, I am happy to schedule a meeting to discuss with you how we are able to do this.

 I immediately responded.  Remember I already told her no. Here was my immediate response.

I appreciate your tenacity, but I can GUARANTEE we spend ZERO time on anything HR related.

You would think any normal human being would let it go, but no.

I'm glad I had the chance to connect with you today. If or when Total Displays decides to focus on exploring benefits and payroll, company compliance, and growth, I am more than happy to revisit this conversation with you. Enjoy your holiday weekend!

If that had been her first response, I would have said thank you and have a great day. Instead, I blocked her, and she lost any chance of ever earning my business.

I know I am demanding and expect too much of salespeople. But I am always learning from other's mistakes. I figure if it frustrates me, it may frustrate someone else too. 

If you make live phone calls, practice in the mirror. If you send messages have a polite response already typed up that you can copy and paste as a reply.

Try something along the lines of, "thank you for letting me know, if anything ever changes, please keep us in mind" or "Thank you so much for letting me know, I really appreciate your honesty, is it ok for me to send you my contact information so that you can keep it on file in case your situation changes?"

Both of these leave the door open. I have tricks and tips for how to stay in touch with them without frustrating them or losing them as a prospect all together.  Stay tuned for those at another time.

Firing A Supplier - Demanding Excellence

 We have been in this industry for almost 25 years now. Sometimes that seems like a lifetime. In all those 25 years we have never officially fired a supplier, until today. 

We have many suppliers that have been with us for all 25 years. Over the years some have come and some have gone for many reasons. But I never actually fired a supplier.  

One of the things that our clients tell us is our attention to detail and our service levels are what set us apart from other trade show exhibit companies. We joke with people when they ask, why should I buy from you over some other company?  Our answer is always, "You get David and me". That may sound arrogant, but it is the truth. No one will care about our clients, our relationships and our suppliers the way we do. That is the HUGE benefit of working with a family run, owner operated business. 

Now, don't get me wrong. We couldn't do it without our industry partners. We have partners that have our backs, stand behind their products and help us double and triple and cross check orders so that things don't fall through the cracks. This has been even more important as our industry is coming out of shutdowns.  Our industry went from zero mph to 1000000 mph almost overnight. When that happens and companies are short staffed, or have new employees, more mistakes are bound to happen. Our suppliers have redone things, we have redone things. 

I will NEVER apologize for expecting our suppliers to provide good quality product and services. BUT, it is a partnership. Mutual success is critical to success for both parties.  When you have a supplier where there are mistakes and issues on your last 5 orders, it is time to part ways. I could deal with the mistakes but it is the emails and phone calls after every one of these mistakes where it is pointed out saying it is all 'our fault' that pushed us to fire them.

I sent them an email to explain why their process creates mistakes and errors and contributes to frustration and that it just doesn't work for us. I sent it, not to be petty, but to explain why their procedures just don't work for the way we do business. I got a phone call shortly after I sent that message from our rep. His literal words to me were, "We are ok parting ways." I wasn't looking for any explanation. It was already done, we were not considering continuing to work with them. We have also already found another supplier of the products we were getting from them and so far we are incredibly impressed.

So today was an adventure. Let's talk just a bit about service.  All in a day's work.

1. We fired a supplier. 
2. We received an incorrect graphic from a supplier. They immediately said they would have the correct one ready for us tomorrow. No charge.
3. We missed a typo in a client submitted art file. Was it our fault? Not really, they did the art. But the important thing is the client, the relationship and providing them good service. We didn't tell the client it was their fault.  We didn't charge her full retail for the replacement. Our print partner? They missed it too and are cutting the cost on it to make it right for us and the client.
4. The ultimate event of the day is that we were bidding on a very large deal. Normally this company brings their entire exhibit, furniture, graphics and staff over from overseas. We were asked to bid on building, installing etc. here from the States instead. We did not win the business, but neither did any of our US competitors, they decided to bring it in again from overseas. 

This is one of the nicest sales reject letters I have ever gotten. Although it stings to lose the revenue, it makes me realize that what we are doing and the hoops we jump through are all worth it.

"I want to thank you for your professionalism and attention to detail. It was immediately apparent we found the right US contact based on your knowledge and experience. You raised important questions and concerns that solidified our confidence in you. While the bulk of our booth will come from overseas, we believe there will still be some things we need locally. My boss and I are still fine tuning the details but we will be in contact shortly with our updated needs.

 Again, thank you for your hard work. I hope we can continue to work together with a strong relationship."

We stand behind our decision of firing a supplier and will NEVER apologize for being demanding. That does not mean being rude, but demanding excellence is what our clients deserve.

A Tale Of Two Exhibitors

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

In my last blog post I told you about some of the "interesting" things we saw while walking a recent trade show. During that trade show, I had the opportunity to stop and chat with a number of our clients and prospects. Don't worry, I only stopped to say hi if there was no one else at their booth. I would never interrupt an exhibitor talking to clients or prospects.

It was the best of times. We had a new customer directly across from a prospect. The new client had a brand new 10 x 20 lightbox.  You can find it here. They also had 2 custom counters with color coordinating LED lighting. 

The graphic was blue and white, the counters were white with the same color scheme. 

The counters had LED lights under the top and at the bottom. The carpet was white. Yes I said white. It was absolutely stunning. The glow from the blue counter lights on the flooring, the white furniture and table. Everything coordinated, the lightbox immediately drew your attention to their booth.

You can find the counter here on our website.

We can't take credit for it all. The client had a very clear vision in his head of how he wanted things to look, we just helped him execute it. 

The flooring is here on our website.

In talking with client they had the best show they had ever had. They had people waiting 8 deep in the aisles to talk to them. They are considering adding more shows to their trade show schedule and they were very excited about the leads they received.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.   DETAILS MATTER.

Now on to the other exhibitor, it was the worst of times. They had an older popup style 10 x 10, their graphic was very non-descript and had a lot of text on it, a table with a wrinkled table throw in the front, standard black carpet and the two staff members were sitting at the table on their chairs and phones. When we visited with them, they had a terrible show, very few stopped at their booth and they felt they didn't get very many leads. 

So many think that they can skimp on their trade show exhibit. Honestly, this may seem harsh, if you can't afford to look good, don't go.

If you like what you read, please share it!

====================================================
Lori Hanken has been in sales and marketing for over 30 years. She is passionate about service and providing value to her vendors, prospects and clients. Lori is currently co-owner of Total Displays with her husband David. They help people look great at events, trade shows, in retail, museums and develop long partnerships with customers and suppliers. If you would like to learn more, email her at lori@totaldisplays.com. She is an open networker, connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/ or check out our website at www.totaldisplays.com    

   

  

Tool Free Trade Shows & "Lies"

Say it isn't so Thursday.  

I'm not sure how long I will keep up this theme of 'Say it isn't so Thursday'. But, yes, right now, it seems like things are happening every day that make you shake your head.  So hold on and follow along if you are so inclined. 

If you know me, I can be known for being a bit blunt. There is no point in beating around the bush, so here we go.

General Contractors, Freeman's, Ges's etc have been known, occasionally, to "stretch the truth" (to their advantage.)

We had a client recently purchase a 10 x 20 lightbox exhibit from us. The system they purchased uses a tool free knob connection. 

Here is a short video of how that tool free connector works.  

Video

The client was setting up their own exhibit. While they were setting up, a general contractor union labor person (I have written about unions in the past) came by and told them, they needed to pay for their labor to set up their exhibit. They told them that if it required any kind of tool, they had to hire labor.

NOT TRUE! Exhibitors can set up their own exhibits.  

There can be some wonky (that is a technical term) rules and guidelines at various show locations. It is always good to read them and/or have a copy on hand while you are setting up. They absolutely sometimes try to take advantage of exhibitors. I am not a fan of reading the fine print, but in this case it is better to be armed with facts and knowledge if they try to bamboozle you into spending money with them.

Luckily our client was quick to show them that our lightbox went together with KNOBS - NO TOOLS - NOT EVEN AN ALLEN WRENCH. They sulked away looking to harass another exhibitor. Ok, that might be my interpretation, but how do you live with yourself if you are constantly trying to scam exhibitors by lying to them? 

Here are a couple of other recent "show requirements" our clients have been told.

1. You can't order furniture from someone else or bring in any other furniture.

2. You must rent an exhibit from us, not from anyone else.

3. You cannot bring in your own flooring.

Exhibitor rights matter. Trade show general contractors and unions and dare I say it, show producers/associations can be abusive at best. You can see my other LinkedIn post about trade show vacuuming.  

Say It Isn't So Thursday 

Working with a knowledgeable trade show exhibit company will help. They will help you navigate the treacherous waters of general contractors at your trade shows. If you want a gut check or to get some advice?  Call Total Displays at 952-941-4511 or email orders@totaldisplays.com and one of our project managers will be happy to chat with you and tell you the truth.

If you like what you read, please share it!

====================================================
Lori Hanken has been in sales and marketing for over 30 years. She is passionate about service and providing value to her vendors, prospects and clients. Lori is currently co-owner of Total Displays with her husband David. They help people look great at events, trade shows, in retail, museums and develop long partnerships with customers and suppliers. If you would like to learn more, email her at lori@totaldisplays.com. She is an open networker, connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/ or check out our website at www.totaldisplays.com    

What Did We Learn About Floor Graphics?

 2020-2021 was the year of new and not so exciting things. One new product that was typically overlooked before Covid is floor graphics!

We all got very used to standing on the spot in grocery store lines, hardware stores, and all over in retail. 

We have seen some of them used now in trade shows. 

But where should we go from here regarding floor graphics?  What we learned was that people actually look at them!

Here are some ideas.  These are not our graphics, just some images I selected from the internet to be your inspiration. The sky, the floor, the walls, the sidewalk etc. is the limit.

We have many different graphics for many different applications and substrates. 

1. Fun 3-dimensional floor graphics

  

2. Branding in warehouse, entry ways or other areas.

3. Important Messages

4. Decorative

5. Advertise Sales

6. Inspirational Messages

7. Instructional Graphics

8. Utilize unused spaces, walls, step fronts and more!

9.  Directional/Instructional Graphics

Call us at 952-941-4511 or email sales@totaldisplays.com for more information or to request a quote.

If you like what you read, please share it!

====================================================
Lori Hanken has been in sales and marketing for over 30 years. She is passionate about service and providing value to her vendors, prospects and clients. Lori is currently co-owner of Total Displays with her husband David. They help people look great at events, trade shows, in retail, museums and develop long partnerships with customers and suppliers. If you would like to learn more, email her at lori@totaldisplays.com. She is an open networker, connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/ or check out our website at www.totaldisplays.com    

Doing Nothing is NOT a Strategy

Ugggh. Seriously. UGGGGHHHHH.  No I am not reverting to cave woman status I am so frustrated with people that are just doing NOTHING for trade shows or events. I talk to multiple people every day. Customers, prospects, suppliers and there is a recent theme with a few of the people.

Lori:  "What are your plans for the remainder of 2021? What shows are you planning on exhibiting at?"

Customer/Prospect: "None!" (said rather incredulously) "We may be walk a show but we aren't planning on exhibiting at any shows until 2022."

YIKES!

So let's look at some feedback we are getting from our customers and prospects.

Here are some things I have been told recently.

"I really wish we had exhibited."

"Attendance was down, but decent."

"The time we got to spend and the people that were there were much higher quality than normal."

"We didn't exhibit and our email and phone's were going crazy with people wondering if we were ok, were we still in business. They missed us!"

"We picked up some business from our competitors that did NOT exhibit. It was GREAT!"

Trade Show News Network reports that over 85% of exhibitors and attendees plan on being at live events.  How can you afford to not exhibit?  Live Events Are Back! Read Here.

Let me just tell you, NOT being at a show that you have exhibited at for years sends a message that you may not want.  Here are some suggestions if you really feel you shouldn't go to the show.

1.  GO.  Exhibit.  Period.  End of discussion.

2.  Get a smaller booth space and use a smaller exhibit.

3.  Don't have an exhibit?  Rent one, but EXHIBIT.

You may think this is a very self serving post. I promise you it is not. I don't care if you buy or rent an exhibit from me (well, I would love if you did, but that is really not my point). Don't be short sided and lose market, business and have people wonder about you. 

Trade show venues have been and are ready to host safe events!  Need help?  Email:  sales@totaldisplays.com or call 952-941-4511.

If you like what you read, please share it!

====================================================
Lori Hanken has been in sales and marketing for over 30 years. She is passionate about service and providing value to her vendors, prospects and clients. Lori is currently co-owner of Total Displays with her husband David. They help people look great at events, trade shows, in retail, museums and develop long partnerships with customers and suppliers. If you would like to learn more, email her at lori@totaldisplays.com. She is an open networker, connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/ or check out our website at www.totaldisplays.com    

Sometimes, I am just plain ANGRY!!!!!!!

 Where to begin?  I am hearing Julie Andrews in my head, "Let's start at the very beginning..."  

Today we had a client visit our office/showroom to review some new exhibit properties.  A 10' exhibit and a table top.  

Considering what our industry has been through, you would think I should be excited, right?  Nope.  Today it made me ANGRY.

Let's go back a bit here.  2020.  We moved into a new space in January of 2020.  2019 was filled with excitement as the building owners were doing a custom build out specifically for us and our new space.  We were choosing flooring, paint colors, laminate colors, fixtures etc.  The whole family and all staff got involved in packing, throwing away things we didn't need any longer and even designing space.  

Our then 16 year old son has a great eye and he was helpful in decorating the new space.

It was a very exciting time.  Here is a little area that he envisioned and designed in our showroom/lobby.   Porter, our son, is a senior this year. At one point his dream was to run our business.  I'm not exactly sure where that dream is going to go now?

2020 was on track to be our BEST YEAR EVER.  We had so many committed orders, rentals, services jobs and so much more.  It was a very exciting time for us.  Our staff was growing and business was booming.

 Of course we all know what happened.  I won't belabor any of those details.  The job/order cancellation the lost business etc.  Talking about all that is just negative energy. It is history. It is behind us. We are moving forward. We are excited and encouraged again. Business is coming back.

But there are days that the anger, the sadness, the frustration creep back in.  Today was one of them. Since we moved into this gorgeous space, we have only had a handful of visitors. As we were preparing the showroom, I went to turn on the lights on some of the exhibits.  I realized something that hit me like a ton of bricks.  I said to David, "I don't even know where all the switches are to turn on the lights in the showroom."  Wow, I stopped for a second in my tracks and the last 14 months all came flooding back. I got MAD.  All the people in our industry that have been without work, all the companies that have lost significant revenues all the customers in marketing that were let go.  Dang it, no one deserved any of this.  

Despite my frustration, when that client walked in the door I was also hit with a wave of gratitude.  This is what it is about. I am face to face with a client and I am helping them look great for their upcoming events. I am listening to their needs and creating or selecting the perfect solution for them.  They loved some of our new products, and were excited to bring those ideas back to the team for their upcoming show schedule.

It is daunting, sometimes overwhelming, but we will rebuild. We will be better than we were before because we have grown and learned a lot during this time. We are fighters.  We are survivors. We are GRATEFUL.

If you like what you read, please share it!

====================================================
Lori Hanken has been in sales and marketing for over 30 years. She is passionate about service and providing value to her vendors, prospects and clients. Lori is currently co-owner of Total Displays with her husband David. They help people look great at events, trade shows, in retail, museums and develop long partnerships with customers and suppliers. If you would like to learn more, email her at lori@totaldisplays.com. She is an open networker, connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/ or check out our website at www.totaldisplays.com    

Why I Won't Respond to Your RFP

A little reality jolt here people.

RFP's ARE A WASTE OF TIME

I can hear you....

What?  I just got an RFP with a $200k budget for a 50 x 50 booth.  I really want that business and if I do a great job, fill out all the questions, spend hours and hours and hours on structure design and answering every little detail they ask.  Even if they ask what color underwear I am going to answer because that is going to earn me that business!  You are crazy to not fill out that RFP!

Sorry.  Won't do them anymore.

Now, I will put one small caveat here.  If the company will meet with us to go over their design request, I will consider submitting a design and responding to the RFP.  Or if they allow us to present our design to them, I may consider.  

If you don't get a meeting with the decision makers, or don't get to present your concepts in person or via virtual conference,  run fast; very fast. 

Here are is reality.

• If you are not the incumbent exhibit house you have about a 2% chance of earning their business.
• You cannot do an exhibit design (especially an island) justice on paper.  It needs to be presented.
• Marketing people send out RFP's because their boss told them to get 4 competitive bids.
• Generally speaking, they already know from whom they want to buy.
• You will spend hours filling these out.  Oh and don't forget they want to see your financial statements.
• You will take potential billable resources like a structure designer and waste a lot of their time.
• And references?  They will ask for references and never contact any of them.

I may sound a bit jaded here.   Here is the way I look at it.  It is not high probability business.  Period.  I would much rather my reps are focused on higher potential revenue earning activities than losing hours on an RFP.

Is there the rare occasion when you blow them away with your design or have a lower price point than your competitors?  Of course.  But it is not the norm.  

Here at Total Displays we look at our customer relationships as partnerships.  Exhibit design is a process and generally multiple iterations of designs are done, with communication.  Communication.  Remember that?  It is a wonderful thing.

RFP's are 'make-work' all around.  Some marketing manager either spent hours doing it themselves or heaven forbid they paid a high priced consultant to meet with them multiple times and put it together for them.

Back in my software days, you really don't want to know what I did with software RFP's.  Let's just say we could do EVERYTHING that was listed on the RFP.  😁

Carry on.  Sell strong.  Don't waste your time.

If you like what you read, please share it!

====================================================
Lori Hanken has been in sales and marketing for over 30 years. She is passionate about service and providing value to her vendors, prospects and clients. Lori is currently co-owner of Total Displays with her husband David. They help people look great at events, trade shows, in retail, museums and develop long partnerships with customers and suppliers. If you would like to learn more, email her at lori@totaldisplays.com. She is an open networker, connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Read other Total Displays Blog posts at http://totaldisplays.blogspot.com/ or check out our website at www.totaldisplays.com