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.

Project Management & Account Management Fees

 I have a serious question here. Are we missing the boat? Are we being stupid? We were asked to bid on some replacement graphics for a newer client. They had been working with a custom exhibit house and have since moved most of their business over to us. Since they had provided them with the original graphics, our client had them generate a quote for those graphics. We also quoted it. A couple of lessons that came out of this exercise.

This is a long read/rant, sorry. We are so passionate about customer service and sometimes question what actually goes on in our crazy industry.

1. Comparing apples to apples is important. There are many substrates out there that have varying price points. It is critical that when you are comparing price quotes that you are certain that you are using comparing like products. In this case, we were suggesting a better quality and more expensive product. The interesting part? We were only slightly more expensive than our competitor for a better product. When we priced out the exact same product, we were much less.

We run into this all the time. We get a call from someone. They say, "our existing trade show partner quoted these items for me, they seem expensive, how would your quote compare?"  This is SO hard. Often those quotes from our competitors don't include appropriate detail or images of the products. For example it just says 33.5" retractable banner stand. So, I have many questions when that happens?

    - What is the height?  

    - What is the substrate, vinyl, fabric, fabric with blockout backer?

    - Is the height adjustable?

    - Does it include a soft carry bag?

    - Is there a hard shipping case option? What does that look like?

    - IMPORTANT QUESTION - What is the warranty on the product?

    - Is it US made or China made?  

    - Is US made important to you?

Without those details it is virtually impossible to just compare prices. We put the time and effort into those quotes even though they are not big money makers for us. Why do we do that? Because it is the right thing to do to service our client? Our customer's orders are ALL important to them, not just the big orders, but the little orders too. If they are important to them, they are important to us.

2. Total costs. It is important that you understand the full cost of the product. Some exhibit companies have a number of add-on fees they charge as part of every order.  In this case, for 4 hard substrate graphics finished with Velcro, they had an added $500 project management fee. If you are only comparing the price of the graphics as an individual line item, is not a true comparison.  They also had a $250 packaging and handling fee added. Granted these 4 graphics will likely have to ship on a pallet so a packaging fee may be legitimate.  

So, what does that $500 project management fee entail? This job, if managed well, should take an hour, MAYBE 2 for someone to manage.  That includes quoting, managing the job, delivery and invoicing. If it takes them more than 2 hours, they should find some new project managers.  

That is $250 per hour fee.  As a business owner, I understand the cost of employees is far more than their hourly rate or salary. But this is some good profit for project management.

Where do you draw the line in servicing your client? In the trade show industry, I have always felt that we shouldn't bill like attorneys. There are certain things that should simply be a cost of doing business and I believe customer service is one of those.

Now, for large custom island builds or rentals, there are costs for pull & prep and managing a build that can be billed to the client.  But $500 for 4 simple graphics? That seems abusive to me. 

Time for the shameless plug, Total Displays does NOT charge those project management fees for replacement graphic jobs.

Don't just look at line item pricing. A good partner will help you compare apples to apples. If we are significantly more expensive than a competitor, we will tell you to go with our competitor and save the money.  That is as long as the quality and products are comparable. 

So, back to my question. Are our competitors laughing at us because we don't charge project management fees on every order? When there are options out there for exhibitors to work with a partner like Total Displays why do they keep paying the extra fees? Should we be charging those fees too?

Right now, my answer is an overwhelming NO. We will continue to provide service without charging all those extra fees. If I want to bill for my paperclips, I'll go to law school. In the meantime, we will continue to service our clients the way we always have.

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

Does Your Exhibit House Hold You Hostage?

So often during our years in this industry we find things that happen that make you really shake your head in wonder and often even disgust. If you have followed me at all, you know that we believe in partnerships, and relationships.

Every week while talking to new clients and/or prospects we are asked if we can produce graphics for their existing trade show exhibit. Within reason our answer is typically yes. We can reproduce graphics for almost any structure and system.  

But here is where it occasionally gets interesting.

There are a couple local companies, one that we come across more frequently, that refuse to give out graphic dimensions and specs for their products. Yes, you heard me right. Even if the customer owns and stores their own exhibits, this particular "competitor" will not release their graphic dimensions and specs without a purchase order.  In other words, you already purchased an exhibit and graphics from them, but if you want new graphics you have to go through them, and they won't provide the specs without you committing to a purchase. 

Now, this doesn't mean, we can't help you, it just makes it more difficult for us to do so. I am sure that is the intent of these exhibit houses.  What I will tell you, is that if we feel we cannot help you with your graphics, we will let you know. Honesty is always the best policy. 

So, my question is, if you are taking care of your client, why are you so afraid to share that information with them? If you are providing good product, at a fair price combined with great service, why would they look elsewhere? What are you afraid of? Someone doing it for a lower price?  Someone providing a better product? 

My suggestion to end users/exhibitors is to make sure you get any technical drawings, install/setup instructions and graphic dimensions when you purchase a new exhibit. Keep them in a place where you will remember them! If you make modifications to your structure, update your records. If you decide you need to look for a new exhibit partner, then you have all the information you need to help them help you.

We always tell people; we are a full disclosure company. We will always be honest with you. We will always tell you the good and the bad of any situation. We will share any hard truths that are required. We will do everything in our power to make things right for you and a pleasant experience.

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.

Why Trade Show Exhibit Companies LOVE the "Freeman's" Of Our Industry

If you get the opportunity to visit with us face to face sometime to talk trade shows, you may notice something if "Freeman" comes up in conversations. 

You may say things such as:

- We use Freeman labor to set up our exhibit

- Oh, we are just renting an exhibit from Freeman

- Oh, we are renting furniture from Freeman

We may visibly grimace. We may even gasp or groan.

Today I am going to share some stories that may make your eyes cross or your hair stand on end. If you are in the trade show exhibit producer industry you will understand 100% and I am sure have your own love stories.

This week, for us was just more than I could bear without saying something.

This is in random order.

1. Our freight carrier showed up in Orlando to pick up from 3 clients. Freeman would not release the freight to them because the material handling agreement had our old address on it. So, let's talk about this for a moment. Freeman will do WHATEVER they can to hijack freight that is already booked on another carrier. Why, you may ask? More $$$$$$.  

2. We spoke with a prospect that wanted to understand our installation & dismantle (I & D) services all over the country.  They hired Freeman to set up their exhibit. Freeman NEVER SHOWED UP. That left this exhibitor scrambling to get their staff to set up their island exhibit.

3. A 5 crate exhibit was coming back to us from Infocomm.  All of our crates are clearly marked DO NOT STACK. Not only did they stack crates? They ripped the hasps off a brand new crate and then...

Drum roll please....

They used the forks of the forklift to rip of the skids from the bottom of the crate so that they could stack the crates together. The top crate probably weighs 1000 pounds and now has no skids for a fork lift to pick it up and move it. It is on top of another crate. This was a BRAND NEW CRATE that they destroyed intentionally. Our driver saw them do it and then load both crates into the truck.

I love the photo of the crate stacked directly on top of the crate that clearly says:

DO NOT STACK

Broken hasps happen.  We get it.  But a brand new crate?

Here you can see where the skid used to be.  They ripped it right off.

So much room here to get forklift tines to lift that crate off the top of the second crate.  Sarcasm intended.

Here are two smaller crates they also chose to stack. At least they left the skids on this one so we can get it down.

So please forgive us for openly sharing our love of Freeman when you mention using them for anything except those things that are absolutely necessary. We love you and don't want you to be hurt.

What are your Freeman love stories?

CRM Current Reps vs. Former Reps

You may remember a blog post that I wrote about a former rep that used CRM data cleaning as an excuse for poor performance. You can read about that HERE.  Accurate data is important, especially making sure critical data is accurate and spelled correctly. But spending the time to remove 'www' in the website field (even though it worked just fine having it there) or adding a period behind every state abbreviation is beyond ridiculous. But I digress.

A good salesperson is often perceived as a "bit" arrogant. It is really easy when you are the brand-new shiny rep to think that you are blameless, perfect and that any previous reps were idiots and morons.  There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. I'll hire confidence every day, but I will avoid arrogance like the plague.

We are moving to a new CRM system, and I have been reviewing old CRM data and importing it into our new CRM.  I came across this comment in our CRM today from our infamous data clean up rep.

"S/W Sheila. She does not remember talking to 'Sally Sales Rep'. No needs, but confirmed her email and I sent it. Sheila had mentioned that "it could of been someone else" 'Sally Sales Rep'. visited with. After uncovering her title, once again, ''Sally Sales Rep'. was talking to a Admin, not the DM. NEXT: Look-up a new Marketing contact and confirm DM's name. "

 I can't even begin to tell you how many of these types of comments I come across in our CRM. Our new rep decided he was better than our former rep (he also decided he was better than me, but that is a different story).

So here is my unsolicited advice and observation to both a new rep and their boss.

1. As a new sales rep, you do not always know the history of a rep. In this case? 'Sally Sales Rep' was a fabulous sales rep and I would have taken her back in a heartbeat. She had to leave our company to care for a family member.

2. Saying or making these comments? It makes you look small and petty to be trashing your predecessor via notes in CRM. Really. The best way to make a previous rep look bad? Outperform them. Period.

3. This type of passive aggressive and narcissistic behavior is a death knell for the future of this rep. Cut your losses and move on. This type of personality will blame everyone else (remember the CRM data cleaning?) for their shortcomings or mistakes.

4. Are you a CRM admin? Watch out for these kinds of notes in CRM, they are a great indicator of the personality traits of a rep. Culture and personality are incredibly important in a rep. If they don't represent your company well by being rude, snarky or arrogant, they can and will cost you money in more ways than one.

Stay tuned for more about confidence vs. arrogance. But I want to leave you with this.

A confident person brings people together and celebrates everyone's wins.  An arrogant person thinks they are better than everyone else, shouts their own accomplishments, belittles or demoralizes others.

Truly confident people do not need to compare themselves to others or put others down. Their actions and results will show through.  Arrogant people never take responsibility for their own shortcomings.

Be confident.

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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/

You can also check out our website at www.totaldisplays.com