From YourSITE.com
Strong Arm Sales Stop Success Cold
By Susan Friedmann
Jul 12, 2006, 18:34
It happens more often than you?d ever guess ? in fact, it
might be happening at the booth right next to yours. Recent surveys of trade show attendees show
that the most dissatisfied attendees are those who purchase something that they
really didn?t want. Needless to say,
these attendees don?t have a high opinion of those companies that
?strong-armed? them, and report that they?ll be unlikely to do business with
them again.
How can this happen?
What possible way is there to force attendees into purchasing something
unwillingly?
Not all the ?people pleasers? at a trade show are booth
staff. Some are walking the aisle, as
attendees. When these types run into an
overly-forward, persistant salesperson, they can be bullied into a
purchase. That?s not the way you want to
do business.
Instead, train your team to have a needs-focused
approach. By engaging attendees in conversation,
questioning and listening more than talking, and truly focusing on solving the
attendee?s problems, you are far more likely to make a sale the attendee is
satisfied with.
Key to this is five questions, the Familiar Five that
should be part of every sales conversation:
What: What exactly
does the attendee need? Do they have
problems with their existing suppliers?
Are they trying to make-do with a product that doesn?t exactly fit their
needs? Perhaps the product works
perfectly, but it?s too expensive. You
need this answer before you can move on to any other questions.
Why: Why would your company be the best suited to meet
the attendees? needs? If they mention
constant technical difficulty, do you offer 24 hour support? If they need a size 3 widget, does your
company manufacturer size 3 widgets?
Who: Relationships are key to business. At the same time,
our mobile society means that rapid staff turnover is a fact of life. Two companies may have had ? or come near ? a
business relationship previously, only to have things not work out. Yet this fact could be completely unknown to
your booth staff. Arm your team with
some corporate history, along with selling points that illustrate how things
have changed in the interim.
When: When your team says something, attendees want to
know they can count on that as fact. Clients want to know you have a track
record and that you'll maintain it when they remain with you. Feel free to use
concrete examples: Even though we?re consistently introducing new and
innovative models, we still provide parts, service and support to every model
we?ve ever made ? all the way back to day one.
How: How your company conducts itself is becoming a much
more important factor to many of today?s decision makers. Consumers want to avoid being tainted by
association with any scandal-ridden firms.
If an attendee brings up a current negative newsmaker, avoid the
temptation to ?dish?. Instead, answer with a comment that shows your company?s
strength and leadership. ?We know that
those types of things happen in our industry, but we?ve found the better route
is the straight and narrow. That way we
can stay focused on our customer and their needs.?
Now, admittedly, it can be difficult to fit all of this
into the thirty seconds you have with the average attendee. The temptation is to talk faster, attempting
to cram in as much information as you can.
But don?t. Your job is to get
them talking ? and once an attendee starts talking, they are far more likely to
spend some additional time at your exhibit.
Body language also plays a role in how your sales team is
perceived. Here are five key things to
remember:
1. Keep Your Distance:
Crowding can be intimidating, especially if the staff is of large
stature and the attendee is smaller. A
good rule of thumb is to keep at least one arm?s length between the two of you.
2. Keep Your Arms Down:
Some staffers, especially the flamboyant, dramatic types, have a
tendency to talk with their hands. This
works fine in a social situation, but can be unnerving or distracting when
you?re trying to do business.
3. Keep Things Open: Very skittish or shy types may
subconciously feel ?trapped? if you position yourself between them and the way
out of your exhibit. You don?t have to
be an Old West Cowboy with this ? there?s no need to always stand with your
back to the wall ? but be aware of spatial issues and attempt to keep things
open and comfortable.
4. Keep An Eye: On
the way the conversation is going. If
you have the slightest suspicion that an attendee is uncomfortable, or just
doesn?t like you, hand them off to another staffer. Sometimes personalities just don?t click, and
it?s better to step out gracefully than attempt to blunder through the
encounter.
5. Keep An Ear:
Open for what the attendee is saying.
People can tell when you?re
really listening and when you?re going through the motions. A million subtle physical cues give
it away. Don?t try to ?phone in? your
interest. Pay attention!
Go over these items with your team before the show. When your team is skilled, they won?t need
strong arm tactics ? which will make everybody happy!
***************************************************************
Your Bio: Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The
Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: ?Meeting & Event Planning for
Dummies,? working with companies to improve their meeting and event success
through coaching, consulting and training.
For a free copy of ?10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make?, e-mail: article4@thetradeshowcoach.com;
website: http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com
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