SHOULD WE TRADE IN THE TRADE SHOW?

Walk in refrigerator-built differently for a trade show

Trade shows bring together buyers, sellers, suppliers, media and students. The right show puts you in front of the buyers seeking what you sell and connects you with suppliers. You can generate more sales leads in a day if it is done right.

After countless shows this past year, here are some observations. Today’s business people and consumers use the web for contacts, product information and competitive information.  They participate in virtual trade shows, social media and more.  Shows have been less attended than ever before. After speaking with colleagues and end users they collaborate that trade shows have become boring with the same old year after year. The sellers stand in their booth and wave the end users in or better yet just say hi.

The number of exhibitors at a show today is disproportionate to the number of attendees.  Booth size may change; faces within the booth do change but the and how is always the same.  If it is an equipment show walk up and down the aisles and what you will see is a field of stainless steel, and  if it is a food show walk up and down the aisles and you will smell food and sample food, probably not knowing the difference from one food or another at the end of the day.

How do we inspire people to change the way they have done shows?

With fewer days at show, attendees only visiting about 50% booth and even the quality of the booth visitation have changed. What is the ROI to the end users? What is the ROI to the exhibitor? The association, the trade show management company and so on.  The impact of trade shows affects the economics and time of many people and businesses.  Change is needed to have successful shows.

Getting Started:

• Look at buying trends for that market
• Look at communication trends-social media, virtual , QSR codes,
• Look at the impact on a real world
• Look at relevant suppliers at a show. Do not just try to engage any supplier. Give relevancy to the end user and you will build loyalty. Make it a differential for your business.

Some ideas for changes:

• Relevant product demonstrations-At NAFEM last year, a particular convection oven company did just that. They set up their demonstrations like a cafe.  Comfortable, ambiance, passionate chefs and it made a difference. People waited to sign up and get a chance at see what they have. Food that resonates with them and their customers.
•  Know your audience. Narrow down your focus. Gain a better perspective on who you are selling to. . if it is a hotel/restaurant show -have items, products choices that will give your customer the competitive edge
• Collaborate with fellow suppliers to come up with booth that are end users/client focused. Make it easier for them to envision what and how to use the products
• Less is more
• Rethink the way you show your products/services-think out of the box. What is your differentials and find a way to show it-e.g. at the Intl Hotel and Restaurant Show in NYC recently a refrigeration company decided to have a smaller version of their refrigerator with the full size hinges, handles, locks, casters and showed the interior with the same insulation as the full size. It was creative and yet functional. Not to say economical to ship.  Another step could be to show it within a smaller version of a kitchen or…again using your imagination to get the buyer into your booth to them the story of how this can solve his challenges.

How do you make your exhibit effective? How do you focus or engage people to come into your booth, draw traffic?

• Using apps that allow a customer to access information during the show.
• Using QSR codes for testimonials
• Contests/Competitions
• Innovative equipment that will transform that part of the industry.
• Tell a story through visuals in your booth via media, equipment , storyboards-be imaginative to draw attention
• If is a focused segment show-e.g. school, healthcare, and non-commercial, commercial, etc…The products should be but not always are focused on the consumer they are selling too.

In addition, key staffers should have:

1. Positive attitude
2. Know their market segment
3. Be able to answer FAQs,
4. Follow up. No more than 10 days of a show-this is the downfall of some many mart sales people. With smartphones and IPADs, you should be following up with information right from your booth or at least before, you head back into office.
5. I believe that at least one of your team should be at the same show year to year so that face/brand recognition starts to happen.

Will trade shows become outdated? Alternatively, will they be reenergized with new ideas, strategies in 2012?

What do you think?

What have you been doing differently to reach your audience at a trade show?

Do you need help getting started ? Want better sales results? Connect with me.

Passionately,

Marsha

Tags: trade shows

ARE YOUR EMPLOYEES DISTRACTED?

KEEP THE POSITIVE ATTITUDE

I know I am this time of year.  Holidays, meetings, work, holidays, meeting, dinners, networking events, holidays functions and so on. You get it. These times it seems our employees are a bit more distracted.

How do you refocus your employees? And yourself.

• Here are some ideas that have worked.

1. Short directed meeting- I call them hub meeting. A stand around less than 10 minute meeting to highlight the days events, any changes from the pervious day, any challenges from the previous day, recognize any high achievers and a good quote or motivation for the day. If you can assign one of the team on a rotation and have one who will bring the quote of the day, it works well.

2. Remember during this hub only connect them to what is relevant for the short-term.

3. Engage their ideas and solutions for mishaps or customer/client dissatisfaction during these meeting.

Collaboration and empowerment go a long way in reengaging your team and motivating them to do more and better.

Reward them with a note, or email more frequently during these times. Don’t wait for the quarterly HR meetings.

Some cost-effective examples: three musketeers bar on their desk with a gift tag stating we couldn’t do it without you as part of our team or a $100,000 dollar chocolate bar –“your worth a million to our team or giving them a “Tigger” finger puppet saying you have the right positive attitude and energy for our team..

Use your imagination and make sure you write the words in a gift note attached. The words and the visual make the difference in that moment. It reminds them they are on the right path and focused on your customers/patients/students, …

Lastly, Laughter is good to rengage the group too. A visual  funny picture can go along way to depict what you want done or don’t want done depending on the picture.

I find doing these kinds of things allows me to recharge myself as there tends to be a positive energy that resonates from these gestures.

What do you do to engage your employees during these times?

Passionately,

Marsha

Thanks for helping during crunchtime. It was appreciated.

Tags: employees, motivation, recognition

PUTTING THE MOJO BACK INTO CUSTOMER SERVICE!

I have been the  keynote speaker at several associations, sales meetings. and hospitals retreats the last few months.  I have spoken to the audiences on “What’s in it for me?”. It appears that by changing what you do for yourself, peers and colleagues reflects the entire organization.  Balancing what’s important to your company with value as defined by the customer will help separate the thriving businesses from those that continue to muddle along as they always have.”

A few ideas to implement to get started:

• Reenergize yourself and win at what you do. (find time to do what you like, give yourself off from technology one day a week or at least a bulk of time)
• Make a difference in how you conduct your business.
• 
• Make a difference in how people perceive you in business and your organization.
• Realign your thinking, strategies and change yourself and your organization to be more responsive and to make a positive difference.
• No matter how big or small your organization is, the reality is you should be hearing or reading your peers, clients and colleagues messages. Are you? Change your organization’s culture to be more responsive and make your work experience that one that you want to participate in everyday.
• Recognize your peers, and colleagues publicly and even yourself everyday. (as simple as giving yourself a moment to reflect)

People are born in this world as assets, not liabilities. In the end, we are the product of expectation. Expect a lot, and you create amazing people” -unknown

Service is the lifeblood of any organization. Everything flows from it and is nourished by it. Customer service is not a department – it is an attitude.” Unknown

In every life, we have some trouble, but when you worry, you make it double. Don’t worry. Be happy.” Bobby McFerrin (1950 –) American music artist.10-time Grammy Award winner

“Everyone has the ability to do great things, but attitude will determine how well you do it. Make today a great day!” Marsha Diamond, Business Development Advisor, Inspirational Speaker.

I think we shouldn’t forget the passion in our business. Passion=Great Customer Service.  Share with me what makes you passionate about your business? Life?

.

ONE SIZE FITS ALL!

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR STRENTHS TO HAVE A COMPETITIVE EDGE FOR GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Quality
• Reputation
• Good Results
• Great Employees
• Knowledgeable Staff
• Consistency in service, goods and/or products
• Responsiveness
• Innovativeness
• Trust

Innovation

Customer-focused innovation has to be more than just an idea; we –– need to take action and remove barriers to enhancing the health care experience. It begins and ends with the end-user – it tells us what they need, what they want, and how we deliver.
When we begin to drive toward making things simpler, more consistent, and more
effective for the people we serve – as they would judge it – that is when our
innovations will begin to make a positive difference in the delivery of care.

Set your customers’ expectations: Need to understand how other internal employees
and external partners influence the customer experience, and what that customer
experience really feels like for customers today. Why? Communications or
marketing displays of every shape and size set your customers’ expectations.

Customer research

Customer experience research can help boost loyalty and drive desired behaviors by helping your organization answer these questions:
1. Once we win a customer, how does the experience we deliver match up to what
our customers expect from us? Where do gaps exist, and how big are they?

2. Are we under-investing in areas that are important to our customers? Alternatively,
overly investing in areas that do not matter? How can we reallocate our
resources to be more effective?

3. Where can we focus customer experience efforts to boost loyalty with our
most profitable customers? Which “dials” can we turn to boost loyalty with our
best customers? The job of measuring and improving customer touch points is
getting at this critical information from the “outside in.” What do your
customers think? And why? As a result, companies can acquire more accurate and
more actionable data, seeing where and how insights into customer opinion,
experience, wants and needs can be leveraged to boost loyalty, improve overall
marketing, sales and service effectiveness and strengthen brand.

After all, in a world where nearly 90% of customers will walk out your door (whether virtual or physical) after a single poor experience, the cost of focusing
research efforts on satisfaction alone may well be your survival.  Make it a differential positive experience-whether it is the food, service, sales experience, or process.

Do your customers/patients feel like a commodity? Everything the same. Is it just another day for your organization and the employees who carry out the services or
produce products?  Make the difference. Start today to impact your customers, employees.

Passionately,

Marsha

Tags: differential, customer service

Beyond Value: How to Become Invaluable to Your Foodservice Customers

As sellers, we are continually told to sell value and to let our prospects know about all of our value-added services. After all, that is how we are going to win the sales. Right?

Not necessarily. Value is relative. It’s in the eye of the beholder. So much depends on how the decision makers you’re dealing with perceive “value.”

To be successful in today’s business environment, you may need to become invaluable to your customers.

Customers can be segmented into three different types based on their perceptions of value and what you can do to increase your effectiveness when working with them.

Commodity Buyers
These buyers know exactly what they want and how to use it. They do not need sellers to explain the details. Commodity buyers typically value:

• Low costs. They do not want to pay any more than necessary. To be successful with these buyers, companies need to pull as many costs as they can out of their supply chain.

• No hassles. Make it simple, simple, simple to do business with your company. Give them an 800 number, send quick quotes, or allow easy online ordering and they’re happy.

We are all commodity buyers at times. As a seller, there’s little you can do to create value or sell “value add.” Make it cheaper, simpler to order, delivered to my door and with easy returns.

E.g. books, hairnets, aprons, etc…

Strategic Buyers
These people are looking far beyond the scope of your products or services. They want a strategic partnership. They are looking at how to best leverage their organization’s core competencies in combination with another company’s core competencies. These buyers value:

• Intimate and strategic relationships between multiple levels within both organizations.
• Mutual investments in joint projects.
• Merging of systems to accomplish more than either organization could do alone.

E.g., design consultants with equipment manufacturers, branding concept within a hospital retail venue.

Invested Buyers
These buyers are either spending a lot of money on a decision or they do not know everything there is to know about what they’re buying. Typically, their decision process is complex, involves multiple people and takes place over an extended period.
If corporate decision makers are seriously considering your product or service, they assume it meets their basic requirements and that your organization is reputable. Having a decent offering gets you in the game, but does not typically provide enough value to win the business.

In fact, with these buyers, the seller creates the value by what they personally bring to the relationship. These buyers value sellers who:

• Help them understand their problems in greater depth.
• Add additional insights into the challenges they face.
• Offer solutions
• Share relevant information regarding “best practices.”
• Develop unique, innovative approaches to resolving their business issues.
• Keep them up-to-date on trends in the industry and how others are addressing them.
• Help them find ways around the obstacles they’re encountering, and
• Propose new ways to do more with the same investment.

E.g.: major foodservice equipment, meal delivery solutions, cooking systems, dishwashers, etc.

Becoming an Invaluable Resource
What makes a seller invaluable? The ability to contribute so much more with each and every customer interaction – so much so that they can’t imagine doing business without you.

Here are some more ways that you, as the seller could become invaluable to your customers. You could:

• Share ideas about other what works, what doesn’t.
• Help them find ways to increase the results of their existing programs.
• Show them how to reduce the overall costs of the program while maintaining its effectiveness and integrity.
• Let them know what their competitors are doing.
• Develop ways to increase the quality of their programs or venues.
• Proposing ideas for new programs to help them achieve their desired marketing results.
• Acting as an advocate within your own organization on issues impacting the customer.
• Better warranties
• On time delivery
• Post sale training and follow up

To become invaluable, you must bring more to the relationship than just your standard product or service. What you want to create is a situation where corporate decision makers cannot live without your ideas, insights, and knowledge.

Becoming invaluable doesn’t just “happen.” You need to invest in yourself. Learn more about your customer’s business. Figure out how to help them improve it. Be an idea generator. Become an expert in your field. It takes a real commitment on your part.

Only the best make that commitment. But it truly sets them apart from everyone else and literally makes them invaluable

How do you make your customer’s job easier? More profitability? Efficient?

Tags: customer loyalty, foodservice, value