Trade Show TalesBlog

Word on the Street — August 30th thru September 3rd

September 3rd, 2010 Mel White COMMENTS
Why we participate in the TS2 Show

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Are You Excited? It’s that Time of Year!

I don’t know about you, but it’s about now when I get filled with nervous excitement and anticipation for the coming days, weeks, and months.

And NO Mr. Navin Johnson . . . it’s not regarding the arrival of the new phone-books!

And NO Mr. Dave Brown . . . it’s not in reference to the new season of Gossip Girl on the WB!

And NO Mr. Reid Sherwood . . . it’s not excitement for the release of the new Joaquin Phoenix Bio-pic “I’m Still Here” where he reinvents himself as a hip-hop musician. YIKES!

Word on the Street -- Classic Exhibits Inc. It’s the kickoff of College Football Season! This weekend, homes, bars, neighborhoods, and stadiums will be filled with rabid fans who have been waiting for this weekend for eight plus months. They have been waiting to see their favorite teams and/or Alma mater take the field for yet another season on the gridiron.

Traditions are born around this very weekend every year. Some people get together with the exact same group for the first Saturday of College Football. They set up multiple TV’s and watch football all day together. Some meet in places across the country with friends and family to attend the games live at the stadiums. And others keep it simple like me. 🙂 Every year, I wake up the on first Saturday morning of college ball and throw in the movie “Rudy“!

Yeah I know! Let the ridicule begin. But growing up an Irish fan, a tradition was born in my family once that movie came along. After that, it’s all ball — all day — into the late hours of the night.

And it is not just college ball that makes Labor Day weekend so great. It’s the start of the final stretch of Major League Baseball — Go Braves! It’s the final weekend of pre-season NFL games, meaning that the regular season begins in just one short week — Go Chargers!

So this weekend, whether you are cheering “Roll Tide,” “Hook ’em Horns,” “Geaux Tigers,” “Go Ducks,” or “Go Big Blue,” I hope you have a great time with you and yours.

What are some of the traditions that your family and friends share this time of year? Any other Rudy fans?

Please share your comments and stories and have a safe Labor Day Weekend.

–Kevin Carty

http://twitter.com/kevin_carty
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-carty/3/800/32a

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Shooting from the Hip — 13.10 (Making Customers Mad)

September 2nd, 2010 Mel White 5 COMMENTS

Shooting from the Hip (trade show tips)

Shooting from the Hip by Reid Sherwood

6 Surefire Ways to Tick Off Your Customer

No matter how long I’m in business, I am always amazed at the lengths some companies go to make their customers mad. I “get” the fact that you have to make money. I “get” the fact that the customer “ISN’T” always right (like we’ve been taught over and over again). HOWEVER, the customer is ALWAYS IMPORTANT!

1. Downplay their Problem. They just spent money with you for a product or service. Now there is a problem. A surefire way to raise their ire and eliminate any future business is to take their problems lightly and make them feel insignificant.

2. That’s Impossible. Tell them that what just happened is impossible. I don’t know about you, but I’ve found that calling a customer a liar may not be the best mediation tactic. You can say “We take great measures to insure against that.” You can tell them that “We have processes in place to catch that, but this one must have slipped by.” You can tell them that “Sometimes good old human error occurred, and you are really sorry.” But the second you tell them that their problem can’t happen or didn’t happen is the second you just picked a fight with a customer.

3. Accept It “As Is”. Have you ever tried to convince your customer to accept the product “as is” at a reduced cost? They didn’t purchase the product to be defective. They purchased it because they expect it to look like and perform like the picture in the advertisement or the marketing material.

I was in a McDonald’s a couple weeks ago. So as I am ordering, this guy comes back to the counter with a Big Mac. He unfolds it and says to the counter person very calmly, “I’d like to show this to the manager please.”  The manager strolls over very nonchalantly. The customer unwraps the burger and shows the manager the insides. There is sauce all over everything, the lettuce is wilted, and the condiments are both on the inside and the outside of the bun. There was even a chunk of bun missing the size of my thumb. Honestly – the presentation was just awful.

The customer says, “I ordered that!” and points to the picture on the menu of a nice looking Big Mac all perfect and nice. The manager in his infinite wisdom says, “How about I give you a small fry for free?” Instantly, the customer was enraged and replied, “I DIDN’T WANT FRIES. I WANTED MY BURGER TO LOOK LIKE THE PICTURE!” The manager took out a shovel and dug himself a little deeper and said, “We don’t have time to make them like that. You have to be happy with what you get.” The customer walked away and said, “I will never ever buy another thing from MacDonald’s as long as I live.” How would it have worked if he had simply made him a burger that looked decent and not been slopped together? Just fine, I suppose. But nope . . . He decided to pick a fight with the customer instead.

4. Blame a Problem on Somebody Else. Nothing will drive a consumer away faster than to have the blame passed on to someone else. Just take ownership of the issue and correct it. Don’t denigrate another employee who made a mistake.

5. Take Forever to Correct the Problem. This is like making mountains out of mole hills. If you allow a problem to linger, you leave a bad taste in your customer’s mouth that much longer. Every company has faults. None are perfect. I remember Jim Hoffmann of Optima Graphics saying in a meeting, “If something is wrong, apologize, fix it, and move on quickly to something positive.” It was a valuable lesson about problem resolution:  Fix it quickly and move on.

6.  Keep Making the Same Mistake. Customers can be very forgiving if you make a mistake and then resolve it quickly. They know that stuff happens. They are even willing to cut you a break when it happens again, assuming you have a solid relationship with them. But when it happens over and over . . . well, that’s when they recognize that despite your best intentions, your company has serious problems.

I recall asking a distributor about a display manufacturer about ten years ago. The distributor said, “They are great about correcting problems on orders. They react fast and send me a replacement or repair immediately.” I said, “They sound like a terrific company.” “Not really,” he replied. “EVERY ORDER has a problem. It’s beyond frustrating anymore. It’s a joke between me and the company and frankly, I’ve had enough “laughs” because my customers are always angry. I don’t see how they can continue to stay in business producing two displays for every one order.”

Guess what? The display company went out of business a few years later.

Please share your “Surefire Ways” to tick off a customer. Tips like dating your customer’s spouse or sending their email address to an Eastern European spammer don’t count. 😉 Those are way too easy.

Until the next time,

–Reid Sherwood
reid@classicmodul.com

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Krazy Kevin’s Quadro Pop-Up Special

August 23rd, 2010 Mel White COMMENTS

Quadro EO Pop-Up Special — Buy One. Get One.

Kevin Carty has lost his mind (again)! He’s decided to “break the bank” with an insane promotion.

Here’s the deal:

  • Purchase an EO-03 (8 ft.) or an EO-04 (10 ft.) pop up display.
  • Get an EO-01 table top for just $150 retail. That’s insane, frankly! The EO-01 retails for $950 msrp.

If that’s not crazy enough:

  • Purchase an EO-03C or EO-04C (w/o graphics).
  • Get an EO-01A table top (w/o graphics) for just $100 retail. The EO-01A retails for $870 msrp.

Quadro EO Features and Benefits

  • Easy Self-locking Aluminum Frame
  • One Piece Connecting Channel Bars
  • Durable Steel Pin Connectors
  • Convenient Monitor Mount Options
  • Lightweight Pop Up
  • Heavy-Duty Roto-molded Case with Wheels
  • Lifetime Frame Warranty

The Quadro EO Special is effective until 10/15/2010. Or until Kevin gets released from the State Hospital.

Krazy Kevin's Quadro EO Special

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Word on the Street — August 16th thru August 20th

August 22nd, 2010 Mel White 1 COMMENT
Why we participate in the TS2 Show

Word on the Street by Kevin Carty

Perception vs. Reality

One of my best friends travels quite a bit for his job. We often joke about who travels more, but he has me beat by quite a distance.

Approximately 30-32 weeks a year, he’s on the road, and most of his travel is to Events, Conferences, and Trade Shows. These can range from a small regional show in Alaska where he has a table top display to the industry hardware show in Chicago where he has a 20′ x 50′ island exhibit.

He asked to meet this week to talk about their up and coming trade show program and to get some advice. They go to over 35 events or shows a year.

Without identifying the company, they are the nation’s largest provider of products in their market, selling to retailers like Wal-mart, Kroger, and Target, as well as most local and regional grocery chains.

Over the past two years, their ROI has dropped significantly; yet, their sales have continued to increase. They analyzed the problem and determined that the ROI shrinkage was directly related to increases in their event/show costs. In particular, costs associated with labor, show services, and drayage.

As he puts it, “We are at the point where we must decide between continuing to participate in large shows or hold private regional events in four or five cities a year. At the regional events, we would bring our customers in and show them our products and services.”

The numbers are staggering. Their sales have increased on average of 15 percent each year since 2008; yet it isn’t keeping pace with increases in their drayage, labor, and show services expenses.

And it was stunning to see the costs related to certain venues when compared side by side. For example, they compared a large show in Chicago vs. the same show in Orlando. Trust me I know the obvious reasons why some costs were lower, but overall the show services, labor, and drayage costs were 23 percent less in Orlando. And like all exhibitors, they do not determine the venue, so they have to decide whether to attend the show in Chicago.

He asked me my opinion about switching to large, privately-hosted, regional events. I have to be honest. I found myself recommending that they do just that. It gives them the same (if not better access to their clients), and they don’t have to deal with competitors.

Now, if you’re thinking,  “What about the perception of them not being at the shows?” I agree, there is a risk there, but for some companies, such as those with a large foothold or who are the market leader, not participating may not matter.

I know certain cities and venues are trying to “fix” the costs associated with attending shows, but do they realize how much needs to be fixed? There is a perception that trade shows are too expensive, and that perception, even as the industry makes changes, will continue to linger.

How can we go about changing that perception as large cities and venues work on the reality?

Please share you comments and stories. Be well!

–Kevin Carty

http://twitter.com/kevin_carty
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-carty/3/800/32a

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Exhibit Design Search — Super Cool New Features!

August 20th, 2010 Mel White COMMENTS

Announcing Two New Features in Exhibit Design Search (EDS)

Frequently Asked Questions in EDS

1. Frequently Asked Questions

We created FAQ’s for all the galleries in Exhibit Design Search. These questions are intended for end-users, but there’s beneficial information for distributors as well.

Here’s an example (from the Counters and Pedestals FAQ):

Question:  Holy Moly! I just glanced through the Counters and Pedestals. There are almost 200 styles. How do I narrow it down?

Answer:  Your first step is to identify what features you need. Do you need internal storage? How about graphics? Do you want laminate, aluminum, or fabric surfaces?

Next, narrow it down by price, if for no other reason than to see the differences between a $1200 pedestal and a $3500 counter. Don’t see exactly what you want? No problem. As you can tell, we love to design new ones.

The FAQ’s are organized in the same order as the EDS galleries to make searching easier. We also included a Frequently Asked Questions link on the Design Detail of every kit. These links connect to appropriate FAQ gallery.

Last but not least, we added an “Ask a Question” option so customers can contact you directly from your EDS website, or you can contact us from the Classic Exhibits EDS.

2. Thumbnail Magnifier

Hover over any thumbnail in EDS, except the thumbnails on the Home Page, and a larger, magnified image will now appear. The magnified image makes it easier to see details without having to click on the display thumbnail. It’s pretty darn cool, and it’s one more reason your customers will linger a little longer on your EDS website.

We encourage you to explore both of these new features in Exhibit Design Search. Let us know if there are questions you would like us to include in the FAQ, and we eagerly await your comments on the new thumbnail magnifier.

–Mel White

http://www.linkedin.com/in/melmwhite
mel@classicexhibits.com
Classic Exhibits Network (LinkedIn)

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