by Steven D. Johnson
Racine, Wisconsin
This month:
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How To "Work" A Trade Show
•
The JDS Air-Tech HP Air Cleaner
•
A New Desk/Assembly Table/Clutter-Catcher for the Down To Earth Workshop
How To "Work" A Trade Show
Twenty-five-plus years in corporate America translated into hundreds of trade shows, and the
truth of it is, I didn't like them very much. I thought, perhaps, that my dislike was a matter of
perspective...that "working" a trade show was less enjoyable than "walking" a trade show.
Working a trade show, done correctly, is just that...working. Mine were intense affairs, starting
with a breakfast meeting with a client, then a pre-opening meeting with the sales staff at the
booth, then a nine or ten hour day standing, talking, standing, talking, then after-show drinks with
a prospective client, dinner with another, usually bigger, prospective client, then late drinks with
another client. Four straight days, sometimes five, always including a weekend, as many as six
national or international meetings a year, and dozens of other regional tradeshows...it was
brutal.
So after leaving that life behind, I looked forward to the time when I could attend a trade show
as a customer. Who would not want to be catered to, "wined and dined," and generally fawned over?
At my very first show as a customer I found my entire perspective upended though; it was really no
easier and not much more fun.
Miles of walking instead of standing were no less tiring, and being on the receiving end of all
those fatuous smiles and over-eager handshakes was no better than dishing them out. Meals were not
fun, the food barely noticed, and the conversations were boring, since pretending to be interested
is not any easier than pretending to be interesting.
After attending just two trade shows as a customer I stopped going...essentially severed my public
ties with an industry that had been a part of my DNA for twenty-five years.
For a few years I also avoided going to any woodworking type trade shows in a sort of kneejerk
baby/bathwater reaction. But last year I summoned (or re-summoned) my courage, bought a ticket, and
went to a woodworking trade show, and found it to be refreshing, fun, and energizing. These are
smaller, cozier affairs, and done right, you can get a lot out of a show.
Oh yes, of course, the nature of business has not changed. Forced smiles, eager handshakes,
repetitious pitches, all with the singular intent of separating hard cold dollars from my warm
leather wallet...but, still, it was different...better. And the main difference, I found, was me. I
had developed a new attitude yes, but more importantly, a strategy. So if you want to get the most
out of a trade show experience, read on for some tips that will maximize your enjoyment.
Foremost, if you are a woodworking "rock star," remember that anonymity is a viable strategy. In
Las Vegas, a high roller with money to lose is called a "whale." In my old industry, a buyer
representing a multi-million dollar potential contract was called a "bulge bracket" customer, or
"BB." I've seen salespeople turn their back on a perfectly respectable customer when a "BB" was
sighted, and make a beeline for them...how rude, but how infinitely understandable. As a recognized
and famous woodworker, you will never get the straight "skinny" on things. You can be sure that if
you are wearing a "Press" pass or if a videographer is following you around, the disingenuous smiles
will bloom and the rhetoric will be decidedly more positive...perhaps even to the point of glossing
over critical information. In sales (and politics) we might euphemistically term that "fact
obfuscation." Consider a disguise.
For me, anonymity in the woodworking world was easy...just a down-to-earth kinda guy, average to
perhaps less-than-average skills, no gallery pieces, no portfolio, no movie stars buying my stuff,
no acting career to fall back on, just average. As such, I got to see every trade show booth and
every salesperson at their most average, too. I obtained information that others might not have
gotten, and I learned a lot more as just a regular "schlub."
No matter what your background or skill set, develop a plan for any trade show. Event
coordinators always publish a layout, or map, of its exhibitors. You should be able to obtain it
ahead of time, but if not, get it as soon as you walk in the door and head straight for a bench or
table, get a cup of coffee, and make your plan.
Wandering aimlessly wastes time. Walking every row in a methodical fashion so as to not miss
anything virtually assures you will miss a lot. Of course you want to see every exhibit, but timing
is everything. Set priorities. As you tire (and you will) and as the noise and excitement starts
to dull your perception and senses, you will likely miss important details. Anyway, taking the
predictable and methodical route virtually guarantees you a crowded, less than stellar
experience.
Most people enter a large hall and go to their right, circling in a counterclockwise direction.
It's just human nature and may be related to the fact that the vast majority of people are
right-handed. Did you ever notice that most grocery stores start you out on the right, funnel you
inexorably toward the back left corner, and have you finish somewhere just left of where you
started? It is no accident, and show planners know the drill. Plan on going against convention,
and plan your tour of the trade show hall starting on the left perhaps, and working clockwise.
If you are an early attendee, you will get people at their most fresh, least rehearsed, and most
genuinely eager to be of service. You will also probably get a better view at live
demonstrations.
Likely there are specific things you want to see at the show. Plan those stops first. Go
straight to them. Planning on seeing that new plane you have been pondering "when you come to it"
on a grand row-by-row tour of the hall is not a plan. Set priorities, plan a path to your top "hit
list" exhibits first, and follow the plan. You will be fresh and alert, the booth staff will be
fresher and more alert, and likely you will get more attention, more time, and better answers to
your questions.
Dress well. Not too well, but not like a bum, either. Sellers are human, and if you look like
you can afford to buy something, that fact will register in their subconscious and they will be more
attentive.
Avoid the free stuff until later in the day. Tchotchky is great, but carrying it throughout the
entire day may make you crazy. I sometimes get hauled to the shopping mall, and we usually park and
enter the mall through the big two-story bookseller. Do I need to tell you that buying books on the
way into the mall is dumb? Better to buy those heavy items on the way out.
As a courtesy, do not pick up every piece of advertising and literature you see. That slick
twelve-page full color brochure on some newfangled computer-driven laser-controlled, voice-activated
whatchamacallit that you will never buy costs the manufacturer money...money that gets added to the
cost of the product. If there is no chance you will ever buy an item, leave the literature for
another person who might.
Before and after you visit target booths, make notes on your trade show map. You may decide to
"look around" some before making a purchase. Jotting down your impressions and your questions will
make your first, second, and maybe even third trip to that booth more productive.
Inevitably you will run into friends. Plan lunch or a take a coffee break together, but please
do not stand in front of a busy booth and chat for twenty minutes. The proprietor and your fellow
show-goers will appreciate you not clogging the aisles and the view of their exhibit.
If you are researching or planning a major purchase (major being a personal and relative
measurement), try to get the seller away from the booth for a little one-on-one time. Offer to buy
him or her a refreshment or snack in a quieter place where you can really talk. It is amazing what
people will tell you when they are relaxed and out from the booth, the bright lights, and the public
eye.
If you are one of the fortunate woodworkers with access to a local dealer, visit them, but do not
over-visit. You can see your buddy that works at the store any time; they are at the show to
cultivate new relationships (customers), and respecting that fact will be greatly appreciated.
After you have hit all the hot spots on your hit list, you will be relaxed and ready to roam. No
telling what new and exciting things you might find! Follow a pre-determined path. Personally, I
start on the first row at the far left side of the hall, then go down the third row, then the fifth,
and so on. Then I reverse course, work right-to-left, and hit every even–numbered row. A buddy of
mine starts on the center row, works left, then returns to the center row, and then works each row
to the right of center. Just do something different than the usual right to left, counterclockwise
circuit.
Speaking of buddies, it is a lot more fun to go to a trade show with someone, but as soon as you
get there, split up. Plan to meet for a break at a pre-determined time and compare notes. You will
see more through your buddy's extra pair of eyes, and learn more as you discuss your various visits.
Plus, you will likely stay buddies longer, since he does not want to stand around while you ask a
million questions about an item in which he has no interest, and you likewise may lose patience with
his obsessions. Seriously, this is common sense...have you never been shopping with your spouse?
And speaking of spouse, don't take her, or him, unless he or she is a woodworker. No real need
to elaborate here, I suppose. If your spouse is also your woodworking buddy, see the paragraph
above.
Even if you are a hobbyist, consider having a stack of cards printed up. Nothing fancy; just
your name, address, phone, and email. While most large commercial trade shows have gone decidedly
high tech with barcoded badges or embedded RFD chips to capture your contact information as you
enter a booth, most woodworking shows are not there yet. A lot of "booth time" is wasted with
people filling out forms requesting catalogs, literature, quotes, etc. Save the exhibitors' time by
handing them your card. They will really appreciate it.
Every trade show has a feedback mechanism...a comment card, an online survey about the show,
something. Seek it out and use it. Tell them what you loved about the show, tell them what you
think can be improved. The show itself is a commercial enterprise, just as are all the exhibitors.
They want the show to be better and bigger every year, and your input helps.
Then, if you can make the time, jot a note to any exhibitors that particularly impressed you.
Whether it was the layout of their booth or the quality of their staff let them know. Everyone
needs feedback.
Trade shows can be a source of valuable information and a way to get hands-on looks at new tools
and accessories. Make a plan and have fun...
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