The One Percent Solution

1. Ignore the Masses & Attract Key Attendees Bob Milam Aka Trade Show Bob The One Percent Solution

2. About your Instructor • Bob Milam, aka Trade Show Bob • A past winner of Exhibitor Magazine’s All Star Award • Has produced exhibit campaigns for the retail grocery, food ingredients, medical, super-computing, non-profit fund raising, and computer graphics industries • Contributing columnist & blogger for EXHIBITOR magazine

3. What is the “One Percent Solution”? • A method (not the only one) • to help you wade through the masses and find key buyers • A way • to bring your marketing and sales staff together on the same page • An approach • to help you squeeze real results out of seemingly difficult shows • A plan that really works – I’ll show you

4. Where is this class going? • Explain the foundation principles • Discuss goals & objectives • Filtering show attendees • Building urgency and focus into the staff

5. W. I. I. F. M. ?? • New method to address these hard-to-solve opportunities • A new tool to help focus your staff at any show • Inspiration to think in new ways

6. This solution won’t help if … • Your target audience is a large percentage of the overall audience • You do not plan ahead • You’re not willing to invest in some painfully difficult experiences with your stake holders It’s hard, but it will work.

7. The Foundation of the Solution • Based on these assumptions: • Only a small % of attendees really matter • You can identify them in some way • There are groups/people in your org. who want to push agendas with the targets • Success/progress = big $$$ • Each target OK to have vastly different needs • You don’t have a big pile of money to spend

8. What’s your situation ?

9. Step 1: Define your target • Who do you need to see? • How accurately can you describe them? • Do you already know their names?

10. Step 1: Define your target • An exact definition of your target is your starting point • Since you’re only after 1% - they should be fairly easy to identify • Actually – the fewer the better

11. Consult with your stakeholders • Find out who they need to see • Name names • Be specific • Make a list

12. Step 2: Define objectives • You have a list of names (or close to it) – preferably a short one with big potential impact • Now is the time to meet with your primary stake holders (ouch!)

13. Define objectives individually • Spend as much time as necessary to get specific objectives for each and every target • Be specific

14. Individual objectives will vary • Buy product x next time • Switch from competitor to me • Consider upgrading • Have your heard our news? • Let me introduce our new Exec’s • Please forgive me, don’t leave!

15. It’ll be worth it – I promise • Slug your way through this • Most people will resist this level of planning • They’ve never been asked to commit at this level

16. Buy X Intro Fix problem Beg for forgiveness Go to lunch Intro Upgrade What you’ll end up with … Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3 Name #1 Name #2 Name #3

17. Step 3: Assign roles • You have your list of names • You have specific actions for each • Now … decide who should deliver the message • And … who else needs to be present

18. Assign roles = pick your staff • How do you currently decide who should go to your shows? • Why not bring the right people – put the aces in their places • Everyone who attends will have specific reasons to be there

19. What you’ll really end up with … Moe Larry Shemp Fix problem Fix problem Name #1 Buy X Intro Beg for forgiveness Name #2 Go to lunch Name #3 Upgrade Intro

20. Individual Assignments Moe Larry Shemp Fix problem Fix problem Name #1 Buy X Intro Beg for forgiveness Name #2 Go to lunch Name #3 Upgrade Intro

21. Individual Assignment Cards Moe Customer #1 Fix delivery issue Determine budget and time frame to implement project X Customer #2 Do lunch – Tuesday discuss Project Z Customer #3 Secure maintenance agreement – extend thru 12/31

22. Result: Everyone knows their role • Set it up well in advance • Get sales managers to buy in • Pass out assignments 4-6 weeks ahead of show • Enlist the “hammer” or stake holder to deliver the assignments

23. Result: Accountability is created • “Moe, your job is to … “ • “Here’s your assignment for the BIG Expo” • “Make sure you get these things done” • “We’ll meet again after the show, to see how much progress was made”

24. This is a BIG IDEA • Implement this – in some form - for your next show • Your people will be focused • They’ll thank you • “At last, I finally knew what I was supposed to do at the trade show” • Verbatim staff comment • Poultry Show 2004, Zoomerang survey

25. Important: Exempt no one • If they go – they must have a reason • Even the CEO • Even yourself

26. Step 4: Get on their dance card • Don’t leave the pre-show marketing to your now-committed sales group • Find a theme • Tie it all in • Communicate with them so they MUST come see you • Spend some money here

27. Pre-show marketing • Determine how many visitors you MUST invite • Ask sales managers what these meetings are worth to them • Quality vs. quantity – spend more per name • Find a clever angle – and drive them to action

28. Step 5: Conduct pre-show training • Review assignments • Adjust as necessary – confirming visits • Set overall goals & daily goals • Teach them how to record the commitments • Set up time to report their results

29. Step 6: Work the show • Take notes – keep a running total • Record the commitments and promises made • Be the “Objectives Sheriff” • Keep it top of mind for your staff • Adjust during the show as needed

30. Step 7: Conduct post-show de-briefings • Don’t stop now • De-brief every staff attendee • Record the progress made • Follow-up on promises made • Report results to management

31. FormFollows Function: Architecture • Exhibit architecture • Exhibit layout • Access / Egress • Furniture & Carpet choices • The “script” for non-target visitors

32. An Actual Example • Poultry Expo • Further processing a small fraction of the poultry industry • Egg laying • Egg processing • Egg hatching • Chicken raising • Chicken slaughter • Chicken processing • Turkey yadayadayada • Etc etcetc

33. An Actual Example • At past year’s shows ….. • We sampled products – like chicken nuggets • We had an “open” booth – we talked to everybody • We fed thousands of people • We exhausted our staff • We spent a small fortune preparing and shipping samples • We had very little to show for it

34. Step 1: Identify the target Poultry processors – R&D, marketing and purchasing Around 50 companies – 150 people Total show attendance – 20,000

35. Step 1: Identify the target • Demographics – what do we know about them? • Poultry - mainly Southeast US • Mostly males • Likely do not belong to PETA • Probably not vegans • Might belong to the NRA • Education ? Career ? • Hobbies? Likes? Dislikes?

36. Form Follows Function

37. The pre-show plan • Needed a unifying and resonating theme that told our story • “Beyond Crumbs” – looking past the obvious about bread crumbs – the real story is what you don’t see • To help them “see” we selected binoculars as our premium

38. The pre-show plan • Prepared 53 mailers – 3D – each with a pair of 79¢ toy binoculars • Tagged w/ message “Bring these to the Kerry booth, trade them for a pair of Bushnells” • Total cost of the mailing $328.45 including postage

39. OK – The Results • 17 meetings – first four hours • 34 meetings overall • 40 binoculars redeemed • 59 leads for new projects started • $750,000 in sales closed • $60,000 total show budget (w/o T&E)

40. Some pictures From the actualInternational Poultry & Egg Expo

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48. Define your target Set individual objectives Tailor your exhibit to your objectives Get on their dance card Train and re-train your staff Present relevant info to each key visitor The One Percent Solution

49. The One Percent Solution Thanks for coming! Questions: tradeshowbob@gmail.com