7 Products To Help You Rock A Sales Meeting!

by

 You have a sales meeting coming up and you want to make it snap!  We have all been to meetings, and sometimes it’s the little extras that make the event “extra-special.” So here are a few things to consider when planning your next sales meeting. Signage:  Nothing can ruin the experience like your team not knowing where to go!   Make sure your guests are not only greeted, but done so with the perfect branding.  You can use these Economy Retractors to help along the way.  These are a great low cost way to start the day off on the right foot! 3 Ring Binder:  With most sales meetings, you need your sales team to gather a ton of information.  You need them to get literature and be able to take notes.  This 3 Ring Binder is perfect for just that.  It’s also nice enough that they might actually use it after that event! Writing Instrument:  So many times this is where meeting planners go super cheap.  If you want your team to actually write notes at the event, give them a writing instrument that doesn’t stink!  (Anyone that has ever been to a meeting, can I get an “amen?”).  Here is one that will write well and not break the bank. Phone Chargers:  If you want to be a total rock star, all you have to do is provide a charger to someone who left theirs at home!  And here’s the thing, even if you didn’t forget yours, you can always use another one.  Here is a cool kit that takes care of everything for the meeting! USB Drives:  So often at an event like this, we are sending our team home with a ton of information.  A USB drive is a great way to put it all in one place! Tote Bag:  At some point, you are going to need a convenient way to transport all of your SWAG!  A nice tote bag is always functional.  Here is a nice one that might fit the bill. Tumbler:  One of the challenges with Drinkware is that not everyone drinks the same thing.  Some folks like water, some soda, some coffee.  We get it.  So here is a really nice tumbler that works for all.  This Shelby Tumbler also has a life time guarantee and is Made in the USA!  So that’s a good start.  Obviously other items can be shaped by location and theme, but this list will get you started on the right foot!  Let us know if we can help you knock this meeting out of the park!   

10 Trade Show Tips for Exhibitors

by

Tell me…has this ever happened to you?

You (or your boss, or your assistant, or someone else) realize there is a trade show coming up. Then someone in the organization says: “We need to get some crap to hand out at this show!” My guess is you have heard it, or maybe even said it yourself. Don’t be ashamed. The problem of course is that if your entire strategy to a trade show is “we need to get some crap,” then your results were probably equally crappy!

Here are 10 tips for making the most of a trade show as an exhibitor, sorted into what to do before the show, during the show, and after the show.

Before the Trade Show

Tip #1: Get the list of registered attendees

If it is at all possible, get a list of everyone who has confirmed they are coming to the show. Though trade shows do have a lot of last-minute sign ups, they should have a great list of attendees who are registered and ready to attend that you, as an exhibitor, can get access to before the event.

In the lead up to the show, these registered attendees are themselves preparing for the show. If they’re smart, they’re creating a strategy for working the show themselves.

So, the first tip is to simply get that list! As a matter of fact, some of my clients do not even exhibit at trade shows if the organizers don’t provide a list of attendees, it’s that valuable to them. Now that you have the list, onto the next tip.

Tip #2: Send each attendee an email inviting them to come to your booth

Make sure this email is attractive, creative, and personal. Try to whet their appetite. What great promotional item do you have on offer? What’s your fun theme? Are you giving out free beer? Whatever it is, let them know that you want them to come and see you.

Tell attendees where your booth will be located, what’s in it for them, and why they should look for you. If you have enough lead time before the show, you can even send more than one email.

Tip #3: Send a direct mail piece which mirrors the email

This direct mail piece should match the theme of your booth. I like this direct mail piece to be either a postcard (so they don’t have to open it to see it) or a personal card. If you make this direct mail piece impactful, you’ll see returns in better attendance at your booth.

During the Trade Show

Tip #4: Send great people (and people who are familiar with your sales process.)

It’s essential that the people manning your booth know the product or service you provide, and they are comfortable selling at the booth. Often companies just put “warm bodies” at the booth, or send people who aren’t familiar with the sales process. This detracts from the credibility of the company. So, to get the most return on your investment in the trade show, be thoughtful about who will be staffing your booth.

Tip #5: Have a theme

Let’s be honest. Trade shows can be a little … monotonous. Creating an attractive and memorable theme for your booth (ideally one that’s aligned with or somehow reinforces what makes your company unique) will make you stand out among the long rows of the Trade Show Masses. In addition, having a theme can help you plan out how to dress and what to hand out, making your trade show planning process go more smoothly (and more fun, too!)

Tip #6: Bring a great handout

With this you want to have a plan too! Handouts, done well, can drive traffic to the booth. Great, thoughtful and useful gifts have impact that lasts long after the show is done. If you choose to bring the same old promotional items as everyone else, that pen with your logo in it is going to end up at the bottom of the trade show bag, and might never come out again.

It’s up to you… think about the audience, the item and its impact. Stuck for ideas? Call a promotional consultant, who can help you think this through. (If you don’t have a promotional consultant, please let us at Hasseman Marketing know! We would love to help.)

Tip #7: Have a VIP Gift

Sometimes at a trade show one of your current customers will stop by the booth. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a big deal about their business and to thank them with a special VIP gift.

You also might have leads that you have a connection with or who show a real interest in your product or service. This is a great time to reach below the table and get out a VIP gift.

For a current customer, you might say: “Stan, I really appreciate your business and for taking the time to stop and see me today. I am not giving this to everyone, but please take this as a small token of my appreciation.”

With a prospect, the conversation might go like this: “Janice, I think we are on the same page. I know you have a lot of folks you want to see today, but I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me. I am not giving these to everyone, but please take this and I will follow up with you after the show.”

These VIP gifts should be something a little nicer than you’re handing out to everyone, and you don’t need hundreds of them. Used sparingly, they leave a big impression on your special contacts and customers, making them feel like the VIP’s they are!

After the Trade Show

What’s the secret to trade show success?

It’s what happens once you get back to the office.

The fortune is in the follow up.

Tip #8: Follow Up Quickly with Email

Truthfully, email follow-ups are really just the bare minimum, but it’s an essential step. Make sure you have a rock solid system in place to follow up with everyone that stopped by your booth. Thank them for coming, and remind them who you are and what you do.

Trade show attendees meet a lot of people in a short period of time, so do your best to remind them of you. If you remember the conversation it would be great to reference it in the personal email you send.  Time is of the essence. The sooner after the show you follow up, the more you convey that you and your company are “on it!”

Tip #9: Follow Up with a Card

Everyone sends emails. You should send a card. It’s a really nice personal touch. Now, I understand, if you need to contact thousands of people this might not be a realistic goal. If you can’t send a card, consider at least sending a direct mail postcard. This is one more way to get across their desk and to remind them of your awesomeness. The personal card, when appropriate can REALLY make you stand out!

If the idea of writing, stamping, and sending all of those cards makes you squeamish, look into automated ways of doing it. At Hasseman Marketing, we use a system called Send Out Cards. It’s perfect for personal follow ups like these.

Tip #10: Follow Up with a Call

You probably saw this coming. Now it’s time to call them. After going through this process, a call is a great way to make the final personal touch. It’s time to reel them in!

So there are my top 10 trade show tips for exhibitors.

Depending on how many emails you send in the email steps, if you follow all my tips you will have “touched” each prospect between 7 and 12 times. Studies show it takes, on average, 7 touches before a prospect buys … so follow all 10 tips and you’ve done a complete job!

It’s not rocket science, but to make the most of your investment in a trade show you need to have a plan.

Want more great content like this?  Head here for daily content to help you grow your business.   Get access to our weekly content and special deals…by simply going here! Sign up Today!

 

Last Week at Hasseman Marketing 7/19 – 7/25

by

 It’s been a busy summer for us at Hasseman Marketing!  Not only have we worked hard to help our clients continue to grow, but we have continued the hustle on content!  The goal is to provide YOU with value.  So please let us know how we are doing.  We have also started to add more media to the home page of our site…check that out here!  Here is what we were able to knock out last week! 6 Promo Products Every Entrepreneur Should Know About:  We are really excited about this one because we know how hard it is to keep up with everything!  Entrepreneurs have a tough time balancing it all.  But you do want your organization to stand out.  We can help.  These 6 items are both the foundation…and the sizzle.  You can check them out here. Weekly Word:  Yep…we crank these out every week.  This week Kirby reminds you that if you want to try anything new, you have to be willing to FAIL.   Want to Make a Difference?  Most of us would love to have an impact on the the world.  We would love to help people.  How do we do it?  It’s actually quite simple.  Start by being kind.   Delivering Marketing Joy:  This is one of our favorite pieces every week (it’s hard to believe we have done over 40 of these!).  We interview a business leader, marketer, author or coach each week.  Though this is a bit of a longer format, it’s worth taking the time each week.  This week we talk with Dallas Hardcastle about success and mission.  Watch this one here. What is Vector Art?  Have you ever had someone tell you your artwork or logo was not good enough to print?  They might have told you that you needed “vector” artwork.  What the hell is that?  We can help.  Here is an explanation of what (and why) vector artwork is.   Bonus:  This is an older post but we put to our new blog this week so I will share again.  If you run an organization that has employees or customers, you need to show appreciation.  It’s more important than you might think.  Read here why Recognition is the KEY to Success! That is the week that was in content at Hasseman Marketing.  Enjoy…and let us know what you think!  

Warning…Production Times Might Not Be What They Appear!

by

production times

We get one particular question all the time when it comes to branded merchandise.  “How long will it take for me to get my (fill in the blank)?”  It’s a great question.  It’s one that you should ask…and it’s tough to answer.  So many times, the answer is “It depends.”

I am quite sure, this is not what you (or any customer) wants to hear.  But let’s discuss why that is…and what you can do to improve it.

The first reason this is tough to answer is that each supplier is different.  Some specialize in low prices.  Some specialize in speedy delivery.  Some specialize in meticulous detail.  That’s all good.  But as I have said many times in sales calls, You can have them:

1) right
2) fast or
3) cheap.

You get to pick 2 out of 3!

So we feel it’s the distributor’s job to guide the customer to a supplier that can best meet their needs.  That’s good for everyone!

The other reason production times can be confusing is the simple understanding of what “production time” really means.  Most of the time, “production time” means how long it will take to produce the item.  This sounds simple enough.  But the actual production does not start until:

1)  The supplier has “good” art.
2)  The proof has been approved.

Often these steps take the longest.  So if it takes 2 weeks to get these steps complete, then a 10 day production time starts.  So the order will take a month.

The final caveat in the delivery of goods has to do with shipping.  Most of the time there will be shipping involved in the delivery of your promotional products.  So where are the good shipping from?  That’s a huge factor in the cost and in delivery.

So what can you do to help improve delivery?  Simple.

1)  Provide good clean “vector” art.  Most people don’t.
2)  Approve your proofs quickly.
3)  Be smart and order early!

That removes the stress from you and your team and will create branded merchandise you will be proud of!  Make sure you never miss an update.  We have new content on our blog nearly every day.

What Is Vector Art?

by

There is often confusion around Art files and what types we can accept.  Terms like Vector Art, Camera Ready, etc… get thrown around.  Most people, unless they are graphic artists, do not understand the differences. So, what is vector art and why does your logo or artwork need to be vector?  Let’s answer that question now!

Vector art is created using vector illustration software programs, such as Adobe Illustrator, Freehand, and Corel Draw, among others.  The art created with these programs can be blown up in size infinitely without any loss of quality.  (Think of zooming into a picture and it becomes blurry.) vector versus raster art

Raster Graphics, such as photographs, and graphics files created in Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and other Raster editing programs, in most cases cannot be used.  Notice how in the example picture that the edges of the art become blurry rigid and not smooth?  With Vector Art you can blow up the image to any size with no loss of quality.

How Can I tell if what I have is Vector Art?

Vector art is usually created in Adobe Illustrator, and is commonly saved as a particular file type: .ai.   Vector art can be saved in other file formats (such as .eps, .svg, or .pdf). But, it is important to remember that just because a file is saved in one of these formats, does not mean that it is truly vector art. Only art originally created in a vector editing program, such as Adobe Illustrator, is truly vector art. Also, you can identify vector art by process of elimination. There are some file formats that can only be Raster art, and therefore cannot be Vector art. The most common examples are .jpeg, .png, .bmp, .gif, .psd, .tif. These files cannot be vector art.

Art Charges

There are art charges that are incurred on some orders if Vector art is not able to be provided.  In this case, we must either take the time internally to re-create your art, or send the provided art off to an outside designer that can re-create your artwork in a Vector-based program.  If you see an art charge on your bill, this is most likely what has happened.There are also art charges, sometimes, for layouts and formatting even if you already have the vector file.  For Example:  If you have your logo in Vector format but you want to add specific text under it for a promotion.  The text needs to be added in a Vector Based Program and sized appropriately for the item that it will be imprinted on.  This might incur an art charge too.

Ask your Designer

Keep in mind that if a professional design created your art for you, chances are they may have your artwork saved as vector art, even if they have not sent that file to you. Some designers do not provide their clients with vector art, as they assume that the client will not be able to open the file. So, if you had a professional logo designed for you, but all you have is a JPEG, or something similar, contact your artist, and ask them for vector art.

Our hope is, this will helps shine a light on what Vector Art is, and why you need it!  Please reach out to [email protected] if you have additional questions.  If you want more ideas on art, marketing, promotions and content creation, make sure you check out our blog page here.    Oh…and if you want to get valuable content delivered to your email once a week…sign up to become a VIP here.