Do you have a 30 second elevator pitch?

Most business people don't yet it's very important to have when you are meeting someone for the first time.

Close your eyes and imagine that you are standing in line at the grocery store. The person behind you strikes up a conversation with you then asks "What do you do?" It's the perfect opportunity to promote your business. What comes out of your mouth is an ordinary, non-exciting response like "I work for a company that sales USB drives". They respond with a dull, "Oh, ok." and because there is nothing extraordinary there the conversation moves on to something else.

You never know where you'll meet a new client and everyone from the receptionist to the owner needs to promote the business. Especially in today's economy.

You need to have a 30 second elevator pitch that entices the listener to want to know more about what you do. If you include the following 3 phrases into your elevator pitch you will have a 90% higher chance of being remembered.

#1-"I work with___________."
#2-"Who have the challenge of ____________."
#3-"Who receives ___________ "(what end result(s).

For example for the person who works for the USB drive company. The elevator pitch can be:

"I work with businesses who have the challenge of keeping their data secure both online and offline. By using our innovative USB drives they receive complete piece of mind that their computers are safe from hacking, viruses, lost passwords and that their files are protected saving them thousands in lost revenue."

The key is to make it into your own words so it rolls off your tongue, creates interest and you are comfortable with it.

Introduce the law of reciprocity along with your pitch and hand them a useful promotional product such as a pen, a game, a business card case (of course with your business card inside), a deck of cards, a game card that they can scratch off and win a prize, discount on their first order, etc. Add a memory hook that relates to your business and the item you are giving and you won't be forgotten.

I was in a class a few weeks ago and sat next to a lady who asked me what I do. I gave her my 30 second pitch and immediately she was drawn in and started asking me questions. The funny part was that after we talked for a few minutes she said, "I met a lady last week who did the same thing you do except you made it sound so fun and interesting." She then gave me her number and asked me to call her because she needed to order some promotional apparel.

Come up with your own today. Memorize it and start using it! You never know who you will meet!

To your success,
Shana Anderson
Complete Workplace, Inc.

T:408.586.9464
F:408.212.9601
E-mail: shana@completeworkplace.com
http://www.completeworkplace.com/

Maximize your trasdeshow ROI! Parts 7-10

We are almost there. The last four sections of Maximizing your tradeshow ROI here. Enjoy reading and implementing these steps.

7. What will you do post-show to follow up and solidify the sale? When will you do it? What forms, cards, letters, etc. can you have done in advance?
The follow up piece should include specific interests or needs that your prospect addressed with you.

Personalization is key to creating greater marketing impact and building the relationship with your new prospect.

If there are prospects/clients that can’t attend the tradeshow hold an open house to demonstrate your new products.

Follow up should be done within 1 week maximum from the date you met the prospect. 3-4 days maximum is preferred and is shown to yield greater results.

What can you do BEFORE the show to help you expedite the post-show follow up? Type up templates, print mailing labels, enough postage readily available, sample kits already packaged, etc.

8. What grading scale will you use to track the sales potential of a lead? How will you segment prospects based on the different types of follow up you need to do?

An example of a grading scale would be to have letter grades assigned for each tier of prospect. For example if the prospect is a decision maker, has the budget and interest in your product or service then they would get an “A”and you would follow up with them more intensely. If it is determined that the prospect may have a need for your product in the future, but is not a decision maker then they would get a low grade. The grading scale should be printed and your staff should have a clear understanding of it BEFORE the show.

Have a form that can be filled in with a column to staple/write in their contact name, phone/e-mail, activity to do, date needed by and lead grade.

9.Who will you use for your trade show staff? What type of characteristics do you want them to have? What image do you want them to portray? What are your expectations of them?
An often overlooked component is your staff. Train them to promote your company before, during and after the show. Keeping your message simple will help put you ahead of your competition. Remember that the attendees are bombarded with information and the more complex your sales pitch, products, etc. are the less likely they will remember you.
At the show remember the attendees are tired, impatient and feeling that they need to hurry on in order to see all the booths before the show closes. Quickly and effectively ask questions that get to the root of their needs so you can give them your solutions in a quick and timely matter. When you follow up after the show is when you can get into more details if you need to.
Does your staff understand the importance of catering to the ego of your prospects? Engaging them in conversations to discover their needs and making them feel special? It’s your job to make sure they do.

Bring your best salespeople. Teach them to qualify prospects quickly and don't waste your time or best giveaways with "tire kickers". Spend quality time with existing and qualified leads and give them your best giveaways so you stay top of mind and they will call you first when they need you.

Go over your expectations with your staff and get them on board. Make sure you have enough staff so breaks can be taken. Always have an introductory speech ready and make sure your staff gives a warm, inviting "Hi!" whenever someone walks by and looks your way. Most importantly, don't forget to always ask for the sale and ALWAYS....Have Fun!

Last, but not least have a well thought out uniform for your staff. Something that will stand out AND fits your corporate image. The basic blue or white shirts will not get you recognized. If there is a nice teal color in your logo use that color for your shirts and always have your shirt embroidered with your company info. Take advantage of the area right above the cuff on your long sleeve shirt. It’s a nice subtle place to embroider your website, tagline, etc. When you are pointing to an item, your prospect will notice the embroidery and remember it.

10. How will you track your results? If you don’t track your results then how will you know if it was worth the investment.

Have a Tracking Mechanism: Establish a tracking mechanism to measure the success of your trade show giveaways. If it is a redemption item, code it so that you know it resulted from the show. Post-show follow-up could include a question about the premium - did visitors remember receiving it and how useful was the item.

After the trade show, critique your giveaways with your exhibit team:
Did it draw specific prospects to the booth?
Was it eye-catching enough to persuade passers by to stop?
Did your customers find it useful?
Did it project the right corporate image?

The heart of your success is to attract targeted prospects to your booth, engage them with your products and services and solidify the sale.Without well thought out, targeted planning you will be throwing money away. Come up with a plan, stay focused and execute it and you will see the payoff!

Make the most of your tradeshow by applying the 10 ways to increase your tradeshow ROI. Do it right and you’ll increase your sales higher than you ever thought possible.

If you have a tradeshow or other event coming up and need help selecting a product that represents your company, a giveaway and/or a prize please contact us. We'd love to help!

To your success,
Shana Anderson
Complete Workplace, Inc.
Tele: 408.586.9464
Fax: 408.212.9601
E-mail: shana@completeworkplace.com
www.completeworkplace.com