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

Build Your Business In A Slow Economy! Part 7-steps 3 & 4

Last week we covered steps 1 & 2 and gave you solutions from accomplishing your tradeshow goals to what to include in your booth to make it stand out from your competition.

This week we give you answers and solutions to steps 3 & 4. Creating your budget and prospecting list.

Step #3. What's your budget? The more advanced thinking you do in this area, the more money you can save yourself.
Your booth:
*Where do you want your booth located?
Corner booth at the front of the hall and near a high traffic area (entrance, major intersections, food area, etc.) is ideal.
Stay away from dead end aisles, the last aisle, stages or anywhere presentations are going on during the show, loading docks, receiving doors, obstacles such as water pipes, fire equipment, columns, etc.
*Use lighter materials in your booth construction to save money.
*How much lighting do you really need?
*How much electricity do you need?
*Will a literature rack help keep your collateral organized and easy for your prospects to obtain.
*What components do you need to include in your booth to effectively promote your products/services?
*Do you need a table? Meeting area? Chairs?

Marketing:
*What will you do for pre-show marketing?
*How many tiers of giveaways will you need?
*How many colors do you need to imprint on your promotional products?
*The less colors imprinted the less expensive the item.
*What quantities will you need?
*Remember it's less expensive to order 1,000 pieces than to place 2 orders of 500 pieces.
*What contests will you have?
*How much can you spend on prizes?
*What will you do for post-show follow up?

Staff:
*How many staff members will you need?
*What will they wear?


Step#4. Who are your targeted prospects? What is their demographic? How will you compile your list?
*They should be qualified recipients who are decision makers or who influence the decision maker.
*Start with the pre-registered attendee list. Not everyone will be your prospects. Narrow it down and create a list of targeted prospects.
*Are any of your existing clients going to attend?
*Invite clients that you believe will benefit from the show and use this opportunity to enhance your relationship with them.
*Keep the demographics of this list in mind when creating your booth, your contests, giveaways, marketing campaigns, etc.
*Get in their heads.
*How do they think, feel, make decisions and what are their hurts?
*Offer them deals that are simple, quick and easy.

With the ideas and solutions in these steps you are on your way to creating the required groundwork necessary to maximize your tradeshow ROI.

Next week we will tackle steps 3 & 4. In the meantime if you have any questions or need solutions for your events please feel free to contact me.
Promotions that get results!
Shana Anderson
Complete Workplace, Inc.
Milpitas, Ca

Prospecting in a down economy

How do you successfully prospect in a down economy where every penny you spend has to count? Clear, concise, targeted marketing and spend your resources wisely.

In today's world you must build relationships. It's not good enough to mass market and hope someone steps forward. You must plan your work and work your plan.

Step #1. Who is your target audience? Define them. Who are they, what are their interests, how can you get their attention? Narrow down your target audience by location, industry, company size, etc. The best way to do this is to analyze your top existing clients and find out what they have in common. Then go after them.

Step #2. What is their biggest problem and how can you solve it? To figure this out you must think like them. What keeps them up at night? What problem do they have that wastes their time and money? Don't know? Ask them face-to-face or in a survey. What motivates them to make a buying decision? Remember, prospects never care about you or your company they only care about what you can do for them. When they see that you can provide solutions to their problems they will seek you out!

Step #3. What can you give away that has real value to your prospect? It doesn't have to be expensive. It is the perceived value that matters. In fact make sure it is low cost to implement, but has a high perceived value. The give away must be relevant to the prospect and must address their pain. What not to give away: a sales pitch, Free/discontinued products and services with lots of fine print and restrictions, etc. This will work against you. Remember at this stage they don't know who you are and if they get a bad taste in their mouth, they will turn and run, never looking back. The goal is to let the prospect get a taste of what you can do for them without giving it all away. When you genuinely care about your prospects well-being this comes through in everything you do and the relationship will start to be built. Focus on your prospects lifetime value not on the quick sale.

4. Stay in contact! Every month that you don't contact your clients you lose 10% of your influence. There are so many ways to stay in contact. A newsletter, e-mail, newpaper/magazine clipping saying "I say this and thought you might enjoy this article", cards (B-day, Thank you, etc.). The point is that it only takes a minute to do these and it means alot to your new client.

In summary, always give prospects more than they expect (service, value, time, energy, content, etc.). It will cost you a lot less than traditional advertising and will increase your profits dramatically.

If you would like some ideas that would help you get your foot in the door with your prospects please contact me. I would love to help you.

Wishing you success in your business,

Shana Anderson

Complete Workplace, Inc.

http://www.completeworkplace.com/