Create a Stir (582 words)
Or. Find a way of saying this is the place to be.
By John Locke
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John Locke
Professional Speaker and Trainer
John has been in training and speaking since the early 70s,
He has worked in industry, construction and commerce and
is recognized as an expert in interpersonal communication.
www.AnEnglishmanAbroad.com
Send Me a Message!
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I was recently in Las Vegas and yes, I tried a few casinos and I was lucky enough to come away with a few dollars extra in my pocket, but that is another story. Where ever I go I am always looking to see how different businesses try to interact with customers. Casinos are no different, it is their job to encourage customers to enter their establishment and spend money.
One particular place I was at had a long thin room. Two thirds of the way down was a raised stage. This was used for periodic 60s music performed by 60s look a likes who were miming. The atmosphere was of fast moving action and sound the result was a clamor of customers around the area. The interesting observation to me was that even when there was no action on the stage, when it was between shows, there were still more people at that end of the room trying their luck.
The stage performances had generated an atmosphere that held people in that part of the room. Before the customers had chance to realize that there was no longer any action going on, the 60s music started again and perpetuated the cycle.
Think about the trade shows you have been to. Where were the hot spots? Where was the action? Where did the crowd want to be? How often do you walk down an isle and see people behind stands sitting there with faces as long as a wet Saturday night. They look as if they have not spoken to a person for hours. How many people do you think will approach that stand? Is the atmosphere of that stand conducive to encouraging people to stop? No.
I am not saying for one minute that every stand should have someone standing on a pair of steps waving a flag, some products, because of there nature, produce automatic enquiries. There is a good argument for a serious look at what you can do to attract people to your stand. Attracting people to the stand is only part of it. There has to be employees with an upbeat frame of mind to engage the prospective customer..
In July I was at a conference in Tampa. I walked around the trade fair that was part of the conference. One particular stand had a line of around fifteen people waiting to spin an arrow on a wheel and win a prize. Not one person was working that line of potential customers. What was the point of the exercise?
There is no point having visitors to your stand unless you use that opportunity to promote your product.
What ever you decide to do to attract potential customers you have to have a follow up. One of the best ways is to develop a system where there is interaction between the people on the stand and the prospective customer that will give you an opening.
One way would be to have a professional speaker, comedian, or magician. Write a script that encourages comments from the audience and involves your product. This will help you to spot how interested in your product the people at the stand are. Valuable time will be saved because you will be able to go right to your best prospects. If nothing else the name of your company and its products, will be embedded in their minds.
Don’t just sit there, create interest, cause a stir, encourage people want to come to your stand.
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Copyright© by John Locke, An Englishman Abroad.
This article maybe be reproduced without permission as long as full author credit and photo is included.
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