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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
I did three APICS shows for that client and watched them grow from a three person firm all the way to the point where the venture capital boys stepped in big time. Then the principal sold out and started another company.
One reason you may not see more magicians is that many just don't understand the business. Furthermore, a magician is not necessarily a good draw at every booth. As I point out in Volume Two of my course, the best draw for any booth is a product demonstration, as it is a natural pre-qualifier. Anyone interested will stay and watch. The rest will just walk by. Magic works best for a company that does not have a product that can be demonstrated easily in the booth. We magicians will draw everyone. Then our job is to help identify the potential customers. Trade shows were not my promary market, but I had a few regular clients and enjoyed doing "street magic in a business suit." But it is a grind, and you are away from home for up to a week at a time, so it's not for everyone. |
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marmaduke New user 61 Posts |
When I first started in the trade show business the best advice I ever got was not from a magician but from a friend who sold vegetable slicers at consumer shows.
He told me that all the grafters were sent to some kind of trade show by their boss, a famous street wise man by the name of Billy Selkin, who owns what is probably the biggest pitch company in the UK. The grafters were in a state of consternation over this since they were used to working to the public rather than the trade. My friend and others asked him "how are we supposed to do it? Should we ask who are the sales managers in the crowd? Or pre qualify the people in some way? How do we handle this?" It seems that Selkin glared at them and used an eight letter word that means testicles in the UK. He said "Terry! (my friend's name) Are you telling me that all of a sudden they are not punters? (this is the derogatory term we use for people who are silly enough to part with their money buying things from wicked grafters like Terry and myself) They are just punters in suits and name tags. They will move in when they are told like normal punters. They will react in the same way as normal punters. They will laugh in the same way as normal punters. They will be impressed in the same way as normal punters. And there will be enough of them in the crowd to punt(buy) just like normal punters. The only difference is that they will come on the joint afterwards to talk to us instead of buying there and then. Forget all that prequalifying bilge and just work like you always work. We are grafters and we don't work like sales reps work" And they did. And I did too when I heard that. It may be wrong but it is the only way I know. Granted I am not doing an actual demonstration of the product but I feel that there should be enough people in the crowd who are potential punters for my company and I am making enough selling points to get them interested enough to pursue the matter later with the reps on the joint especially if I use a script at the end to make them do just that. I am interested in what Jim and others say about the matter but I fear that I too set in my ways to change now. Old dogs and new tricks. That sort of thing. So far it seems to be working. Comapnies seem to hire me again and again. I am not sure if this is because I am getting them business or I am just good at scamming them into thinking I do. I suspect the latter. I have also had a vague suspicion that I am hired for the entertainment of the staff just as much as I am hired for the entertainment of the attendees. Still. What works works. |
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
I really enjoy your perspective. As you say, human nature is the same..the costumes just change.
You summed it up perfectly: "What works, works." Don't change a thing. Just do what works. By the way, I've had the same vague suspicion that I am sometimes hired to entertain the staff too. For that reason, I always hold back some material and throw in at least one new trick for the staff each day, just to keep them guessing. I figure that once they have all my tricks figured out, I'm history. |
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marmaduke New user 61 Posts |
Or you run out of tricks!
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cheesewrestler Inner circle Chicago 1157 Posts |
Quote:
On 2004-05-23 00:23, Jim Snack wrote: Gotcha. Thanks! |
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
It's simple when you know the secrets. There's more in my course and on the accompanying audio CD "Getting Started Working Trade Shows."
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RayBanks Special user Nassau Bay, TX 533 Posts |
I've been reading this thread with interest and I feel like chipping in my $ .02 on "lead qualifying".
I think the type of company that hires you determines whether you should be a lead qualifyer. If you are a small,, niche company like the one Jim mentioned, yes, I think that lead qualifying might be a requirement of the magician. Of course even then the badge system will have to cooperate somewhat. At the Broadcasters' convention in LV every April, all the badge has on it is your name and company. It would be much easier if the badge has a title on it as well but not all expositions do this. If you are working for a company that has broad appeal I don't think qualifying leads is a hard requirement. For instance, Belden Wire and Cable always has Dick Stoner at their booth. He draws a crowd, does some little pitches for the new products and asks them to get some literature and see a salesman. Of course of the 100,000 attendes at the Broadcasters'Exhibition, there is probaly 10 or less that do not know who Belden is and even those 10 probably use their product. So I guess what it comes down to is what is the need of the customer. If they hire you and would like help in qualifying leads, then you do it. Remember, the customer is ALWAYS right........some of the time.
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Pick a card, any card...No. not THAT one...THIS one Ray Banks |
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RonCalhoun Special user Independence, KY USA 599 Posts |
Worth a reread
Founder Heroin Doesn't Care. Find us on https://www.facebook.com/heroindoesntcare
www.heroindoesntcare.com |
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