Want your next trade show or event to be memorable? Want your message to be on the minds of attendees long after the initial impression is over? If so, you need to add a dash of showmanship to your salesmanship.
You do incorporate salesmanship into your exhibits and events, don’t you? If you’re asking, “What’s salesmanship?” or blithely saying, “Oh, sure we do,” I won’t assume you’ve tackled all the ins and outs of both elements, so we’ll deal with both in this entry.
Most companies understand sales much better than the showmanship that makes sales much more effective. The dictionary defines “salesmanship” as:
1. the technique of selling a product: They used a promotional gimmick that was the last word in salesmanship.
2. adeptness at creating interest in new ideas, products, methods, etc.: The only ingredient lacking in the system was salesmanship.
It’s those techniques, and adeptness at using them, that make salesmanship successful. Anyone can ask, “Do you want to buy this?” but it takes unique talents to get someone to think they want—no, need—the product, service or event (particularly sponsorships) in question.
The fastest way to ensure your staff understands the finer points of salesmanship is to work with a sales trainer who can educate your team in the tools used on the show floor, or in the marketing of your event. These are both areas where the same skills used to sell life insurance or dog food aren’t easily applied. A sales trainer knows the techniques that work in the unique environments of corporate selling.
Showmanship is a different animal altogether. It’s what separates simply marketing a product, service or event from making a memorable, persuasive statement about what you’re selling. Back to the dictionary for a definition:
“A person gifted in doing or presenting things theatrically or dramatically: She didn’t have much of a voice, but she was a great showman.”
We’ve all seen this in the world of entertainment: performers who might not be hitting every note just perfectly (or getting big laughs with every joke), but they “own” the stage, and give the impression they know exactly what feelings they want you to experience. You’re in expert hands when in the presence of such performers.
So how can you translate that element of showmanship into your sales efforts? It’s not simple or easy, but it can make the difference between just being there, and being the star of the show. In event marketing, it’s the difference between simply telling your story to a potential sponsor, and convincing them that your event is the perfect fit for their sponsorship investment.
Here are three of the primary elements of showmanship you can incorporate into communicating your sales message to its intended audience:
1. Make it emotional
2. Make it memorable
3. Make it personal
You make it emotional by appealing to the senses of your prospects. You want them to purchase your telephone system? Tell them how all its convenient features will make them feel more in control and productive once they own it. You want them to sponsor your Cancer Awareness Walk? Include thoughtful stories of specific people who’ve been affected by cancer—and not just patients, but their families and loved ones—in your prospectus.
You make it memorable by including elements that might look out of place on the trade show floor. Want to communicate the quality and reliability of your product? Show it in comparison to something else known for legendary quality. What if your computer product’s exhibit displayed a sparkling Rolls Royce in the center of the booth? It would attract attention by its incongruity at a computer show, but it would also make people think of the highest standards of quality. In the world of events, memorability is always a driving factor. Without it, why would attendees want to return for next year’s event—or sponsors want to fund it again? With events, every element, from the invitation to the entertainment to the gift bag, must make a contribution to memorability.
It becomes personal when you communicate your message to individuals, not to nameless, faceless “buyers.” In events, your prospectus has to match the goals and objectives of each potential sponsor, in order to show what is, literally, in it for them. A generic proposal won’t have the same appeal as one that demonstrates its knowledge of the target reader. On the show floor, your presenter can explain how your product or service works for different individuals in your gathered audience. By asking what business prospects are in, the presenter can offer specific applications of your goods or services to those individuals.
Those are three ways to build showmanship into your sales efforts, to increase the effectiveness of your trade show or event. Have ideas of your own? I’d welcome your thoughts and particular techniques. Share them with me—and your colleagues—by leaving a comment.
Dave Egan is the head writer at Writers Direct Group. Contact him at 877-7 GET-WDG or Dave@WritersDirectGroup.com
