Coaching That Connects
By Mary Mekelburg, Certified Social Media Strategist

Are You Ready?

 

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For the new season?  No, not picture-in-picture for NFL/AFL.  The upcoming round of fall trade shows and conferences!  Except for new product collateral, you're probably thinking, "What's there to be ready for?  Just buy the passes, register for floor space, book reservations and I'm good-to-go! " Right?

If you're still reading, you suspect there's more.  And you're right! Go to your Calendar and block out 30-45 minutes on the quietest day of the coming week. Copy and paste the following questions into your appointment. When the day arrives, spend that time going through these questions to make the best of this fall's Expos and conferences.

1. Do you (and everyone on your team) have fresh business cards with the most current information? I'm always amazed when key partners in a company or on a project get to an event with either no business cards or pull a messy one out of their wallet with an old logo, email address, former phone number, or a "two-positions-ago" title. As well as Sales, this reminder applies  to engineers, customer service, technical support, and leads on your floor. Coach your team—take plenty of cards; keep them handy; take along a pen to jot down a note on the back  (date, location, promised follow-up, etc).
2. Evaluate your company and/or department's goals and needs as they relates to Expos/conferences; then match them to: your plan-of-action. More than show-casing your products/services at an event, here are some questions to ask yourself; 
   • Do you want to be recognized as industry experts? Look for opportunities for your SME (subject-matter-expert) employee(s) to demonstrate, be on a panel, or speak in an educational track. 
   • Do you need to update your knowledge of products or equipment as they relate to your business? Look for those exhibitors, select the most appropriate person from your organization to attend, schedule an appointment if it's offered; and make a list of questions to cover. 
   • Do you have a new employee that needs to round out hir or her industry knowledge, build contacts?  Spend some time with that employee and outline a strategy, from sign-up to reviewing the floor plan, attendance and follow-up.  Small moleskin notebooks or a smart phone app are great for jotting down notes. 
3. Review the whole fall line-up of Expos and conferences, as opposed to the same-show-we-always ...  Are you a flexo printer with a growing interest in digital? Check out September's Graph  Expo in Chicago. Do you print offset and find the lines blurring? Look at FTA's  (Flexographic Technical Association) Fall Conference and TableTop, in St. Louis, MO this October.  If you're located in or closer to the Southwest, Arizona will the site for TLMI's (Tag & Label Manufacturer's Institute) Annual October meeting. If you are in food or pharma, and equipment is on your radar, check out Pack Expo, scheduled in Las Vegas at the end of September.  For international readers, Tarsus Group's Label Expo Europe takes place at the end of September in Brussels.
4. Is it time to broaden your connections within the industry? Review the exhibitor list before you go and target several to stop and visit.  Do you need an update on the 'latest and greatest?" Or lo"king to identify particular trends? Before going, spend some time with your Sales & Marketing people and prepare a list of 'Focus Group" type questions. Stop and chat in the aisles; eat lunch in a public area, sit next to someone you don't know and introduce yourself. Then be sure to pause periodically to record your findings. 
5. Do you have loyal customers who would benefit from attending? Invite them to join you or your team and build the relationship a little deeper.
6. Does your budget allow you to "drive to the nearest," but not fly or stay overnight? And you find no trade events close-by?  Then it might be time to"'connect and collaborate" with suppliers, prin- related associations or schools, and yes, even competitors in your region.  It's healthy for you and your business to keep connected. If your meeting is on site, with careful preparation, it can be readily scheduled and prepped to protect a client's proprietary projects; a critical consideration in planning. A new regional group gives an opportunity to become involved on the ground floor.
7. We've talked about event strategies.  Have you thought through your company's Social Media strategy? established your own Social "Social Media Guideline?" Many corporate brands have made their Policy public online; such as Intel, Dell, IBM, etc. Get with legal and HR, fine tune your policy, and implement it.  Expos, Trade Shows, and Conferences are great places to network, then connect for example, on LinkedIn.  It's a benefit to you and your organization to connect with peers, clients, prospects, academics; even potential employees, like at a school Job Fair. And if the guidelines have been established, you'll give your employees the freedom to tout your brand.

You'll be glad you spent a Friday morning or afternoon getting ready for the Fall Trade Show season. I trust you've picked up a few good ideas, and they result in new connections for you! 

About the Author:
Mary Mekelburg, Mekelburg Consulting LLC, is a Certified Social Media Strategist. She works with small business owners and entrepreneurs to identify Social Media strategies to effectively reach and engage customers and drive sales. With experience in corporate, non-profit and small business, Mekelburg recognizes the unique needs of each.  Mary regards the greatest achievement as the client 'Aha!' moment.  For assistance with your Social Media strategy or if you have questions, you can contact Mary at marymekelburg@gmail.com.