It seems most of the articles we read and write talk about ideals -- in the booth, in promotion, in design, in presentation. But what do you do when, in spite of your efforts, things go wrong? How do you salvage something going down the tubes and turn it into an advantage instead of a disaster?
What can happen? A few examples that come to mind: the booth never arrives, or with the graphics all wrong; a dissatisfied customer blows their top, right in the middle of a crowd at your biggest show; or your promotion brings in two people -- at a show with 25,000 attendees. Keep cool.
Better yet, keep your sense of humor. It's happened to all of us at one time or another. With the right attitude, you can get through the worst moments gracefully, and possibly turn them into either a success or a great story for the next show. ("Remember when...")
If you normally handle adversity with grace and calm, then don't worry. I'm a great one to panic, so, before anything can go wrong, I think about what to do when -- and if -- there's a problem. That way I'm prepared with a solution and can drop back and punt, usually with success.
So put on your thinking cap, boys and girls, and have a notebook of ideas on what to do when and if.
The booth
Heaven help us when it doesn't arrive. How creative are you? If it's a 70-foot by 70-foot island, cry. Almost anything smaller and there are things you can do, assuming, of course, that it is not two hours before the show when you discover the lack. Chairs, tables and the like can all be rented. General contractors can be imposed upon to create a screened sign for an easel.
If you're selling benefits and not the product or service, head for a craft store and create a visual image of the benefit. Is it a time saver? Make a huge hour-glass. Does it save effort and energy? Pick up a lawn chair and umbrella and do a cut-out of the sun in bright yellow card stock, available at picture frame shops or at art supply stores. Then make a sign about all the free time your customers have with your product. If you really want to go big time, buy a pail and shovel to complete the picture.
The concierge at your hotel is another great resource if you don't know the city in which the show is taking place. They usually have a card file full of people and stores that can do what you need.
Graphics
First of all, no one really knows what it was supposed to be like except you. So unless the error is so glaring -- the name of the show is wrong or there are 25 typos -- relax. No one else will see it. Or if they do, take heart. It means they were reading your copy -- word for word!
When you discover the error, have a pre-show meeting and let everyone working the booth know what is going on. Odds are they haven't noticed it either. But they do have to be able to counter any problems that arise. So explain what's right and wrong and how to handle it.
If the graphics are so awful you can't use them, start scrounging around to find someone who can screen a new graphic for you. Start with a general contractor. Supply stores are a new service available at shows, with things like velcro and tape available. Call a quick-print shop. Or get out the Yellow Pages. Most of all, be willing to accept what can be done. It won't be the same as when you had two months advance notice. But it will be usable.
The customer
At one show I used to attend, I was the nightmare everyone dreads. My supplier didn't ship an order for more than 10 months. Every time we called, we were told it was back-ordered. I got to the booth and lost it, furious because of lost income and what I thought was lousy treatment. And I did it loud and clear.
When this happens, get the person out of the booth and as far from the area as you can. Buy that person a cup of coffee, a drink, anything. Most of the time, when this occurs, the person just wants to vent his anger at someone in the company. If handled properly, these problem cases can be turned into your best advocates. Take them seriously -- often, the comments are valid. You can get defensive and lose the customer, or you can take a good look at your company and realize that there is a problem and get to work solving it.
After the show, write the complainer a letter thanking them for their input. Detail what you are doing to improve the situation. Send a gift, or give them a discount on the next order. And then make darn sure you follow through, that the order is delivered on time -- and right.
Although this is basic salesmanship, when it happens to us we tend to defend the company or try to pass off the blame. To the customer, you are the company. He really doesn't care if Joe in shipping was out for two months or Helen let it fall through the cracks. Customers pay our salaries, one way or another, so do everything you can to keep them.
Promotions
Sometimes they just don't do the job. That doesn't mean you give up. It does mean you have to redouble your efforts when someone passes by the booth while cruising the aisles. It means you have to work harder on your interactive dialogue, asking really good questions of those you get face to face. It means having a great opening question, relevant to what you sell and what someone buys. The qualified people you pre-selected, but who didn't respond to your original promotion, might wander in by accident.
Do you know the names of the companies you were going after? Head back to that quick-print shop. Make up cards offering something free for a visit to the booth. Get one of the booth staff people to wander the aisles, seeking people from these companies, to hand out the cards. Or rent a person. Call a temporary agency. Balloon delivery companies have people in costume. So do those places that deliver singing telegrams. Then buy some candy or cheap gifts to give away when prospects show up with the cards.
There is always something you can do. Usually, by taking a deep breath, you'll find the answer. At one show where I exhibited, I had shipped the wrong letters for a sign I was making. So I sat on a crate, looking like the world had ended. Another exhibitor passed by and asked what was wrong. After explaining the situation, he took one look at the letters I did have, and gave me an alternate quotation. Since he was outside the problem, he could be objective. And, yes, he encountered the same problem once before.
These are just the tip of the iceberg. Millions of other things can go wrong. But help is available. Have contingency plans made up in advance. Next time you sit on an airplane, instead of reading the latest novel, or watching the movie, ask yourself "What if…?" Hopefully these things won't happen to you, but if they do, you'll be prepared.
Margit B. Weisgal, CME, MAS, is president of Sextant Communications, Inc. She is a consultant and program delivery specialist who won Speaker of the Year honors from the Promotional Products Assoc. Int'l. Reprinted with permission from ideas, the Publication for Exhibit Professionals, a publication of the International Exhibitors Association.