Million Dollar Takeaways from Metalcon 2021

I was invited to Metalcon in Tampa last week.?

It was quite an experience.?

Metalcon is promoted as the “premier international event for the metal design and construction industry.”?

And there was a LOT of metal on display…?

·???????Metal bending…?

·???????Metal cutting…?

·???????Metal etching… ?

All kinds of metal construction, from doors, to rooftop surfaces, to complete metal sheds.?

Plus, lots of related industries… Sherwin Williams come to mind…?

And surprisingly, at least for me, there was also a fair amount of “solar” equipment and education happening at this event.?

There was even an architectural “experience.”?

Not quite sure what that was all about, but it seemed fascinating.?

Everyone I encountered was in high spirits and appeared to really enjoy the show.?

I wouldn’t say it was a “packed” house, but there were plenty of attendees and many of the booths were engaged throughout the duration of my stay.?

There were a couple of booths that really kept the attendees’ attention… ?

And not surprisingly, these were the booths with the most engagement from the booth staff.?

It’s amazing how much money is invested in attending these shows, and “some” booth staff just fritter away their opportunity.?

There were plenty of mistakes…?

·???????I witnessed booth staff eating and drinking in their booth. A big no-no.?

·???????Others were sitting in the back of the booth, apparently working on something “more important,” than engaging the attendees…?

·???????One gentleman saw me approach, and actually turned around, and walked away, rather than have a conversation.?

I almost took pictures of the bad booth behavior, but then I began to feel rather like a hall monitor… not really my gig.?

To be fair… for the most part, the exhibitors were professional, friendly, and helpful. However, in nearly all cases, you had to approach and engage them.?

Only a couple of exhibitors for the multiple hours I was present, actually initiated a conversation with me.?

In every other instance, I had to engage first.?

Perhaps they prejudged me as not a viable prospect, which would be true, I’m not a qualified prospect for their services… ?

However, if you’ve seen me, you’d wonder how they came to that conclusion. Because, frankly, I look like everyone’s boss walking that floor LOL ??.?

But let’s talk more about what they were doing right!?

As I said, a couple of the booths appeared to have a crowd at nearly all times. And these were not some of the bigger booths.?

The key for me, was that they were sufficiently staffed, and those staff were actively moving among the attendees and reaching out.?

Several booths had fun, if not predictable giveaways, like stress balls, pens, and key rings.?

And at least one had a contest to guess the number of jelly beans in a huge water dispenser bottle!?

It all goes back to engagement.?

People are funny, they’ll follow someone that steps out in front and invites them over. ?

If more exhibitors took the proactive step to purposefully engage, they’d walk away with many more leads… and ultimately more business.?

That little bit of extra effort might mean the difference between a successful show, and an ultra-successful million-dollar event!?

Booths with zero visitors were predictably standing idle, avoiding eye contact, not making any sort of outreach, or speaking to any passersby.?

Now, human nature being what it is, it’s understandable, that some people would be shy about stopping attendees as they walked by.?

Problem is, that’s kinda what you’re there to do!?

And I think I know why there’s such reluctance about reaching out…?

Sales master, Tom Hopkins wrote in his landmark book, How to Master the Art of Selling, (paraphrasing here) people don’t like prospecting, because they don’t know how.?

It’s NOT that it’s a distasteful task…?

They simply aren’t clear on what to do.?

My recommendation is simple...?

Train your booth staff, so that they’re prepared to engage on a professional level.?

That means, equip them with a SHORT 10 second “elevator” type speech, not some long paragraph, they’ll never remember, will most certainly never use…?

Give them conversation starters… and quick grabbers, so they can catch the attention of attendees walking by.?

Make sure every staff member is clear on the goals and objectives of the show.?

It’s one thing for the booth manager to have the vision… but if they don’t transfer that vision to the staff, they won’t be effective.?

And instead of initiating conversations that yield leads, they’ll be constantly looking for someone else to answer the attendees’ questions.?

I know, it’s not easy.?

That’s why bringing on a professional, in-booth presenter, like a magician is always a good idea.?

We can disrupt the trade show floor with spectacle…?

We can engage on your behalf and even start the process of pre-qualification…

?·???????“Who here has ever done business with ABCXYZ before?” ?

·???????“Tom, what do you do for ABCXYZ?”?

·???????“Who has ever experienced ‘X’ in their business?”?

Corporate Magicians can also weave your branding and marketing messages into their presentations.?

And we can make YOUR booth “memorable!”?

“You know, it’s the one that had the magician!”?

I had a blast at Metalcon.?

And I want to thank the executive show management for inviting me. ?

If your company is exhibiting in the next few months, and you want to know how I can deliver a tangible ROI, then go ahead, reach out, connect with me on LinkedIn and let’s start a conversation.?

As a Corporate Magician, I can help you acquire more leads on day one, than most companies get the entire show.?

Want to know how??

Just ask.?

This truly is “magic that means business!”?

But hurry…?

I’m currently filling my trade show calendar for 2022. So be sure to contact me before the best dates are gone.?

See you on the floor!?

John Keever, Corporate Magician

Trade Show In-booth Presenter

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/johnkeever/

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