Answers Training Group

NEW Maximising Sponsorship Opportunities Course

Simon Naudi — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:54:29 +0000

On the 16th of August 2011 we are running a Maximising Sponsorship Opportunities course to be held at the Business Design Centre, Islington. If you would like to book your seat please contact us and we will send you full joining instructions. The Public course rate is being held at £495 + VAT for AEO members and £575 + VAT for non-members.

Maximising Sponsorship Opportunites

Course Objectives

The purpose of this workshop is to tackle two main objectives:

How to secure sponsorship (sales opportunities)
How to improve sponsorship opportunities (negotiating margins)
Whilst it is aimed at ‘decision makers’ who are responsible for negotiating directly with the potential sponsor it can accommodate those involved in the sales process.

Course Content Includes

Pre Course Work
Aims and Introduction
Objective Setting Session
Initial Impressions
Buyers Motives:
Why do they Buy?
Why Sponsorship?
S.W.O.T. Analysis
Positioning and Defending a Premium Product
Defending Price
Setting Expectations
Predicting, Controlling and Influencing Outcomes
Sources and Opportunities for Sponsorship
How much do you need them vs. how much do they need you?
Win / Win Implications
Sponsor Profiling
Initiating, Clarifying and Reacting Behaviours
Impact on Further Business
Buyer Behaviour Styles:
Linking them to Your Proposal
Assessing Values:
Yours and Theirs
Assigning Values and Costs Exhibitions, Hospitality, Awards, Conferences
Other VAS – (Value Added Services)
Gaining the Advantage
Power Words:
Selling the Sizzle
Finalising Agreements
Buyer Tactics:
Pre-empting Behaviours

NEW Exhibitor Service

Simon Naudi — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:48:00 +0000

Together with our partners, Acceleron, we have developed a new service aimed at helping exhibitors maximise their participation at any event. DAYONE is a service designed to give you immediate feedback about your performance on your stand, reinforce best practice and highlight areas where you can improve. A full report with recommendations is delivered by the end of the first day of the event so you can be responsive and maximise your participation for the duration of the event.

The service can be fully tailored to address your exact needs and will provide you with a better return on your investment as well as a competitive advantage. To find out more call us on +44 (0) 1252 845500, email us: info@answers-group.com or use the contact us form and we can get back to you right away.

Exhibiting Article

Simon Naudi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:22:39 +0000

These days most organisers will have a preferred or recommended contractor, details of which will usually be in their Exhibitor Manual. They are usually responsible for building shell scheme stands on behalf of the show organiser. Regarding a Space Only site, you are usually free to appoint your own contractor – be it someone you know or a recommendation. Rather than just be guided by cost, think about their overall experience. Do they have operatives in the country or countries you plan to exhibit at? Often they will have a network of operatives that can smooth the passage of your goods as well as build up and break down your stand. They may have freight forwarding or customs clearing agents they know who can add value and avoid any nasty cultural or internationally ‘different’ surprises.

ESSA – the Event Supplier and Services Association represents some 200 of Britain’s best exhibition designers, contractors and suppliers of materials and services. Some contractors simply offer a design and build service; others offer a fully integrated service that can be tailored to your exact requirements. The better the brief you give them, the more fit for purpose your design will be. It is often best to suggest ideas you have rather than to give a completely open brief. Although they are often experts in stand design and build, your own circumstances and experiences add to the brief you give them. It helps to think about what you hope to do on your stand, what you like about other stands you have seen as well as any pet hates. They will incorporate your requirements whilst complying with any Health and Safety requirements to design and build the perfect stand for you. If they are the approved contractors on a particular event they will have some knowledge about other builds and what colours and designs are being used at your event so you can be unique, ‘samey’ or different depending upon your preference. The more established contractors can also get involved with your objectives, help design printed collateral and even take care of some of your pre show mailings and communication. Many will also (yay!) offer training for your stand personnel or refer you to someone who can help you maximise your revenues during the days of the event. In these ecological and green times, many will also store, or re-use and recycle your stand depending upon your future uses so it is worth involving them in your long term plans. I have seen stands designed that can be inexpensively modified to shrink or expand and designed for multiple usage throughout a year, cutting costs, carbon footprints and the need to re-invent the wheel.

Finally remember that a good contractor should act like a partner for you – if they get it right for you, they will share your success so it is well worth finding someone you are happy to work with long term. The more they know about you and your plans the better positioned they are to assist and the more proactive they can be. Involve them at your meetings and use their skills and knowledge married with that of your own business.

Exhibiting Article

Simon Naudi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:18:25 +0000

One of the golden rules to successful exhibiting is to inform new and existing customers that you will be exhibiting. Don’t just rely on the organisers to do it all for you. Spending £1000 on a better floral display will not get you £1000 worth of extra business. Spending time inviting prospects and customers will come. Have tickets in your lobby or reception area or give to your sales people to distribute to their contacts. Mail invitations and send out all the tickets your organisers provide. Get a list of the trade publications that are running show features and consider advertising there. Adjust your e-mail settings to include a signature panel that urges then to visit you on your stand. Some organisers will offer to do a mailing on your behalf – let them do the work for you.

Most organisers will either have a PR department or will have retained the services of a PR agency. Use them – in many cases this will not cost you anything to do. They will know which publications have what deadline, which are worth writing to and how you could spin your story so it is more likely to appear in print. Also find out if they have a press office at the show and how the journalists like to receive your information. Don’t forget to update your own web site to show details of how prospects and clients can attend the show and a map of your stand. Also think about post show PR — any deals signed or bits of business closed or research results and customer feedback?

Gimmicks

What can you do to attract people onto your stand in advance of the show? Can you run a teaser campaign or announce a new launch? Do you have a demonstration worth watching? Will you have a speaker revealing some research? Can you offer an incentive for them to come and redeem a voucher on your stand? All these things can work if thought through properly. Your imagination should be the only limit.

Print

Make sure you order enough business cards for you and your staff. Do you need to order data capture pads, brochures, posters and leaflets in advance? Are your graphics panels, posters and freebies ordered? Do you need to think about any corporate gifts or giveaways that you plan on using? If you are organising a business card draw, do you have a suitable receptacle and supporting literature to indicate what is going on? Finally have you thought about web entries and entries in the show guides?

Exhibiting Article

Simon Naudi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:15:58 +0000

As a relatively early adopter, I am always interested in new technology and ideas and I am fascinated by the recent spate of virtual / digital technologies. I do however wonder where the deliverables may lie in the future. As a trainer I recall being asked to give a number of presentations at UK and international industry conferences about the future of events in the light of the digital era. That, as it happens, was back in the early nineties! You may recall a plethora of digital companies showing us a glimpse of how the future will look. Customisable avatars and virtual booths, motorbike style helmets and stereo headsets and wired alien looking gloves to wear. There was even talk of an ‘aroma’ detector so participants would be able to complete the fourth sense whilst interacting in this new future.

A bit like the issues most UK venues experience when they are first built (the NEC and London ExCel both fell foul to this) high expectations were sold in advance of the supporting infrastructure. Until the road and rail links are in place and until the hotels and eateries are open, the fledgling venue will always initially suffer from negative feedback. I think a similar fate befell the virtual world. The ambassadors of software pioneers sold us the dream and sold it very well. Audiences were cooing and gasping at the flexibility, cost effectiveness and sheer strength of this on line offering. They loved the fact that we could recreate a cost effective marketing mechanism that could utilise most of the senses and be interactive and available 24/7 without any of the traditional gripes about contractors, venue owners and transport logistics. Sadly the software developers and the financial investors did not match that early expectation and the initial buzz from the market mellowed to a hum and then a whimper.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for digital events and there are numerous benefits to be derived from using them as an adjunct to more traditional media. As a member of those early audiences I still have a degree of scepticism and a general sense of disappointment that the initial dream was never realised. As business matures and the search is on for something new and different that era may be approaching. But it will not approach with the pizzazz and fireworks of an Olympic opening ceremony – or even a Commonwealth one. The modern pioneers are now faced with selling their new dream to a new audience who have been once bitten and twice as shy to adopt. As a client said to me recently, “I love the idea, I’m just not sure our customers will buy in to it yet.” Powerful word that one – ‘yet’.

Blog 4

Simon Naudi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:13:00 +0000

You can imagine the look on my face, having delivered a three day management development programme in the Far East, as the delegates approached me on the final evening to thank me for the informative and useful programme addressing motivation and managing people. One delegate in particular sticks in my mind. He said he found everything very useful and was appreciative of the fact he was selected by his company to have the opportunity to attend. And then asked me a killer question: “Can I just ask one question? Why should we motivate our staff?” Fearing that there was a language problem and that this delegate had missed the whole point of staff motivation, I was about to embark on a mini disquisition on the benefits of staff motivation when he interrupted me further. “Oh I did understand what you said. It’s just that in this country (Hong Kong) they come in early and work productively all day, and then leave late. They know that if they do not give 110% there are fifteen or twenty others who would love the chance to do their job. So why do we need to motivate them to work better or harder?” To this day I’m not sure I have an answer to this one. Are things so different here or is it just that we see things differently?

It is probably fair to say that any sales manager realises that thousands of sales execs and possibly many other managers would love their job, but does that help their focus? I suspect a certain amount of arrogance exists here that says (at an extreme) I am the best person for this job and I will do what I can when I can – in fact you’re lucky to have me! This difference is also manifest in a huge difference in audiences who attend my training sessions as well. In Asia (China, Hong Kong) the delegate is like a little sponge, sucking out every last nugget and application so that they can employ the strategies and tips for their own machinations. In the Middle East it is more of a mix of those who are attending because of the kudos and those who need to learn and experience the skills and strategies. Europeans are (and I generalise) much more defensive and resistant. This cultural difference extends through the whole chain where delegates are, at one end, honoured to have been selected to attend a course to the other extreme, where they have been sent on a course (implication) ‘cause they think I’m rubbish. The next time you attend a training session monitor your own response – it could be quite revealing?

Exhibiting Article

Simon Naudi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:08:30 +0000

The problem with exhibiting generally is that doing it well is not as easy as it looks. A friend of mine once said “its common sense but not common practice”! The other drawback when considering whether to attend an exhibitor day is the fact that you don’t know what you don’t know. Repeatedly I find that the exhibitors who attend these How To days are usually the ones who are pretty good anyway. It’s the ones who never attend that would so desperately benefit from them.

For those unfamiliar with them, they are usually called Exhibitor Days or Exhibitor Seminars and the overall objective is to help exhibitors understand more about the show in question and then how to maximise your participation at said event. They are offered by most good organisers, many independents, industry trade bodies and – well me! Having worked in this industry for approaching 25 years it still impresses me how you can attend any show (trade or consumer) and see two exhibitors (often direct competitors selling similar products), separated by no more than two metres of carpet and see one stand very empty and quiet whilst the other bristling with customers and selling like crazy. The fact is they both paid the same amount of money to be there. One will return having had a great show the other write it off as a waste of money and time.

The agenda should address the actions and thoughts you should have before during and after the event. Some will also update you with the latest marketing, the PR opportunities that exist and how you can further improve your profile in advance of the event. Spending an extra £100 on a more exotic floral display will not guarantee increased revenues whereas time spent inviting the right visitors to your stand will. The biggest mistake exhibitors make is to rely completely on the organisers. You can do your bit and attract and invite your potential clients. Some exhibitors are reluctant to invite their key prospects in case they meet their competitors at the show. Well the facts are that in all likelihood your key prospects will visit the event anyway. I suggest that it is far better for them to attend with an invitation from you than to come armed with one from your competitor. Often there will be advice about types of stands and how to dress and build your stand. Whilst it may be dreaded, they will typically stress the need to read your exhibitor manual full of tips and advice and ways to save money on everything from electrics to furniture and passes, tickets and other good stuff. Dull as you like but crucial to maximise your attendance. It is then common to understand the behaviours that encourage visitor interaction and those that repel them. Yes common sense stuff but the stuff that makes a genuine difference to how busy you are and how successful you will be. A figure is bandied around the trade that suggests that 85% of your success is down to your people on the days of the event. Finally post event actions that will help deliver a better return on your investment. Sounds like good stuff? It is!

Exhibiting Article

Simon Naudi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:05:54 +0000

Organisers are simple creatures. In the main they love what they do but they love making money even more. They will sell you whatever you want at whatever price you can manage. Not an indictment just a truism. They also want you to be happy because if you are satisfied you will re-book and ergo more money. They also like visitors – lots of them – and of the right demographic make up. So that’s them. Now what about you – the exhibitor?

You are more complex. In the main you love what you do and you like financial reward. You will exhibit if you know you will get a decent return on your investment. You also know you need visitors again of the right demographic and quantity. So . . . it appears we have some common ground. So how can we work better with them in order for everyone to benefit?

Well as the expert in your market, you will know whom you wish to target. Ensure the organiser is hitting those targets and if not suggest media, lists or other ways of accessing that stream of potential visitors. You may have a membership list, customer database or belong to some association who can access them. Organisers will be only too happy to mail that list on your behalf – often by personalised mailings. Do you have any innovative products or services that lend themselves to demonstration or are they impressive enough to be a crowd puller in their own right? Organisers are constantly on the look out for crowd pullers and pleasers. Could your product become a feature are within their event? In exchange you get the publicity and possibly a sampling opportunity or a data base share. Can your products be used as a prize – a grand draw or competition that will give you huge publicity for the price of a single unit?

Think about your ‘little black book’ of contacts. Do you know a celebrity or member of royalty or parliament or any other notorious figure who could open your exhibit or launch your product at the show? Work with the organiser to see how you can benefit from pre-show publicity and on going kudos throughout the event. Is there anyone in your organisation who is a recognised authority or name in your field who will speak and present at the event. Organisers need good content and good speakers to engage with their visitors and attract them to the event. It may be you have a sales team or distributor network that could disseminate tickets on behalf of the organiser in exchange for your branding on them. The rule of thumb is what have you got that is cheap to offer that an organiser would value and what have they got that is valuable for you to receive that costs them little to provide. Then swap!

Exhibiting Article

Simon Naudi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:00:29 +0000

As a broad rule the larger the show the harder it becomes to find what you particularly with shell scheme stands when on a budget. Many organisers do a great job in colour-coding zones or areas, which helps but you as the exhibitor are not entirely helpless. When is the last time you thought about how else you could brand yourselves at the event to reinforce your presence? Did you just restrict yourself to a banner or sponsoring the carrier-bags or the ‘You-are-here’ boards?

As organisers compete to add value there are a whole range of possibilities that are available for branding and sponsorship – not all may be suitable but no doubt some will suit you perfectly. Consider the following:

Accommodation Plans	Aisle Ways	Awards
Badges	Balloons	Banners
Barriers	Car Parking	Carrier Bags
Catalogues	Catering	Catwalks
Cloakrooms	Coaches / Buses	Coffee Areas
Conference Sessions	Crèche	Cups
Data Collection / Capture	Delegate Folders	Demo Areas
Entertainment	Event Parties	Exhibitor Lounges
Exhibitor Manual	Fashion Shows	Floor Plans
Floor Tiles	Freebies	Guides (what’s on etc)
Light Pens	Lists	Lounges (VIP/ Press)
Menus/ Meals	PR Opportunities	Press Office
Preview Days	Seating Areas	Services (Phones etc)
Signage	Toilets	Venue Posters
VIP Tickets/ Passes	www/ wifi	You are Here boards

The list is not exhaustive but the possibilities are endless – limited only by your imagination and the health and safety police!

A good tip is to visualise the target visitor on his or her travels through the event. Are they arriving by car and will parking be an issue for them? They may need to deposit their coat or bags and then get a coffee before looking for a seating area to plan their route. They may need to use the toilets and at some point probably will stop for a snack. If they have other interests you can predict those too and identify their possible stopping routes where they can see your name, logo and even a reminder of your stand number. The calculation on spend should be easy to do. Calculate the value of a new client and your conversion rate – if the organiser hasn’t offered a branding opportunity it may be they haven’t thought of it so make them an offer. Most of the opportunities mentioned above are not set in stone so be prepared to negotiate – it may be you have something like a membership list or client data that they would also consider as a viable trade. Remember that research shows that repeated exposure (6-7 times) is often necessary to drive home your message and build your client base.

Sales Article

Simon Naudi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:57:01 +0000

Spread yourself about!

At the recent industry conference I was interested to note how businesses have a multitude of options for increasing sales. They include (although not limited to) launching new events, spin offs, geo-cloning, partnering, digital as well as mergers, acquisitions and non-core services like sponsorship, conferencing and consultancy. It was also interesting to note how many marketing activities were interrelated; for example writing a blog will boost your on line ranking due to the ‘magic’ of technology. The power of Google and other search engines means that in this age of impatience, potential customers will not scroll through pages and pages of entries until they find you – if you do not ‘own’ the first page of a search, it is likely someone else will get the enquiry. So businesses are encouraged to write blogs, include video, images, press releases and a whole gamut of tricks to dominate a search and accordingly boost their worth.

I couldn’t help wonder therefore whether individual sales people are maximising their own value. It is clear that some are more high profile than others and the skill sets required of the modern salesperson are no longer limited to the telephone or the occasional face to face encounter. I have written before about the merits of effective networking and how opportunities are often derived from such superficially innocuous events. How about we cast the net a little wider and adopt some of the lessons we see in business?

How do you use social networks? Are they purely social so you can stay in touch with friends and family or do you widen the appeal? How about LinkedIn and the raft of similar social media sites – do you have a presence on those and are you maximising each opportunity? Do RSS feeds and Twitter leave you cold or do you utilise them for more noble purposes than cursing that you have missed your last train home and ranting about some very clever but rather pointless hobby horse? Do you set up or join groups that have something to do with your areas of expertise and interest or would you say, like most of us that you ‘lurk’? Do you read the updates with interest and thirst or do you feel that they are a new form of spam?

Then there is the whole area of self-development and learning. When is the last time you attended a function or course to learn something new or attempt to gain new skills or grow your brain? It’s all too lame to be too busy and set another breakable New Year resolution or wait until the company conference or next team away day. If your car is essential to your business or livelihood then the chances are that you service it regularly, top up the air pressures and ensure oil and water, coolant and ‘squirter’ fluids are all taken care of. You will check your lights and manage the occasional wash and spruce up. Well on that premise, your skills and your motivation I would argue are even more central to your future livelihood and income. When is the last time you challenged yourself or adopted a new set of habits or re-visited the old ones to hone them, eradicate the bad ones and added some new ones? Sobering thought perhaps or call to action?