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At first glance, there’s no
connection between Disney’s Winnie the Pooh
and tradeshows. The same is true of Piglet, Tigger,
and the rest of the gang. What could this cuddly group
of childhood favorites possibly teach us about exhibiting?
Surprisingly, quite a bit. There
are some very strong similarities between Winnie the
Pooh and the other inhabitants of the Hundred Acre
Woods and many tradeshow exhibitors. Don’t believe
me? Take a look and see how many of your staffers
you recognize:
Winnie the Pooh.
Pooh Bear may be cute, cuddly and
approachable -- but he’s also got one thing
on his mind. What makes this roly poly bear happy?
Honey, of course! He’s obsessed with the golden
sweet -- when he’s not enjoying a meal, he’s
in search of the next smackerel to fill his rumbly-tummy.
A Pooh-style booth staffer is hungry.
He might be talking to attendees, but he’s thinking
about lunch. If someone walks by with a sandwich,
his eyes are instantly drawn to it. Scents from the
food court get his nostrils quivering. When he gets
a chance to eat, he takes it: even if that means eating
in the booth!
Piglet
Piglet is a very small animal, made
even more timid when confronted with unfamiliar surroundings,
loud noises, bright colors, and crowds. His reaction?
Why, to run and hide under the bed, of course, or
behind his good friend Pooh.
A Piglet-style staffer may be naturally
shy or someone who is easily overwhelmed. Their reaction,
inspired by fear, is to fade into the back of the
booth and hope no one notices them. More often than
not, they get their wish -- which is good for them,
but bad for your bottom line.
Owl
Owl is an exceedingly well educated
bird. He’s got a brain just cram-packed full
of facts and figures -- and he wants you to know it.
No tidbit of information is too small to escape his
attention, nor to avoid being retold to anyone who
will listen.If you have an Owl-style staffer, you might
count yourself lucky. After all, she knows EVERYTHING!
However, watch your Owl in action. Their overwhelming
compulsion to ‘show off’ their knowledge
can easily alienate attendees and send them in search
of a salesperson who knows how to listen.
Rabbit
Rabbit is the busiest creature in
the Hundred Acre Woods. He’s always rushing
around: planting seeds over here, pulling weeds over
there, chasing crows and watering daffodils. There
are a million and one tasks required to keep his beloved
garden blooming, and they’re all very important
You can always tell a Rabbit-style
staffer. They’re the ones with a cell phone
constantly in their ear, fingers flying over the keyboard
as they check e-mails or text message the home office.
They’re so obviously busy taking care of business
that they can’t be bothered with trivial distractions
-- like talking to show attendees!
Tigger
Tigger is full of energy. He bounces
around, springing from one thing that catches his
attention to the next. Full of laughs, high spirits
and infectious energy, Tiggers are a lot of fun to
have around
Put Tigger at a tradeshow, however,
and you might have a problem. Enthusiasm and high
energy can attract traffic to your exhibit, but without
some focus and control (concepts foreign to most Tigger-types)
there’s no way to capitalize on your crowds.
At this point, you might be feeling
a little like Eeyore -- down in the dumps. After all,
with a booth full of Poohs, Piglets, Owls, Rabbits & Tiggers,
your chances for success are looking pretty slim.
Don’t despair! The hero of the Hundred Acre
Woods is on his way!
Christopher Robin
The human companion to Winnie the
Pooh and all of his furry friends, Christopher Robin
encompasses the best traits of all five and adds a
crucial element: perspective and understanding of
how things actually work.
A Christopher Robin-style staffer
combines Owl’s knowledge, Tigger’s enthusiasm
and Pooh’s approachability with an understanding
and appreciation for the tradeshow attendee. They
realize the importance of giving all their attention
to their visitor, setting aside the cell phone, the
lap top --even the sandwich! -- to focus on what’s
really important.
Every exhibitor needs to have a
Christopher Robin on their team, preferably more than
one. Now’s the time to take a look at your team.
How many Christopher Robins do you
have?
How many Poohs? Piglets? Tiggers?
What can you do to change the makeup in your Hundred
Acre Woods?
(Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger,
Owl, Eeyore, Rabbit, Christopher Robin and the Hundred
Acre Woods are all (TM) Disney) .
Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP,
The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, working with
companies to improve their meeting and event success
through coaching, consulting
and training.
Author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” and “Riches
in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small Market” (May 2007).
For a free copy of “10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make”, e-mail:
article4@thetradeshowcoach.com; website: www.thetradeshowcoach.com
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