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The traditional exhibitor/organizer
relationship will not survive the pressures of today's
competitive marketplace. As a result, show organizers
need to find new and improved ways to keep the exhibitor
of the future happy and loyal. Exhibitors expect a
lot more from show management. They are more demanding,
savvier and are driving the tradeshow business more
than ever before. Exhibitors will no longer tolerate
any tactics that maximize short-term profitability
at their expense. They expect to pay for services
that provide value and satisfy their needs. When necessary,
they will band together and rebel for what they want.
Partnering is the wave of the future. In his book, "Stop
Sell, Start Partnering," Larry Wilson compares
a partnership to a good marriage. It needs to be:
* long-term * strategic * value-based, and * interdependent.
1. Long Term
The foundation for a long-term
partnership, three to five years or more, is having
the same values
and sharing a common purpose. Your constant long-term
aim should be to deepen and strengthen your ties.
The more you meet exhibitor needs the deeper their
reliance on the partnership.
Depending
on their experience, exhibitor needs vary. Never
assume you know and understand their situation.
The most effective way to uncover needs is to ask
directly. Focus groups, questionnaires, and phone
calls are some standard ways to capture valuable
information. Needs change, so this must be a constant
and ongoing
process.
Capturing
the information is only the first step. Listening
and taking action are key to building
trust, reliability and loyalty. Exhibitors want
to know that
you care and are sincerely interested in helping
them succeed. Remember, it is always best to under
promise
and over deliver, rather than the opposite.
2. Strategic
Success in a partnership is
more than just selling the exhibitor booth space.
It also means being strategic.
To make your partnership strategic, work to understand
the exhibitors' business, and their exhibiting strategy.
For
exhibitors, success at a show means reaching goals.
Most of the time, this interprets as hardcore
bottom-line
results - sales and profitability. What can you
provide to help them succeed? For the novice this
may mean
offering advice on all aspects of exhibiting, from
resource information to training. The well-seasoned
professional who is open to help, often looks to
continuously improve performance. Organizing "think tanks" with
other exhibitors can generate powerful new approaches
to exhibiting success.
Your
strategy is to help their strategic approach to
exhibiting - helping them make more money, save
money, or add value to their customers.
3. Value-based
Another aspect of the partnership
is sharing basic values and beliefs regarding business.
People want to do
business with people they trust and who are like themselves.
Honesty and value for money is expected. On a higher
level, more is required. The deeper and more connected
the relationship, the more trust and values play a
critical role. For example, if proprietary information
is shared, there needs to be a feeling of complete
confidence that the same information will not be shared
with competitors.
The
first step is establishing your own values as an
organization - knowing your business priorities and
what you believe is important. Every employee needs
to fully understand and be committed to these values.
Then look to compare values with exhibitors. True
long-term partnerships can only be developed with
exhibitors who
share common values.
Another
essential aspect is how you value exhibitors. How
true is the old catch phrase "the customer
is king" in your organization? Who comes first
the boss or the exhibitor? The exhibitor-keeping organization
organizes itself around exhibitors, not around the hierarchy.
Every employee needs to know and understand that it
is the exhibitor and not the CEO who makes it all possible.
4. Interdependent
Interdependence means going
from "me" to "we".
This is when the partnership takes on the characteristics
of one organization, rather than separate, distinct
organizations. This involves relationships at all
levels in the organization, from the sales force,
customer service, marketing, finance, through to senior
management. The exhibitor needs to know and understand
your organizational dynamics, and you need to understand
theirs.
Communication,
flexibility, attitude, integrity and user-friendly
policies are keys to building partnerships
that work. Long-term relationships are dynamic,
not static. They are constantly changing, either
getting
stronger or weaker. If you let a relationship stagnate,
it will weaken and eventually die. It needs regular
maintenance to keep growing. The following is a
checklist of things to do every day to keep partnerships
growing:
1. Always
look to continuously improve the partnership.
2. Always understand, respond to and exceed exhibitor
expectations.
3. Always anticipate and find solutions to exhibitor
problems.
Like
marriage, not everyone is right for a partnership.
Long-term relationships with exhibitors are
reserved for those who are open to making all elements
of the partnership work - strategic, value-based
and
highly
interdependent. The sophisticated exhibitor
and
those serious about tradeshow marketing, will
look for and
welcome partnership opportunities. They know
and understand the enormous rewards to be reaped.
They know that
the future business model is one of collaboration,
alliances and strategic partnerships.
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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