23Mar
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One thing that a lot of us in direct sales tend to do is get involved in trade shows. Whether we organize them ourselves or join one that someone else is organizing, there are some things that you can do to make everything go smoother for you as a vendor.
If you are not organizing the trade show, here are a few things to keep in mind when getting in touch with the organizer.
- Do not ask how many people will show up, the coordinator is not a mind reader (especially true for smaller events; for large, arena type events, they likely have this information)
- Do not expect the coordinator to do work on the event that you won’t do.
- Please read through the information provided before asking questions – This will typically tell you what is expected of you, how much space you will have, information about electricity or anything else you may need to know.
- Do not assume the coordinator has extra room for friends or family to come out. If you know someone who wants to participate, have them contact the co-ordinator to see if there is room.
- Provide the coordinator with an email address or phone number that you can be reached and reply to any correspondence within 48 hours.
- The coordinator is probably spending hours upon hours trying to make this a successful event, so if people don’t show up, don’t assume it’s because of the coordinator.
- A simple thanks or small gift goes a long way.
- Invite people multiple times – especially within a few days of the event happening. People are forgetful.
- Invite absolutely everyone you know. We all know only a quarter or a third of the people invited to a party actually attend – the numbers seem to be less for trade shows (from my experience), so invite absolutely everyone!
Customer, direct sales organization for trade show, Direct selling, Organizing, organizing a trade show, Trade fair, trade show organization
21Mar
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If you decide that you are going to organize a trade show, be prepared for a lot of work. It may seem easy, but there is a lot to do to have a successful show.
Date/Location – The first thing you need to do is pick a date and decide where you aer hosting the event. Some people like to host at home to keep the costs down, others like to rent a hall and host the event there. Of course, location is going to have a bearing on the cost for your vendors.
Advertising - Decide on the type of advertising you want to do. Figure out what it is going to cost you before you establish your table costs. The type of advertising and the cost associated with it is going to determine the cost of your table.
Information – Figure out any rules/conditions/requirements of your vendors. This means – do they need to contribute a door prize, is there going to be electricity available for them, do they need to provide table cloths – basically, anything that you think that your vendors will want to know. The more information that you provide, the less questions you will be asked.
Find Vendors – You likely already know people that you plan to invite to your trade show, but depending on the location, you may need to find more people to join the event. There are several ways you can do this but the best method may be word of mouth. Invite those vendors you know and ask them if they know anyone else to invite. You may want to tell them what companies you already have so that you do not get vendors with the same company inquiring.
Pre-payment – One of the last things I recommend is getting pre-payment from your vendors. If people have already paid for their table, they are less likely to flake on the day of the event. I did one show where the organizer did not get pre-payment from the vendors and half of them did not show up.
Keep in touch– Keep in touch with the vendors once they have signed up, especially if you are organizing the event a few months in advance. This is especially important if you have not dealt with these vendors before as they want to know that the event is still on and that you will not just run away with their money.
Business, direct sales trade shows, organizing direct sales trade shows, organizing trade shows, sales, Trade fair
10Feb
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International Money Pile in Cash and Coins (Photo credit: epSos.de)
Previously I have talked about buying supplies that don’t cost a lot of money for your business. Things like business cards, brochures, and other items. But chances are you need other items for your business that you may have to get elsewhere. Here are some ideas to help you save on those items.
Table Coverings – I recently discovered this one and I can’t believe it took me so long! If you have a thrift store where you live, check to see if they have an area with sheets and other home items. I picked up a huge black sheet for 4 dollars and a pretty white lacy runner for 2 bucks. I was previously using sheets but they didn’t look as nice as this one does. A quick wash and I’m ready to go.
Risers – Chances are, if you look around your house you can find a lot of items that you can use for risers in your display. Recently I changed how I was doing things and started to highlight our seasonal products in a different way. I took one of the boxes that I hauled my product in, flipped it over, and covered it with another table covering I had. This distinguished it from the rest of my table, and kept my area looking neater as I didn’t have this big random box. If you do this, just make sure you don’t have anything you may need in that box. You can also use other smaller boxes at various points on your table with the same effect.
Candy – Depending on what you are selling, you can use candy to help decorate your table. Around valentines, heart shaped candies can be cute, as you move towards Christmas you can purchase chocolate balls. This is multipurpose as you have a snack while at events, and you can invite people to your booth, take a candy, and browse. And of course, you get the tax deduction! If you use this method, make sure you buy wrapped candy.
Business card, direct sales trade shows, saving money at trade shows, saving money on trade shows, Tax deduction, trade shows
04Nov
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One of the first things you should do at a direct sales trade show is to visit the other vendors. Say hi, tell them what company you are with and see where it goes from there. If you are new to trade shows, ask them how they feel this one is going, ask if they have any tips or ideas that might help you out, and if you are interested in their product, ask them about it. Quite often the direct sales vendors end up buying from each other while at the event.
Advertise – If you have a smart phone or laptop with you and you can access the Internet, go shout it out to everyone that there is a trade show going on. Make sure you post the address and how late it is going on. Mention that there are draws or any other goodies that are going on that might entice people to come out. Encourage the other vendors to do the same. Call people that you think would be interested or those had expressed interest in attending the direct sales trade show and ask them where they are.
Say Hi – When people do come in, make sure to say hi and make eye contact with them. This tends to make them stop and say hi, and possibly check out your products. If you are doing a draw, point it out to them and invite them to enter. Do not forget to invite the other vendors to enter as well.
Make the location noticeable – Another suggestion to get your direct sales trade show noticed is to put some balloons out in front of the location as well as some signage indicating what is going on. If people do not know that you are there, they cannot come in.
What else would you recommend to someone in this position?
Business Services, direct sales, direct sales trade shows, direct sales vendor events, Direct selling, events for direct sales, sales, Trade fair, trade shows, vendor events for direct sales
31Oct
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Direct sales trade shows can be scary when you are first starting out. If at all possible, it is a good idea to go with your upline and see what they do before you strike out on your own. If that is not possible, here are a few ideas to help you out.
Set up a Sample Display – If you have a table at home that might be similar to the one at the event, set up your display on it. See what you think and where you could improve. Take a picture and send it to your upline or ask them to take a picture of their set up and send it to you. It might be a good idea to do both of these to be even more effective.
Pack in Advance – If you leave packing until half an hour before you need to leave, you are likely to forget some very important things. Case in point, one of my last direct sales trade shows, I forgot to print and prep my recruit packages! Oops! I also recommend loading your car the night before if it is possible as mornings can be rushed.
Table Cloth – Bring a covering for your table. The first trade show I did, I knew nothing about this and I put in an emergency call to someone I knew to bring me one. You can buy logo’d ones from your company or you can buy them from a variety of places. Pieces of fabric or sheets can work well.
Levels – When creating your display, create different levels. This helps to attract the eye to different areas and highlight certain times. I like to use the boxes that my products come in and cover them up with a sheet and then set the product up on top. This keeps the amount of things I have to haul down.
Make a List – I rely on lists more and more all the time. For this reason, I actually have a list of everything I want to take with me to check when I am packing. I don’t refer to it as often as I would like, but if I do remember, I know I will be better prepared.
Labels – If you use reorder labels or any other type of labels, pack extra. You never know when you will discover something on your table does not have your information on it. I also take extra with me as then I can label catalogues if I discover one got missed or if I have other paper that should have a label on it. That said; do not forget your business cards!
Inventory or Not – Keep in mind that some companies do not allow their consultants to sell off their table. But beyond that, inventory can be a hot topic when it comes to direct sales trade shows. Most people attend in order to get more bookings or recruits. If this is your goal as well, chances are you will take minimal inventory as an incentive to get bookings but you will want to still take items so people can see them. Talk to your upline or others in your company if you are not sure.
Direct sales trade shows can be a lot of fun. It’s a great opportunity to network and get to know other consultants which may come in handy later on. I also find out about a lot of events through these events.
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Business, Business Services, direct sales, direct sales trade shows, direct sales vendor events, Direct selling, trade shows, trade shows in direct sales, vendor events in direct sales
21Jul
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The simple reason is due to cost. I find many people at trade shows are simply browsing and are not terribly interested in booking anything at that time, if at all. While these books did cost you money at one point, they are now sitting in your home collecting dust and essentially have no worth. Why not re-use them and try to get some value from them?
By giving them out, you are getting them out of your home and into someone’s hand that may not have heard of your direct sales company before. If you try to direct them to your website, they will likely forget and never make it. By having a catalogue, they will idly flip through it while watching TV or something else. If interested, they will contact you to book. But if they do not, you have not wasted more money on buying books that are going to be trashed.
The one problem with this is that they may decide they want something that you can no longer order. One way around this is to only give out books from the last season and which you may still be able to g order from. It is also a good idea to put a expired sticker or draw a line through the front saying this book is expired and some products may not be available any longer. You can purchase these through The Booster or Business Enhancements
Business, Business and Economy, Business card, company, direct sale trade shows, Direct selling, expired catalogs, expired catalogues, Shopping, Trade fair, vendor event
20Jul
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Talk to others who have done shows already in your area to see what their experience has been like. They can give you advice as to what you should and should not take as well as ideas on how to attract traffic to your direct sales booth.
Make sure you are comfortable with your product and the benefits of the product. This does not mean putting down your competition but highlighting the features of yours. I like to say, “People have told me that they find our product is one of the best in regards to X feature.” Another thing you could say is, “One of my favourite products is this one because of Y feature.” Chances are it is something the competition doesn’t have which is why it’s a selling point but you are making it personal.
Paper is important. People like to get paper from the booths they visit. Have a stack of old catalogues for them to take home as well as contact information. I personally have catalogues, business cards and a tri-fold brochure on my table and I invite them to take any or all of them home with them. Each one has my contact information. This should include information about having a party, signing up with your direct sales company and any other benefits. Some people will take everything; others might just take a card.
Business, direct sales trade show, direct sales vendor event, Direct selling, Marketing and Advertising, Small business, trade show, vendor event
19Jul
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![suits [uniform and uniformity]](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4910856245_24a0e19361_m.jpg "suits [uniform and uniformity]")
Image by the|G|™ via Flickr
The most important thing is to wear something that you are comfortable in while looking neat and professional while representing your direct sales business. If this is jeans, sneakers and a logo shirt (I wear dress pants, sneakers and a logo shirt), then there is nothing wrong with that. If you are more comfortable in a suite, there is nothing wrong with that either. This also tends to be what I wear when I do parties.
Keep in mind your ideal customers and their ability to relate to you in your direct sales outfit and if they would want to invite you into their home dressed like that. Many people who sell beauty products, clothing or jewelery tend to dress up a bit more to showcase their product.
No matter what, make sure you look your best. Brush your hair, make it tidy, pin it up, whatever works.
If you have pets, it may be a good idea to put a lint roller in your bag as pet hair has a tendency to show up when you least want it.
Shoes should look clean and in good shape. Polish or clean off dress shoes; sneakers should look neat, if they are covered in mud or falling apart, leave them at home.
Even if you do not sell beauty products, if you are wearing nail polish, it should look good, not all chipped.
Business, Clothing, Direct selling, dress for success, Dress shoe, Shirt, Sneakers (footwear), uniform, Wear
12May
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I have heard different things from direct sales representatives in regards to having a door prize. Some feel very strongly about having one and others fee that it is a waste of time and not worth the effort. A lot depends on what you want to accomplish with your door prize.
Amount of Entries – Depending on what you choose to give away, you may not have enough entries to make it worthwhile. I know I have had many people enter my draw specifically because they want something for free, not because they want the product.
Product Cost – Another thing to consider is how much the product you are giving away is worth. I have seen reps give away baskets full of merchandise. I have seen others give out one item. I personally have switched to gift certificates which I make up as I am not out anything unless they redeem it, and if they bother to redeem it, they likely are going to use the product.
Information Received – What information are you receiving from the people when they enter your draw? Is it a requirement that they have to fill the card out in full – name, email, phone number, interest in a party, in the business or in your newsletter?
Another thing you can do is put out your door prize and entry forms, and then determine at the end of the day if it is worth giving out. I have talked to several reps that do this – if they only received five entries they may choose not to give their prize away. But it is fully your decision.
Business card, Contests, door prize, door prize giveway, giving a door prize, having a door prize
11May
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Of course, how you set up your table is up to you, but here are some ideas.
Keep it simple – This means limiting how much product you put out and how much paperwork you put out. This is definitely something that I struggle with but am working on. Check out other booths for ideas if you are not sure or ask some of the vendors to offer suggestions.
Create Levels – I mentioned this in a previous post, but use whatever you can to create levels and interest to your display. I use the boxes my products come in, but you can use a variety of things. Totes can work well or anything else you may be bringing with already. Don’t over think it too much. Levels do not have to be drastic either, just enough to create interest and some height.
Space – Leave space on the table. Some of the best tables only have a few products on them. Its like when you write something, they always say you should leave white space. Apply this concept to your table.
Get Attention – You want people to come to your table. Give them a reason to stop by – have some candy for people to take, or if you are displaying edible products, have a sample for them to taste. You could put up some balloons which you might give away to the kids who come by or use them for a booking game.
Information Station – Have a spot with information for those that stop by and keep it tidy. This is going to be where you keep your draw slips, business cards, and whatever other paperwork you bring with you.
Fabric – Another method to add some interest to your table is to use different fabrics to add some visual interest. You might drape it around some items, or create an area to highlight certain products.
Basket – Depending on your resources and what you have, you may prefer to use a basket to display and highlight items. If your basket does not look too appealing, decorate it with some fabric, ribbons or anything else you may have to make it look better.
Is there anything you have tried on your display to make it stand out or that you have seen others do? Please share!
display table, Home and Garden, Shopping, supplies, Tables, trade show display, trade show table
