Capturing attention at exhibitions

As with most forms of advertising, exhibition trade stands only provide a few initial seconds to capture attention. They won't read the small print if the headline doesn't grab them! That headline could be written, could be your arrangement of stock, could be your smiling face. If you exhibit, how clear are your messages? How easy is it for your potential clients to recognise they need you NOW? Most people wander around these events with a slightly glazed look, and only engage with a small percentage of stall holders. They are looking for their own key triggers. When you offer yours clearly you will entice far more pre-qualified customers within reach of your engaging talk and delightful experiences.

Am I an expert on this - NO! But I finally got the message this week. I finally understood the one simple principle of successful exhibiting to the general public.

I spent Saturday as an exhibitor at a small Mind, Body, Spirit festival in my suburb of Andheri. Having attended a number of these events in the past without great results I wasn't particularly keen to go. I felt a 'should' with attendant resentment about it - it's local, I should support it; the organisers are nice people,.

Drifting off to sleep the night before I had a moment's clarity - visitors to these events often asked me 'what are you doing here?' and I had an unhelpful tendency to tell them about me! Stupid, or what? This time, instead of telling them the vast range of my therapeutic skills (hypnosis, Reiki, EFT, NLP, Buteyko - you're already nodding off aren't you?) I picked something key to offer then and there.

Yes, a flash of the blindingly obvious. For me, offering a FREE breathing assessment meant that their questions were simple and clear "what do I have to do to be assessed?" or "why should I do this?" Questions I could answer by giving them useful concepts and a practical experience that engaged them on the spot.

Unlike my usual experience of people ignoring me much of the time (but I put up posters about so many things - surely one of them would get their attention?!) at least 90% of the day was spent engaged with potential clients, friends of potential clients, and frequently several members of a family of potential clients all checking out their breathing. Almost all of whom recognised that they needed help - I didn't need to solicit business directly! Hooray!

When you exhibit are you offering something that will attract the right people to you - NOW? Not necessarily offering what you know they need, but something that they might already want. You're the expert on your own business. Remember that potential clients don't yet realise how great their experience of working with you will be and give them a chance to find out!

If you're interested in a FREE breathing assessment of your own, phone or email me and I will either arrange for a personal assessment session or send you a comprehensive self-assessment process.