What I learned about Great Work from being a conference vendor
The other week I spend three days being a vendor at the HRPAO Conference here in Toronto. You can see me here in all my Find Your Great Work glory with my friend and colleague Jamie Broughton (who also happens to be one of the newly licenced trainers for the Coaching for Great Work program).
Being a vendor reminds me of nothing so much as a description of war – long periods of boredom punctuated by intense periods of excitement.
That said, it was a great rehearsal for the upcoming ASTD Conference in June, where we’ll be setting up the stall again.
Here’s some of what I learned.
1. Don’t get attached to the plan
We had this great little survey we were going to ask people to complete to be in the running to win copies of Find Your Great Work. After about 3 minutes, we realised that was a bust – no-one has the least inclination to fill out surveys. So at 3 minutes, 5 seconds we came up with Plan B.
=> Go in with a plan. Don’t be attached to the plan.
2. People want to be invited in
The typical stance of people walking past the store was
Move quickly
Glance at the collateral without really taking it in
At all costs, avoid catching the eye of the desperate vendors
And, ironically, when you approached people with an invitation to talk – mine was “Can I tempt you to win a copy of my new book” – people would often willingly stop and things would flow from there.
=> Hoping people will get engaged just doesn’t hack it. You have to invite them in to play.
3. It’s so much more fun with two
On the second day, I had Jamie helping me out. Boy, it was so much better than doing it solo. It’s not just a practical thing of being able to talk to more people – altho’ that helps. It’s much more about a shared experience, support, camaraderie, and just a sense of playfulness. And someone to have a beer with afterwards.
=> What are you doing as a solo project? Who could be a partner in crime for you?
4. Professionalism can kill you
Wondering around the trade show hall in one of those periods of boredom, I was struck with how professional and how … bland most of the other stalls were. There’s this vicious circle of marketing polish that seems to have descended on most vendors, so they have (in effect) a three dimensional brochure. All the boredom of the brochure with a lot more of the cost. (Seth Godin would have a rant about all this as being the opposite of a Purple Cow).
=> My insight – you need to spark curiosity rather than provide information.
- Capital Coaching Conference this Friday in Washington DC
- How to launch a successful project: What I learned “at the speed of Seth”
I appreciated your post as I had a booth at an HR show late last year.
This was my first time (perhaps last too). I think people believed I was going to tie them up and make them buy, buy, buy.
In some ways the trade show area felt a bit like a conference ghetto.
I primarily speak at conference and have made a vow to visit future conference trade show booths and spend some time with exhibiots. I learned more talking with other trade show people than I did from many of the speakers.
The great irony of my booth is that is seemed to get busier when I wasn’t there. Perhaps in future I will operate a zen booth…no self there. Or I will stay with presenting as my primary marketing.
David
Amen! Been there – done that and never even got the T-Shirt! Thanks for the tips and I have one of my own to share . . .
5. You will begin to wonder if it was worth all the effort and money.
You may never know. That’s how it is with marketing. You will probably have to attend three times for it to be worthwhile and really pay off.
=>Take the time when it is boring to meet other vendors – they may be the real lasting relationships that you make. Learn from them as well.
Roberta
David and Roberta – good points all. Love the idea of a zen booth!