Keep It Simple…..Silly

Recently our organization was exhibiting at a tradeshow. No surprise, we have done this before, however, as we rolled in to set up, I was keenly aware of one difference between us and other groups around us. It reminded me of a lesson I learned years ago that I was surprised hadn’t been imparted to those I was watching.

I used to be more heavily involved in a networking marketing company. I still am, but when I first started, I put a lot of effort into building my personal business and exhibited at several shows to get the word out about the company and my own involvement in it. This meant packing up products, moving them from location to location, setting them up, showing my wares, packing them up, and moving them around again and again.

The lesson that our company’s president instilled into us early on was that if we were going to draw others to participate in the business with us, it not only had to look effortless, it had to be effortless. We had to roll into the exhibit hall, set up our display in a few short minutes, not break a sweat, look great, and enjoy the process at the same time (my words, but you get the point).

I used to travel with a friend who partnered with another network marketing company with heavy, cumbersome products. She was required to carry tons of inventory from show to show which took up her entire SUV cavity to transport and took hours to set up. If she was lucky she’d be set up within the first hour of the show. It was painful to watch and screamed, “I’m exhausted and this is for the birds!” Why would anyone want to join this company if this is what your weekends looked like?

Back to present day. As our team rolled our road cases into the room, registered, located our space, popped up our booth frames, slipped on the fabric displays, set up our custom table, laid out assets, took photos, and were open for business within 30 minutes, I couldn’t be more proud. Around us were others with piles of boxes, cases, bubble wrap, confused looks over instruction manuals, and hot red cheeks. I wanted to say, “It doesn’t have to be this way!”

Keep it simple silly if you want to attract others to you or your organization. People will come and talk to you for a variety of reasons at a tradeshow. It might be that you just conveyed a level of professionalism or competency without saying a word.

Do you exhibit at any tradeshows and have some tidbits to share?
Email me, I’d love to hear about them!

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