On this week’s TradeshowGuy Monday Morning Podcast, I go over the various things that you will encounter while trying to learn a new skill. I also look at a number of ways to keep people engaged in your booth. Remember, the key to tradeshow success is drawing a crowd (giving them something to see or do) and then knowing what to do once that crowd arrives.
Oh, and the picture on the video? It’s a photo taken June 9, 1949 – my mom’s 21st birthday – when she and Dad, who’d been married less than a year, traveled to Yellowstone.
Finally, it’s official. We’ve turned this into a podcast. Yeah, I know it’s already a vlog (I’ll never get used to that word!), but now you can subscribe to the audio of the podcast.
This week: What happens when you have to roll with the punches. What’s your PLAN B?
Also, a quick look at Tim Ferriss’s podcast interview with Cheryl Strayed at SXSW last month.
Systems and processes are important to your success in any project. No matter whether its sales, project management, or processing paychecks, you need a system that works for you. In this vlog, I share some thoughts on the importance of systems and processes.
In this First Day of Spring vlog, I discuss skiing in the rain and sun on the same weekend, listening to podcasts by Peter Shankman and Chris Ducker, and the logistics of shipping your tradeshow exhibit:
Long days on your feet. Snacking on tasty samples from one side of Anaheim Convention Center to the other. Setting up tradeshow exhibits. Tens of thousands of industry people checking out products, thousands of exhibitors vying for attention in crowded halls.
“There’s nothing quite like it!” I’m sure you’d say the same thing about CES, Burning Man and SXSW. Big shows, chaos and overloaded senses.
The morning after I returned from Anaheim (delayed flight got me home just after midnight, thankyouverymuch!), so I’m a little weary, but figured that I’d give the TradeshowGuy Monday Morning Coffee Vlog a shot anyway. Enjoy:
On this week’s coffee, I spend some time going over the question of asking better questions. If we learn to ask better questions, we’ll get better information. So what does it take to ask better questions? Take a look:
Seriously, isn’t that an absurd question to ask about tradeshow marketing: are you Hendrix or Hemingway?
Or maybe not. Let’s have a little fun for a moment.
Picture Jimi Hendrix standing at the edge of your tradeshow booth, or on a small stage in your booth, looking to draw people in for a show.
Now imagine Ernest Hemingway, sitting at his typewriter, carving out phrase after phrase to tell a story in a simple, eloquent and easily understandable way.
Which would make for a better result? Hendrix or Hemingway?
Hendrix was a showman. A one-of-a-kind guitar player whose talent still ripples through time.
Hemingway was a storyteller. His tales resonate through time as well.
Frankly, you might need both. You need a good tale, and you need a showy way to get people’s attention so they can take it all in and respond in a positive fashion.
Which are you – Hendrix or Hemingway? Or some combination of the two?
Now, let’s watch some Jimi…
And just for fun, a clip of why Ernest Hemingway was such a badass…
Had a great chat with Ashley Blalock of the Ashley Avery Agency in NYC, an agency that provides models and spokespersons for tradeshow exhibitors. It was a fun and informative chat – check it out:
