Invisible Customers at a Trade Show
As you go about preparing your exhibit for the next trade show on your schedule that you’ll soon be attending, you may be predisposed to think that the regular attendees visiting the show are your primary focus group when considering how to shape your sales message. After all, the opportunity to see these prospects is why you paid the big fees to rent the booth space in the first place, so this investment shouldn’t be thrown away . But is there someone creeping around in the shadows, who could be worth millions to you, who you’ve never focused on; a person you should be aware of?
Malcolm Gladwell in his bestselling book entitled “The Tipping Point”, focuses on a type of person that you may come in contact with in many areas of society called “connectors”. As a group of people, they just have a habit of getting acquainted with just about everyone they see. They revel in exchanging useful information with anyone they come in contact with on a daily basis. It’s just in their nature to be good humored and pass along useful information to others they come in contact with; even if they’ve never met before.
The connector will always be the person who is very inquisitive and generally knows what everyone’s business is. This is a group of people that is worth knowing. Why? Well, since they only seek out valuable information, not gossip, what they know is in demand and they derive value by sharing what they know! Information to them is something to give away free to anyone who needs it; especially if it helps someone. When you attract the attention of connectors, everyone soon knows something about you and your level of sophistication in the competitive arena in which you work. The information that they collect is information that is in demand which is why they become so valuable to others.
The message that you incorporate in your booth each year is designed to resonate with the normal attendees, but now that you’re aware of the existence of connectors and the value they can be to your company, isn’t it worth the time it might to seek them out and introduce yourself?
People who are connectors in your industry, are not likely to be your competitors, which is why they’ll be more than eager to connect you to others that can spread your story. This person will be someone who doesn’t compete with you and perhaps sells some type of add on product in your industry. This individual is almost always a great talker and out of necessity, a great listener. He or she is a human encyclopedia with volumes of great information available to anyone who will listen. Reflect back on an experience with a connector and you’ll realize that a connector has a list of acquaintances that you couldn’t imagine, but he can also look at the market he works in and come up with some amazingly accurate assessments of success for a new product or a new player in the market.
A Connector will always find nice things to say about you if you’ve done something to show him that you’re different than most, and especially if you deserve a break; or maybe talk you up as someone he admires. When a connector is in a group gathering, he’ll quickly take the cue and proudly share your successes with a whole group. In the process of sharing your success with others,he will share your story so convincingly that everyone he tells the story to, immediately tells someone else. The amazing is, what has all of this advertising hasn’t cost you? Maybe buying him or her a drink or dinner every couple of years.
As time passes, the relationship will keep evolving and the word about your company will keep expanding without any effort from you. Because connectors are walking information signs, people ask them for knowledge and information. They will ask his opinion on who the easiest company to work with is at the present time? What they’re really saying when they ask that question is; “I’m not satisfied with my present supplier and I might be ready for a move when the time is right.” Because of his reputation as a knowledgeable source of information, they will trust his opinions.
In an imperfect world it may not always happen this way, but I’ve seen a connector like the one I just described help someone double their distribution without it costing him a penny. I was that person.
When you’re getting ready for your next trade show, don’t forget that the potentially largest customer may never visit your booth at all. He may be another exhibitor just like you, manning the booth a few rows away, but he has the potential to influence a tremendously greater number of people that you are able to simply because of his skill as a connector with other people.
Lowell Nickens is the owner of Shopforexhibits.com and Shopfordisplays.com; both of which offer perhaps the largest inventory of higher quality trade show displays found anywhere on the internet at very competitive prices.
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