Minding the New Generation
President's Message
By Brian Stevens
In a family, we easily observe the generational relationships – how younger people relate to older people, and vice-versa. We see quickly how children pick up time-honored techniques and how their elders pass along the proven ways.
As we plan meetings for the future we should consider who comprises our future audiences. The days handing meeting attendees a large 100 page notebook with their registration materials are nearly gone. The newest generation (the so-called demographic "Millennials") are not interested in a talking head general session speaker unless they can be on their PDAs while the person is speaking. (Can you remember the days before we took a laptop while traveling? Today we'd feel naked without one!)
Books and newspapers are being replaced by electronic versions and we'll want to be ready for these massive changes. Sustainability and "green" issues are partly driving that change, but more of the younger generations are connected via text and email and expect the meetings they attend to provide them with the access to these tools – the current-day pens and tablets. Recently, I was told that a hotel was "unacceptable" by the planner because she could not get a cell phone connection in the lower level exhibit hall. In the old days, we would make the ballroom internet accessible for a charge. Now people are carrying their internet on their cell phone or PDA and rely on the in-place connection to be competitive and useful.
Hotels and Convention Centers face a new challenge from our newest generations – connectivity. While RFPs previously only outlined rates, dates and space requirements; today connectivity is a major issue for the success of the meeting. ConferenceDirect sees more emphasis placed on connectivity and the cost of this service as a major consideration in the decision process around venues and destinations. Other such changes with this new generation is health benefits like workout facilities and healthy food options will also increasingly rise as attendees want to stay healthy while on the road. The replication of the "residence" is also among the newer generational concerns. Young people want to feel like they are at home when on the road. Today flat-screen TVs, a great shower, superior bed comfort, and free wireless internet are the desired in-room amenities of our young travelers. If it took five years to build a battleship hotel like the Hilton New York, focus must now be given to the next two generations to accommodate the needs of those who will follow us.
Ten years ago, would you have known an airline could send you a message two hours before your flight to tell you about a delay? Today, that has become a standard expectation. Attendees at our meetings are changing their "preferred amenities" and we'll need to be alert to accommodating their needs.
OUR ANNUAL PARTNER MEETING – See you in New Orleans!
ConferenceDirect's 2008 Annual Partner Meeting will take place April 30 and May 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana. ConferenceDirect books more than 5,200 meetings per year, generating more than $340 million in room revenue. More than 180 of our associates – representing more than 900 customers – will attend and collaborate with partner-companies on future business opportunities.
To learn more, visit www.conferencedirect.com for registration and schedule.
ON OUR RADAR
Upcoming Industry Events
MPI PEC
Houston, TX
February 3-5, 2008
Please visit ConferenceDirect at MPI booth #301.
GWSAE – Springtime in the Park
Washington, DC
April 3, 2008
ConferenceDirect Annual Partner Meeting
April 30 - May 1, 2008
New Orleans, LA
Exhibit Sales Lessons Learned from a Turkish Carpet Salesman
By Corbin Ball
I have had the good fortune to travel to more than seventy countries. I consider myself a "savvy traveler" and am adept at deflecting sales pitches from street vendors. That is, until I visited Istanbul this past fall.
While walking the streets of this beautiful and exotic city, I was repeatedly enticed with some of the best sales techniques I have ever experienced. From the sidewalk food vendor, to the small shop owner, to the street artist, to the carpet salesman – all were able to engage me and make me inclined to buy what they were selling.
How did they do it?
I was frankly astonished. How were they able to penetrate my armor? I have reflected on this and have come up with several tips they used that I believe could help everyone in a seller-buyer relationship:
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Greet potential clients warmly and genuinely
These successful Istanbul street salespeople greeted me with a friendly smile – they acted happy to see me! Although this seems obvious, I can't count the exhibitors at the many tradeshows I attend each year, who act disinterested; who are seated behind a table not engaging people; who are eating at the booth; or who are otherwise disengaged. -
Know your client and meet them on their level
A common question I was asked by the Istanbul salespeople in good English is "where are you from?" When I replied "from the US," they would ask where? Usually, they had knowledge of the state and region I lived in. The carpet salesman smiled and said he had a cousin who lived in Mt. Vernon (a town 20 miles/30 kilometer to the south of my town). All were multilingual, and I got the feeling that they could have responded in a similar manner to visitors from countries around the world. They had taken the time to learn about their clients, and in doing so were able to quickly establish a relationship.
Exhibitors should similarly establish a connection with prospective buyers before even thinking about selling them something. The name badge typically has name, company and city or country. These all can be used to establish a connection or to start a conversation. Tune into the booth visitor and meet them on their level. -
Tune into what buyer's issues are and become the expert who is there to help
I noticed that the successful street salespeople were sensitive to what my needs where. What are you looking for? A restaurant? Something to eat? A point of interest? The way to a specific location? They seemed sensitive that my main goal was not to buy things – that I a visitor wanting to see the city. One trinket vendor noticed my glance at the grilled mussels for sale in the booth next door. He offered detailed information about the type of mussels, their freshness and the cost. He was not selling them, but he established himself as an expert on the subject of my interest… by the way, would I be interested in what he was selling? The carpet sales person, whose family sold carpets in the same location near the Blue Mosque for over 100 years, offered detailed information about the restaurants and even offered to drive my companion and me to them. All offered helpful suggestions establishing themselves as "trusted" experts.
The exhibitor should similarly tune into the needs of your booth visitor. What are they looking for? What are their challenges? Listen to what their issues are to find a match to what you are selling. -
Sell the sizzle in a low key manner
It was only after they greeted me warmly, established a connection, and established themselves as a "trusted expert," did they even begin to breech the issue of selling. This was never done in a high-pressure manner. All sold the sizzle – the benefits, the quality, the ease of getting home. All tuned into my needs/wishes and sold from that basis.
These simple sales techniques worked on me as a savvy buyer and traveler. I recommend them to anyone who wants to improve their sales skills, or better yet, spend a week walking the streets of Istanbul to experience them for yourself.
About the Author: Corbin Ball, CMP, CSP is a professional speaker and consultant focusing on meetings technology. With 20 years of experience running international citywide technology meetings, he now helps clients worldwide use technology to save time and improve productivity. He can be contacted at his web site: www.corbinball.com.
