Many contractors use contests and drawings to make people at least slow down as they pass the booth. Pompilli, for instance, uses a large spin-and-win prize wheel. O’Reilly will raffle off a garden window at larger shows. Such devices draw traffic but dilute the value of the leads they create. “Everybody signs up and you’re going to get a lot of people entering who are not interested in an appointment,” O’Reilly says. Kramer never holds such contests. “I like to make it real and I want quality leads,” he adds.
Depending on the event, trinkets, candy, balloons and such remain a staple. “Our show manager likes to use candy,” O’Reilly says. “We’ve done a popcorn machine at the county fair, helium balloons, key chains, etc.” Tri-State earns goodwill with an assortment of premiums emblazoned with the company logo: Frisbee discs, balloons, key chains, even removable tattoos for the kids.
Pompilli compares gathering show leads to telemarketing in that you have just seconds to get people’s attention. So Tri-State trains its staff to ask certain questions designed to quickly grab the attention of passersby. “People want to look and not to be harassed,” he says. “Their objective is to get away from you as they walk by. The key is to get them in with a punch line, so they’ll listen to you for a minute.”
This requires a script and, especially, avoiding banalities (“Would you like a price on windows?”) that result in instant brush-off. Pompilli — whose company markets five different home improvement products — trains his staff to “throw them a curve ball” by saying something like: “You look like you’re tired of cleaning your gutters,” or, “You look like you’re tired of painting your house.” Those are the kind of lines that could start a conversation.
Sutko takes a different tack with the same purpose. Innovative Window & Siding favors large booths with plenty of room so customers can easily walk through, without feeling cramped. Innovative’s CEO also teaches his reps in the booth to give the prospect some personal space so they don’t find entering the booth threatening. He allows visitors to look around on their own for awhile before approaching them with a stock question.
“If I ask them, ‘Do you have any questions?’ they say they’re just looking. Instead, I go up to them and say, ‘Hi, folks. Are you thinking of some changes?’ That brings their barriers down fast, and they often say yes,” he adds.
In addition, Kramer points out that you may have unexpected competition for that homeowner’s home improvement budget. “What if they’re looking at windows and they have someone coming out for a Jacuzzi, too?”
Therefore, if customers express immediate interest, be prepared for a 12-hour turnaround. “You have to be ready for the leads when they come in,” O’Reilly says, “with the salespeople and the system and the ability to get the leads into your system.”
P.F. Reilly immediately enters event appointments into the schedule. If the prospect isn’t ready to commit to an appointment, “we call or send something out the next day,” based on the way they filled out the prospect card, O’Reilly says.
None of these contractors have elaborate systems to schedule appointments and follow-up. Appointments are generally entered into the schedule at the show or are immediately phoned in for confirmation. The important thing is to have a system for capturing all contact information in its most complete form.
Brand Building One final point is that your company’s participation in shows and events has the dual benefit of putting you in the public eye.
Kramer, for instance, says that the variety of shows he attends and the events he stages, such as several open house celebrations annually, serve to brand the company slowly. “It’s slow saturation,” he says. In addition, the beginning rapport that salespeople establish with prospects can make the subsequent sales call easier. “You’re a lot less threatening,” Kramer says. “People are more relaxed than they are when a stranger pulls into the driveway and you have that awkward period while [the prospect] warms up.” —Jay Holtzman is a freelance writer based in Jamestown, R.I.
