Faircracker SUMMER 2021
STAGE 3: Post Show This is the time where a lot of business falls apart. As ex- hibitors we start to feel an enormous amount of pressure to finalize bookings and get contracts signed. In the case of many fairs in Florida, they may not even have their budget for the next fiscal year until July. So here’s some tips for your post show game.
Follow Up Remember when Mark suggested keeping good notes? This is where they pay dividends. Knowing who you spoke to, what you spoke about and when the fairs plan to make decisions is critical here. Start follow ups at the appropriate time.
Don’t Chase Unless you already have a strong relationship with a buyer, chasing them down, be it at the trade show, or by eMailing constantly and pestering them is the fastest way to “no.” It’s also a great way to be blacklisted by that fair. A buyer may think if you’re difficult to deal with in pre-booking, what are you going to be like working at the fair?
Patience There’s a lot of information in this column but these last two bits are probably the most important. Be patient. Fairs like booking acts they have positive relationships with. Those relationships take time to build. If you’re a first time exhibi- tor, be prepared to return even if you don’t get any busi- ness the first time.
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Remember when I said define what success looks like at a trade show? If you spent 10-15 minutes at the trade show with a given fair and that fair decides not to book you, don’t get upset at being told no. Instead, use that 10-15 minutes as a foundation for your relationship with that fair.
Take Your “L” Graciously This one is tough for a lot of us. Taking a loss, aka being told no isn’t always comfortable. Rejection stings. We need to reframe what it means to be told no by a client. There’s countless reasons a fair may not book you. Whatever the reason, don’t take it personally.
Here’s how I look at not getting a contract. In a given year, across all of the trade shows I attend, I talk to around 60 fairs. Of those around 25-30 go into a deeper level of dis- cussion. Of those, only 10-15 actually confirm. 10-15 out of 60. That means I’m hearing “no,” way more than I’m hear- ing, “yes.”
The appropriate answer for a no is always something along the lines of, “I appreciate you being generous with your time and considering my act. If I can be of service in the future please let me know.” The end. Don’t eMail the client demanding to know why or complaining about fairness.
Remember, at the end of the day this entire process re- volves around building strong relationships with your cli- ents. If you approach these relationships with gratitude and graciousness you will have unbelievable success in this industry.
“See you at Naples”
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