Friday, December 16, 2011

On Dreams



One thing this era of real-time information and instant feedback has done (thank you Twitter, Facebook, forums, etc.) is to make magazines - and print publications in general - become very good at what they do and, lest they perish, better all the time.  

Two great examples of very good publications are Inc. Magazine (you're waiting a whole month for a new edition – 30 days!) and The Week (you guessed it...published every seven days).

Both are anxiously awaited and consumed at first sight.  The Week not only provides exhaustive articles about the past week in politics, business, arts, etc., but various other writers and editors view on the same story providing a well-rounded, sort of non-partisan, look at a particular current topic.

Inc. Magazine, The Magazine for Growing Companies, is one I have lived with for many years.  Each edition provides profiles of small- to medium-size businesses who, at some point, had the dream of creating and building a company.  Grant it, Inc. considers small companies as those with millions in revenue, but I can dream, can’t I? Overall Inc. is very motivating and essential reading for this business owner. I admit I become a little giddy when the annual Inc. 500 edition featuring the fastest growing privately held companies arrives in my mailbox.

One of the articles in this month's Inc., which is both motivating and instructional, is “Dear Future Entrepreneur.” This article gives us advice from the founders of companies who are living the dream they dared to have.  Here is some advice they have to share with us, the “next generation” of entrepreneurs:  

Tomorrow Can’t Wait – “I look back and think, ‘Why didn’t I get started sooner?’”  - Cloud Ettinger, Founder and president, Red Cloud

Focus – Don’t diversify, always “go back to your original premise.”  - Kimberly Kovacs, Co-founder and CEO, OptionEase

Remember Where You Came From – His employees are trained to do at least one good deed a day.  - JJ Frazier, Founder and CEO, New Horizon Security Services

Start Now – “You’ll never be fully prepared to start a business."  - Michael Simmons, Co-founder and CEO, Extreme Entrepreneurship Education

Learn by Doing – With your business, “You’re in the best university in the world.”  - Steve Vicinanza, CEO, BlueWave Computing

Start Early  – “When you start younger, you have the guidance you need.”  - Taliay Herbert, Founder, Baggie Swagg

Open Pandora’s Box – “Business is about testing your boundaries.”  - Stephen Mills, Founder and CEO, Aqiwo 

Dare to Dream – This entrepreneur was laughed his the face by executives at Rite-Aid, his employer, for his idea to improve services.  So he left and started his own company to provide those services.  - Reddy Annappareddy, Founder and president, Pharmacare

The entire article, including great photos of the founders (think body-writing!) can be viewed here. 

Best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and Peaceful New Year!

- Steve Curtsinger

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Remembering Steve Jobs

Knowing that Steve Jobs was dying did nothing to help the shock and sadness I felt when I read of his death from pancreatic cancer last night on Google News.

"Steve Jobs died," I thought aloud.  My daughter, 11 years old, asked without looking up from her laptop "Who's Steve Jobs?"  She's smart so I knew I had to provide an above average answer and said: "He was the co-founder of Apple, responsible for this computer (I pointed to my desk top Mac) and all the other things that begin with an 'i' ...like ipad, ipod, iphone, iMac...things like that."  A wholly inadequate response to a question about a visionary like Steve Jobs.

Perhaps someday I will sit with her and let Steve Jobs himself answer that question (and discuss his thoughts on death and dying) in his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Need a Showroom in Detroit? That's No Problem!

If there is ever an industry where the "whole is greater than the sum of its parts," it is the exhibit industry.  One project may have many people collaborating toward the completion of an ultimate goal.  Even exhibit companies who do everything "in-house" have to rely on other companies to supply various aspects of an exhibit project, be it manufactured components, shipping services or exhibit installers to name a few.  It's true, especially in the exhibit business, that no one is an island, and anyone ever involved in the industry - from exhibitors to exhibit suppliers - knows this.

At Integra Display we collaborate with many different companies and individuals on several levels giving us vast capabilities to meet many diverse marketing needs. And at times we supply display materials and graphics to others who are not the end users.

Recently we got together with Image-Tek in Novi, MI, to take care of client, Shiroki North America from Smithville, TN, that needed a showroom and lobby in their new Detroit facility. The collaboration resulted in the fabrication of a showroom displaying the company's products and featuring high impact large-format graphics.  Photos of the final installation can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/3wr34f5

Another great match-up is a display manufacturer who produces Made-In-The-USA displays and exhibit materials for Integra Display and other display designers all over the world.  They have recently introduced and eco-friendly line of displays called Magnetix and it is getting alot of attention.  We have Magnetix featured on our website this month: http://tinyurl.com/3cww72y

Project size and scope, no doubt, does matter and does impact the "whole is greater than the sum of its parts" mathematics.  I have often told my clients that I have a "cast of 1000's" working with me and, honestly, with some projects that number seems low.  The bottom line is our clients just want a great product, delivered on time, within budget and that will achieve their goals.  And with all of our available resources, I can confidently say, "That's no problem!"

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Tradeshow Selling: 4 Key Questions You Must Know

The tradeshow floor is a selling environment.  Given you've chosen the correct show, there is a high percentage of people walking the show with whom you would like to speak.  This is why tradeshows are such a good marketing vehicle:  large numbers prospects in one place at one time.  There are also people there for reasons other than buying what you are selling, hearing your presentation or viewing your demonstration.  Both numbers are big and both walk right past your booth.  But how do you find the good ones, the prospects - your future customers?  How do you know if you should spend time with this person?  All good salespeople - and booth staffers - know they must get the answers to these 4 basic qualifying questions:

1. Do you have a need?

A good qualifying question which is also a nice icebreaker: "Hi! What brings you to the show today?"  This will let you know if you have something they need or want or if instead they are looking for another company, another unrelated product or the nearest bathroom.  If you do have a product or service they are interested in, you will want to spend more time with them and drill down to their more specific needs, finding out their time-frame, their budget and who has the authority to buy.


2. What is your timeframe?

Everyone with a need does not necessarily have a current need.  Others may need it yesterday.  You need to know this in order to know if this is someone you want to spend time with now, or to followup with in 3, 6 or 12 months.  It will also tell you if you want to deal with them at all; some time-frames do not fit your production schedule or are otherwise too demanding.  Time-frame qualifiers are straightforward "when" questions, like:

When were you planning to implement the new program?
When do you need these new widgets installed?

3. Do you have a budget?

What good is it to find someone with a stated need and timeframe, but no budget?  One of the best ways to approach this question is to give a range: "Based on the information you have provided me, your project should cost between X and Y.  Is this in your budget?" or "Similar projects we have done for other companies are in the X to Y range.  Will this work for you?"  No budget today does not mean no budget ever and may become a time frame issue. But how do you know if you don't ask?

4. Who is the final decision maker?

It is good to find this out as soon as possible lest you'll be spending alot of time with the wrong person.  Ultimately, you'll need to sell to someone who has the final buying authority or at least buying influence. The final decision maker may not be in attendance, but they are the first person you'll want to followup with if the need, budget and time frame questions have been met. A good question to ask, "Besides yourself, who will be involved in the decision to purchase?"  

The answers to all four questions must  be known before a sale - any sale - can be made.  Good salespeople simply have conversations with people and let the answers reveal themselves in a natural way.  Some call this active listening.  But because time is at a premium, especially at well-attended shows, keep the small talk to a minimum on the show floor.  Capture all the information on a lead sheet or electronic device and follow-up.

A good strategy is to have staffers in the booth who "meet and qualify" (these are not the quiet, reserved types) and others with your company who can take care of "hot prospects" with a definite near-term need, purchasing authority and budgeted monies. This may be someone with technical expertise who can give a demonstration or an executive in the organization with deal-making authority.  If you are working the show alone, these qualifying questions can help you talk with greater numbers of attendees.  Wherever part of a larger booth staff or alone, the post-show followup is key to your selling success.

CEIR, Center for Exhibtion Industry Research, offers exhibiting research and reports on this topic (http://www.ceir.org/find-research/instant_research).

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