Do you talk with your competitors? To be honest, I rarely have talked with my competitors other than to say hello and shake hands. However, at a recent trade show, I took the time to meet with a young man who is a competitor. That ended up being the most productive time I spent at the show. He didn’t realize it…and neither did I…that the conversation led me to analyze how I conduct business and how I sell my products. That is not the first time that I’ve been in a situation that gets me to conduct such self-analysis. It is, however, always a worthy process to to go through. Beyond getting me to analyze my approach to selling, it was simply nice to know that in my industry there are solid younger business owners working hard to be successful. As it turned out, he was family man with children and among other things he has been an EMT and fireman in his community. I have met a few shady characters in my profession, but this individual is a “good” competitor.
I liked his self-described approach to selling. He doesn’t want to be just a catalog on the Internet, so he doesn’t put prices of his products on his company’s web site. He wants to go in, meet with the buyer and then build a relationship which will be the foundation of the selling process. That is a great approach.
For me it is important to have both an on-line catalog with pricing and to be a consultant. An on-line catalog is not just graphic design and technology, it is also educational. However, what is most important in my approach to sales is that I am a consultant. My background of counseling and sales just doesn’t allow me to approach selling in any other way. First and most importantly, as a consultant, I listen. Often times customers are “fuzzy” on what would work for them or possibly that they haven’t been given clear direction by a boss or true decision maker. Through a consultative process I can help them by thoroughly listening, providing product information, educating and providing options and then eventually effective solutions.
Maybe in the future I will have less hesitancy meeting and talking with my competitors. I would be interested in hearing your comments or stories about meeting your competitors.
This past week I had the pleasure of attending a breakfast fundraiser for rebuild resources, Inc. An outstanding resource for our community, rebuild resource, Inc. is is a nonprofit social enterprise helping recovering men and women build their lives through the most powerful social program of all: a job. They help addicts and alcoholics be sober, self-fufficient and of service by providing meaningful, transitional employment in businesss enterprises owned and operated by the organization. Please visit their website and see what you may be able to do to support them.
If you want to be inspired and inspire others, then read all about Jerry’s story in the rebuild resources 2010 summer newsletter. Elevate your life by the uplifting story that Jerry presents. Jerry is now employed and was one of three powerful speakers at last week’s event.
PRISM & Empty Bowls
As previously mentioned, the First Annual Empty Bowls fundraiser the food shelves in the Robbinsdale School District is this Thursday, May 12. Please come out to support this excellent way to fight hunger.
Product Of The Week
The battery operated Endless Ad scrolling banner is our featured product. Along with color, lighting and well-designed graphics, movement is another key ingredient in attracting and holding on to visitors to your exhibit. The motion of the rotating Endless Ad banner will attract visitors who will want to see the entire message and then may want to see it come around one more time. The Endless Ad scrolling banner can also be used as a one-sided message if you decide not to have it rotate. It really comes down to having your designer use the template that is provided to create on on-going story line. You will get over 12 linear feet and nearly a minute to present your message to your visitors.
The quiet motor with a rechargeable 12 volt battery runs up to 72 hours on a single charge.
Cordless, this product can be used in a variety of locations including outdoor venues if protected from wind and rain. It can also be used effectively and conveniently for sales presentations, lobbies, retail locations and of course trade shows.
Profiles In Business
In the previous blog I profiled Susan Nelson of AskSusanNelson.com. I wrote of how she transitioned from a successful career in real estate to becoming a professional speaker, a career that began as a passion.
This week I am pleased to talk about another BNI PowerNetworkers Chapter member, Pamela Grover, of “I Hate Scrapping.” Pamela has moved into this new business from her previous career as the owner of Design Tech Consulting, Inc. She is now focusing all of her efforts on I Hate Scrapping, a career that like Susan, began as a passion.
Pamela has helped me create my original website and then recently update it. While Brian Shultz of Shultz Photo & Design helped me with the graphic portion of the web site, Pamela and Design Tech Consulting, Inc., helped me with the balance of the website. She has been very easy to work with and has had a number of excellent ideas that will help my site.
I’ve known Pamela for several years through BNI. I lose track after a while, but I believe it must be 7 years that I have known Pamela. During that time I have had the opportunity to watch her and her beautiful young family grow from being a couple to a couple with 3 really cute children.
The members of our group watched over the years as she would always have well-organized, nice looking scrapbooks of her family to show the rest of our BNI Chapter. Her passion for documenting her family has now grown into her new, and sure to be, successful business. I Hate Scrapping brings all of her experience and love of family together for the benefit of her growing list of clients. If you need photo and memory insurance, I Hate Scrapping is the place to go to keep those memories alive.
Visitors to the DisplaysPlus web site will now see some changes including two new product categories and more of the colorful buttons including “Featured” and “Super Sale.”
There are also more “Products to Consider” for the coming season of outdoor events. DisplaysPlus now has an even bigger variety of products that are sure to enhance your marketing and visibility at these kinds of events.
In the News & Information Center you will find out that we will be adding more and more products as the year moves on. With Earth Day having just passed it is important to realize that DisplaysPlus offers an increasing number of environmentally friendly products. We don’t look at this as a one day event, but as a serious way of conducting business.
Finally, on the Home Page, not only can you go to a variety of social media including Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter, but you can find out more information about two organizations DisplaysPlus is proud to be associated with, PRISM and BNI.
Product of The Week
Our current Super Sale on the UltraFit Table Throw brings together both excellent pricing and an excellent product. I use the UltraFit table throw at the trade shows I attend. I have to admit I tend to be a little careless in packing things away at the end of a show. That is one reason I like this product. It is very forgiving when I take it out for the next show and it is essentially wrinkle free due to the 12 oz. poly-stretch fabric. Beyond that, I find the UltraFit to not only have a modern, smooth look, it is also very easy to place onto the table.
Once the UltraFit is placed into position it will not move around. There is a zipper on the back side which allows for easy access to store things under the table. It comes in both 6′ and 8′ lengths. Our current Super Sale includes no set-up fee, free ground shipping in the USA and 10% off of retail.
Susan Nelson is a great example of how to change careers. I’ve known Susan for over 6 years. She is one of the few people I can say I have seen on a weekly basis over that period of time. That is one of the benefits of belonging to the same chapter of Business Networking International. I probably got to know Susan best during an 18 month period when she was the President and I was the Vice-President for our BNI Chapter, the PowerNetworkers. She is both upbeat and real. There is nothing phony about her including her approach to life and business.
During the 6 years I’ve seen her move from a successful “career” in real estate to a “passion.” that has become a career. That passion has become AskSusanNelson.com. When Susan speaks, she speaks with clarity and substance. Beyond that, you will simply like her and her smile.
I strongly suggest you read her bio and then check out the rest of her web site, especially the the topics on which she speaks to an every growing list of satisfied listeners.
Sometimes it is hard to believe in this great country of ours that hunger is such a problem. Consider this staggering fact provided by Minnesota Food Share. In 2010 there were 3,000,000 food shelf visits in our state. That is triple the number since 2000.
As I said in my last blog, not only is the need for well-stocked food shelves dramatically increasing…food prices are just beginning to soar. The rising cost of food will only exacerbate the problem.
One of the great organizations to come along to help fight hunger is The Empty Bowls Project. Many of you know about Empty Bowls and how it works, but for those of you who don’t know or haven’t attended an event before, here is a short description from their web site of how The Empty Bowls Project fights hunger around the world.
Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger and was created by The Imagine Render Group. The basic premise is simple: Potters and other craftspeople, educators and others work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. The money raised is donated to an organization working to end hunger and food insecurity.
PRSIM along with the 7 Dreams Foundation have worked with many volunteers throughout District #281 to promote the 1st Annual Empty Bowls Project for the Robbinsdale area schools and the PRISM Food Shelf. Please come out that evening and help fight hunger locally.
1st ANNUAL EMPTY BOWLS EVENT is scheduled for Thursday, May 12, 2011, from 5 – 8 p.m. at the Plymouth Middle School.
There is no single face to hunger. There are many.
Claudette, 49 is a proud woman. She has worked most of her adult life. Even though the jobs that she has held were low paying, she has done her best because her family has depended on her.
Bob, 50, is a proud, blue collar worker who has worked on the construction of many buildings over the years. These are buildings that are recognizable around the Twin Cities. Bob, a single dad, lives in a ranch style house, in an older suburb with his 16 year old daughter.
Both Claudette and Bob have been unemployed now for a long time. Days have turned into weeks, then into months then…
Recently, both have been to their local food shelf for the first time. Bob waited for over an hour before he could leave his pride in the car and enter the door to PRISM and ask for help. Claudette didn’t wait an hour, she held a picture of her children in one hand and opened the door to PRSIM with the other.
They found the food shelves at PRISM to be well stocked, but only because a large donation had come in that morning. You see, PRISM’s food shelves are under stress just like food shelves everywhere.
Hunger across our communities is on the increase…dramatically. Food prices are just beginning to soar.
To be absolutely truthful here, the individuals above are actually a compilation of many individuals. The pride and desperation are real. As a member of the PRISM Board of Directors I hear the real stories and see the real faces. PRISM needs your support to help keep the food shelves (one of many services within PRISM) stocked with food.
Find out how one phenomenal, community based fundraising organization helps fill empty bowls in your community, this country and internationally…in our next blog.
It has been a rough start to the baseball season. The fantasy team that I co-manage with my daughter…last place. My favorite team the Minnesota Twins…last place. Now Joe Mauer is out of action. Thankfully, not only is it a long season, but it is a season that is played outside in the elements. The breeze, the shadows growing longer, the temperature cooling into a night game and the smells of the concession stands. It is all great for the senses and good for the soul.
In many ways, opening day of baseball is the start of the opening of all outdoor events around the upper midwest. Although most outdoor events wait for the weather to warm up even more, the number of events that are being held begin to increase dramatically over the next several weeks.
There are so many different kinds of events. These events are often built around themes or the unique qualities of our communities. There are art shows, renaissance festivals, church and school events and many, many others large and small that help support both vendors and communities. Some have general themes and then there are other events with community oriented themes events like the James J. Hill Days in Wayzata, Minnesota. During this weekend event the City of Wayzata celebrates its ties to the railroad magnet James. J. Hill.
Visually, the Twins have done so much so well since the opening of their new outdoor facility. Baseball at Target Field is a rich and vibrant environment from the large screen in left field to the the newest addition of the smaller screen and tower in right field, to the flags, to the banners celebrating their history and greatest players and down even to the directional signage. The Twins know the power of creating a visual tapestry to weave into the minds of those attending the games.
I think the planners of outdoor events and the participants and vendors in these events can observe how the Twins have made their environment vibrant and then put a plan into action to improve the way attendees will experience their event or booth.
Images on sail signs, colorful flags, bright directional signage, event tents that are not just plain white will stimulate interest and create a colorful environment…one to fully experience and remember.
It is hard to believe that summer is almost over! It seems like I was just beginning to think about baseball, cookouts, gardening and camping. Or relaxing and having a beer while listening to classic summer songs by the Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffet and especially Frank Sinatra gently singing “Summer Wind”. At least that is what I was dreaming about prior to its arrival. And now it is nearly gone. That’s ok. Autumn is my favorite season and there is plenty to do.
From late spring through summer and into the color of fall, there are events happening across the country in communities large and small. Weekends are filled with special historical days and parades, art fairs, blues festivals and other events where people get together to have a fun time and celebrate life here in the United States.
Just as sure as the fact that autumn is approaching so is one of America’s great traditions…tailgating at football games. We’ve come up with a great way to have a tailgate event and that is with our fall special…the The Tailgater Package. It includes an event tent, cooler chairs, portable folding table with wheels, folding chairs and a 11′ high sail sign…all of which are imprinted with your school’s or team’s logo. Best of all there are no set-up fees. Check out our fall special.
This special can be used for much more than just tailgating though. Think about it. It would be a great package for college recruiters, fraternities or sororities, high school events indoors and outdoors. This $1,583 package comes with “kit” pricing and no set-up fees so the total savings come to $601.
Give it the old college try and I think you would be pleased with the results. It is sure to result in a victory.
These products really enhance your impact at trade shows and events through the use of a printing process that provides a design that is bright and colorful and is printed on a wrinkle resistant poly twill fabric for ease of use. Each of these 3 products is lightweight and a breeze to set-up.
Event coordinators, vendors and attendees all recognize these gatherings have to deal with with a variety of weather factors from bright sun to rain. DisplaysPlus provides a great solution for these problems.. in fact it is a ShowStopper.
The ShowStopper Event Tent is the solution for the effects of sun and rain at outdoor events. The ShowStopper, complete with a plain or imprinted 500 denier polyester canopy and a white powder coated steel frame keeps the elements off you and is easy to set up.
The Showstopper Event Tent comes in two sizes…10’ X 10” and 6’ X 6” square. The 10’ Showstopper Event Tents come with a choice of 7 different color canopies. There is also the ShowStopper Deluxe tent with other features.
PROFILES IN BUSINESS
One of our newest customers, DiscoverStrength Personal Fitness Center, Inc., recently celebrated their new location. For this special event they purchased a 10’ Showstopper Event Tent with its logo placed in 2 different locations on the canopy.
I was curious to find out what Ryan thought of setting up the event tent. Ryan said, “The learning process was easy…there was an on-line video to watch and employees to help us with anything we needed.” Beyond that Ryan added that “purchasing (the event tent) was convenient and effortless. It was delivered to our facility so we didn’t have to worry about anything and it was delivered in time for our anniversary party…we were pleased.”
I appreciated hearing that from Ryan, but I was still interested in what he thought about the tent itself and the graphic of their logo. Ryan stated that the “quality of the product was good…it was sturdy and our logo looked great.” He added, “It was effective as well…it gave us protection and shade and also a place to store out supplies.”
The Discover Strength grand opening event was well attended. As can be seen in the next photo the canopy provided not only shelter, but a sense of space in which people could gather and talk.
Discover Strength, just like DisplaysPlus, is a member of Business Networking International (BNI) and that is how this business relationship began. To learn more about Discover Strength and BNI read more here…
Discover Strength gives you personalized, effective workouts. As you can see on their web site they have a highly qualified staff. No more going to the gym 4 or 5 days a week to lazily hit the treadmill. Ryan Franz is a personal fitness coach at Discover Strength and a member of BNI. I have seen a fellow BNI member drop over 30 pounds and look great after workouts with Ryan and Discover Strength.
Discover Strength’s Ryan Franz is a member of the Golden Networkers BNI-MN chapter and DisplaysPlus is a member of the PowerNetworkers chapter.
So what does a song that is 51 years old have to do with your success at a trade show this year? There are lessons to be learned from something so ground-breaking, so popular, so enduring and so…cool. But first a little history…
Jazz musician Dave Brubeck had it right both musically and literally. In 1959 he shook up the music world with an odd-metered song. It was different. It caugth the attention of critics. People demanded to hear it again and again. Last year “Take Five” hit a milestone when it reached its 50th anniversary. Brubeck, at age 89, is still tickling the ivories and still writing and performing. If you’re not familiar with “Take Five” here it is…listen as you read on.
I love the drum solo in that video.
OK, so you are asking, “What ideas can I take from Take Five to help me at a trade show?” Here are five possibilities from this classic.
1. Take Five came out on an “album” entitled “Time Out.” So let’s take this literally. When at a show it is helpful, at different times, to literally take five minutes or a short time out to organize or re-group. The bigger the show, the more important this can be as there are more dynamics to consider. The first “take five” moment can come just before you are ready to have the exhibit set-up. Your can use this time to review inventory, your exhibit space, review procedures and show information and then check in with your team to do the same.
2. Take five minutes to check out your exhibit when it is set up. Is your display set-up properly? For example, are your light fixtures aligned correctly so that you get maximum exposure on your graphics? Are your graphics aligned correctly and neatly? Small details can make a big difference.
3. During the course of the show there are ebbs and tides of activitiy. Use the time when it has slowed down to organize products, straighten out hardware and brochures and make sure there isn’t any trash in the exhibit space. Perhaps this is a good time to freshen up yourself, take a short break or get some water.
4. Near the end of the show is a great time to take five because it tends to be a time when you and your staff are already switching your mindset from “taking care of business” to “getting the heck out of here.” Take five, review your tear-down procedures, review responsibilities (a lot of graphics or hardware components are lost at this stage of the trade show) and focus on conducting a quality effort in the tear-down.
5. Maybe the best lesson from the success of “Take FIve” and all the fame it brought to Dave Brubeck are the concepts of teamwork and being humble. Granted, it was Brubeck’s music group and because of that he gets the fame. The fact is, though, that it was his saxiphonist, Paul Desmond, that actually penned the hit song. Desmond was a part of the group…part of the team…and from all that I have read there is not a single negative word said by Desmond regarding the fame that came to Brubeck and not nearly as much to him.
On a final note, both Brubeck and Desmond, like many of their generation, served their country during WWII. So take five, be appreciative of their service and musical talents. Also, take five at your next show and see if it makes everyone have a more successful and upbeat experience.
Profiles In Business
Name: Gary Lieberman
Company: Gary Lieberman, CPA
Website: www.garytaxcpa.com
Gary has been a member of my BNI Chapter, PowerNetworkers, ever since I joined over seven years ago. I have, in that time, continued to hear fellow BNI members talk about Gary and the quality of service he brings not only to our chapter, but also to them as their accountant. When I first came to this chapter I already had an accountant and I will admit I am slow to change vendors, suppliers or personal services. I waited a few years while I heard a continuing barage of great reviews and thank-yous from current BNI members or from people they had referred to Gary. Finally, about 4 years ago, I decided enough was enough and I threw my business and personal tax returns at Gary’s feet and begged for mercy from the on-slaught of required tax forms and changing laws.
I am not sure which is worse…death or taxes. Death is pretty much a one-time event. Taxes change, taxes increase, taxes loom quietly like animals just before a major natural disaster.
As a young lad, Gary became acquainted with the field of accounting as he helped his father manage his accounting papers and forms. The overwhelming paperwork may have turned most young people off and away from the field of accounting, but not Gary. He’s carried on the tradition.
Gary has the combined business and accounting experience that helps him understand business issues, cycles and dynamics. This, along with continually keeping himself up to date with the most recent tax law changes, gives him a unique perspective…one that he uses to a person’s legitimate advantage in the taxation process.
I you are not confident in your accountant or if you want your taxes done correctly contact Gary. You won’t be disappointed.
Although I have written other posts to be published in the near future, this post is my first to be seen by the public. I am writing it on Fathers Day and thus I am going to write it as a small way to honor my father, Carl Johnson. Although this post has nothing to do with displays or the display business, it is about conducting business with honesty, respect and hard work. That’s what my Dad did. My dad was a kind man who, maybe because of youth, I didn’t fully appreciate until later in life. I certainly do now.
My father was born in May of 1910 and thus last month we celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth. That alone is really beyond my comprehension. It has been nearly 20 years since he passed away. To my great dismay, he never got to know my daughter and he never saw my son. That can happen when one decides to have children later in life. Dad would have been proud of both of them.
My father was a farmer, a construction worker and a large shovel and crane operator. He was a blue collar man with an eighth grade education. He was quiet, soft-spoken and quite gentle. Although Dad had a number of opportunities with me, I don’t think I ever heard him raise his voice. He even had a quiet laugh.
As I was growing up my father worked a crazy schedule for his mining company employer where one week he would work 7-3, the next week he would work 3-11 and the next week he would work overnight 11-7. He did that for years. All the while he had a small business working in a shop he built at the end of our garage. Here he would help others with their special job needs like welding, lathing, drilling and sharpening.
I think he especially enjoyed jobs that presented a challenge…a job that had not been done before. He would often be on the couch with a paper and pencil creating solutions and methods to reach the solutions. He didn’t let the fact that he chose to stay on the farm to help his father and get only an eight grade education stop him from being creative.
He was proud of his small metal shop business and not because he made a lot of money… because he didn’t. In fact, my mother was always disgusted with him for not charging higher prices for what she thought more fairly matched his time and effort. No, he was proud because he was self-taught on the equipment he used and proud of the quality of his workmanship. He built a number of pieces of equipment that he ended up using in his shop like a heavy duty air compressor, an automated hacksaw, an anvil and a used oil metal stove that kept the shop hot even when it was 20 below outside. He even built the workshop in which he did his metal work.
Every once in a while he would let loose on the financial wild side and take a few moments to add up his hand-written invoices to see what he had made in the last month. He would occasionally show or tell me with a wry grin on his face. I know now that that grin was pride, but I didn’t then. Maybe because I was just a teenager, but I didn’t really fully appreciate his ability and the pride he took in his business.
A while back my sister sent me a framed check from his business and I now have that sitting on my desk. It sits next to one of my favorite photos of my children at a younger age. These have become reference points for me to conduct my life and business the same way he conducted his…with integrity, honesty and hard work.
I look back now and I am grateful for having my Dad in my life. I swear that if he were alive today he would be on the couch figuring out how to “plug the damn hole” in the Gulf of Mexico.
