onic s Silic on F or e st E le c tr F ra nk Nic ho ls - CE O Vancouver, WA
Farnborough Boot Camp…. What I did not know on my first encounter with the European style B2B Air Show Take actions to attain a ROI on spending $10,000 -$15,000 that addresses the WORLD MARKET
Agenda • Silicon Forest Electronics • Why the Boot Camp? • Market Segmentation and understanding of who you are • Differences between US Trade Shows and European style B2B shows • Actions to take to improve the outcomes • Assessment of successes
“Trade Show” Long Term Value • Persistent Contacts – Personal – Often… but not too often • Presence – Be there! • Consistent • Farnborough Air Show • Toulouse Aero Mart • Paris Air Show • Montreal Aero Mart • Seattle ADSS
• Farnborough Air Show • Primary method of contact – B2B Meeting structure • Secondary walk the show to meet and greet.
• Anaheim Conventions Center – One of the largest trade show venues on the US West Coast • Takes 2 to 3 days to walk the entire 4 halls on a typical trade show to meet contacts and make in-roads.
Challenge #1: Perspective (Anaheim overlay on Farnborough)
Challenge #2: Farnborough has “Chalets” to penetrate • Generally by appointment only. • Each Chalet is 800 – 10,000 sq. ft. • 128 Chalets in 2012 • Daunting and not very inviting without PRIOR contact
#3: Gate- Keepers – Typical Farnborough Interior Stand
Challenge #3: Typical Farnborough “stand” • Most have a gate keeper. • Business is conducted in a conference room • Not a “drive-by” venue (typically) • Know who you are to meet and schedule an appointment prior to event or during. • 30 minute windows of time. (15-20-ish minutes of meeting time and 10 minutes of walking travel time) • Each participant has opportunity for a Max of 60 meeting times (4 days… no lunch, no breathers) Friday most exit.
Challenge #4: Farnborough is a WORLD MARKET • 2012 saw 1506 exhibiting companies and 107,000 representing all regions of the world. • Buyers and Sellers in the Aviation and Military markets.
#5: Exhibitors and Attendees are SCHEDULE DRIVEN • Get on your ideal candidates' “dance card” • Be early in the cycle. Meeting time slots close fast • Executive level exhibitors generally hang about for Day 1 and 2… gone home on Day 3 • Day 4 has much less pressure and can be used for a more “drive-by” approach • Day 5 is empty (I am told…I did not go either at Paris or Farnborough)
Golden Nuggets (Trade Show Management 101) • Know the reason you are going. • Target your 60 appointments • Set appointments well BEFORE you go. • Be punctual and not be a no-show. • Follow-up on ALL contacts.
Why are you going? • What is it that you expect to achieve from the Farnborough visit. • Be specific about your best outcome(s). ---------------------------------------------------------- • This is a basic understanding of the Farnborough strategy of what you want to get. Translate that into the Farnborough “who” you want to get. – Who is the aerospace world is your “Ideal Customer” • Size • Product • Location • Unique needs (counter-point to the Unique Selling Proposition) – What outcome are you looking to achieve? • Leads/Contacts to someone else in the Company • Contract? • Awareness?
Which Companies? • Translate the “Why/Who” you are going to those most likely suspects who fulfill the “Why/Who”. • Make a “Suspect List”. …. Companies; not People. • Cross Reference that list to companies who have been to 1) 2012 Farnborough; 2) 2013 Paris; 3) 2014 ADSS; 4) 2013 Aeromart • Go to the Farnborough web site and see who is signed up to participate as an exhibitor • Prioritize the list into “Prime Suspect List” by priority. • Start sending PERSONAL e-mails to your Prime Suspect List – Linkedin – Past events – CRM – Purchased data bases; etc. • Send at least 3 different e-mails about 10 days apart
Who (in order of priority) • CEO, CFO, CXO • VP Engr; VP QA; Director of Ops • Project Managers • Marketing Administrator for the exhibit. • Other Sales folks; BD, etc.
Suggested E-mail Content • Good morning (First Name if possible), • I suspect that you are xxxx (whatever you suspect) xxxx are going to be at the Paris Air Show. Farnborough is all about scheduling short meetings to address interest of mutual concern It is my hope that we can meet and have a discussion about xxxx services. Is it possible to schedule 15 minutes at the Farnborough Air Show to discuss how we might work together? • The question to be addressed is: “ xxx…. What are you trying to achieve at Farnborough……xxx ” • We have not worked for xxxxx directly as yet in any capacity; however, we build about xxxxx per month and integrate many of these into higher level sub-assemblies. ……. About 50% of our work is in the aerospace/military systems world. • If there is “no-fit”, I am good with that answer and we both move on. Another option is that you might provide other alternate contacts who might not be a part of the Paris Air Show. I will further this conversation directly with them. • The SFE stand, Hall 3-xxx, is part of the Washington State Trade Mission contingent to the Air Show. You are invited to stop by our stand anytime. I do look forward to having this discussion. Thank you and I hope to meet you at • Farnborough. • Sincerely, • Frank with title and contact info • Background: Silicon Forest Electronics, ….. Short elevator Speech………"
The Process • Know why you are going. Know who fits your Farnborough Ideal Customer Profile • • Research the “Who” inside the company • Hit them with a personal e-mail • Follow with a second e-mail that says you sent the first and know they are busy ….. Follow with a last ditch 3 rd e-mail …. Different than the prior two. • Greet and meet as many as you can while there. • • Take advantage of the down-time between appointments to do drive by’s to set new appointments • Immediately follow-up with thank you and commitments to continue to …… • Schedule a 6 month follow-up reminder that the next event is Paris and “Are you going to be there?”
The Practical: What to Bring? • Suit/Sport Coat & Tie • Comfortable walking shoes that compliment the suit. • Cell phone that connects in UK; I-Pad/Mini-Pad with data enabled for Wi-Fi connections • Don’t forget the camera function on your phone for notes • Small back-packs must be screened at the entrance. • Umbrella, rain coat, gore-tex jacket • Brochures and talking papers (simple and light) • Business cards (plenty) • Note book that is easy to carry
Contact Frank Nichols Silicon Forest Electronics frank@si-forest.com 360-901-9560 www.siliconforestelectronics.com
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