The Good and the Bad From IBS 2017

Good: Attendance, Booth Traffic and Builder Optimism

Bad: No Cares How Long You’ve Been in Business or Anything About Your Plant

Bad: This Belongs at the Roofing Show.

Bad: Showing Commercial Products Tells Builders You Don’t Understand Them.

Bad: What Are These Companies Trying to Sell?

Tell Builders What You Are Selling, Who You Are and Why They Should Care

Bad: What Are These Company Trying to Sell?

I Know Who They Are. I’d Like to Know What They Are Selling, and Why I Should Care

Bad: I See What You Are Selling. I Don’t Know Why You Are Any Better Than Your Competitors

Bad: I See What You Are Selling. I Don’t Know Why You Are Any Better Than Your Competitors

Almost Every Window Company Had No Point of Difference in Their Messages

Bad: Just Bad. I Usually Don’t Pick On Companies Who Don’t Know Any Better

Notice How There is No One in Their Booth

Bad: A Company Who Should Know Better.

Are They Selling Suits?

Each Year Builders Ask Me “What Do They Make?”Last Year Builder’s Ask Me “What Does Fashion Have to Do with Me?” This Year They Asked Me “What is a Form? Forms Are for Concrete”

Bad: A Company Who Should Know Better.

The Best Message In This Booth

Do You Know Any Builders Who Are Into Shabby Chic?

Bad: What Were These Doing at IBS?Don’t They Belong at a Home Show?

Good: Tell Me What You Are Selling, Who You Are and Why I Should Care

Good: Cutaway Illustrations Made It Easy For Builders to Understand Your Product

Good: Recognizing a Growing Market for Builders

Good: Builders Love Demonstrations

Good: Show Me You Offer Alternative Solutions to Meet My Needs

Good:Messaging That Tells Me Why

Good: Messaging That Tells Me The Difference

Good: Builders Don’t Need Fancy.Just Show Them How It Works.

Good: Simple, Creative, Unique, Attention Getting Product Demonstration

How to do Better at Your Next Show

1. Make it Very Obvious • Who You Are • What You Make • Why You Are Different

2. Consider Demonstrations 3. Involve Your Ad Agency in the Messages 4. Speak to the Builder - In Their Language 5. No One Cares How Long You’ve Been in Business or Anything About your Plant 6. Don’t Bring Commercial Displays to a Builder Show 7. Make it Easy For The Builder to Understand How Your Product is Used and How it Will Benefit Him

Looking for a Better Return on Your Investment in Trade Shows?

Contact me for a free review and critique of your building materials trade show exhibit.

info@seethewhizard.com

www.seethewhizard.com

Mark Mitchell is a leading sales growth consultant in the building materials industry, I identify the blind spots that enable building materials companies to grow their sales and retain more customers. As I am not an ad agency, my recommendations are focused on your sales growth and not my future income.

My mission is to help building materials companies be the preferred supplier of their customers and to turn those customers into their best salespeople. Contact me to discuss your situation.