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March 31, 2009

Choosing the Right Convention Opportunities

Posted by finalembrace under NFDA Convention, Vendors
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Last week, I got an email from Spencer from Hilltop.net, asking me if we’d be exhibiting at the 2009 Kentucky Convention.

To answer: Yes, Spencer, we will be there.

We’ll also be at the Independent Funeral Directors of Florida convention in June and the NFDA show in Boston in October. Spencer shared in his email that he is planning to attend the Missouri show this year and expand from there.

This brings up the exciting but often worrisome questions, “how many conventions should I attend?” and “How do I choose the right convention opportunities?”

While I’m a big fan of “going with your gut,” I like to start any convention decision process by looking at the numbers. That’s why I’ve created a spreadsheet to analyze exactly how much each convention will cost us and how much product we’ll have to sell to “break even,” so to speak.

Here’s the spreadsheet that I’ve been using:

CONVENTION	DATE	BOOTH	HOTEL	TRAVEL	MEALS	PROMO	MISC.	TOTAL	GOAL
KFDA	6/25/2008	$570	$490	$420	$240	$90	$187	$1,997	40
NFDA	10/12/2008	$4,800	$280	$100	$300	$100	$100	$5,680	114
GA Expo	3/1/2009	$550	$248	$110	$165	$50	$50	$1,173	23
Ohio FDA	5/25/2009	$650	$360	$325	$200	$50	$100	$1,685	34
IFDF	6/12/2009	$0	$260	$65	$85	$50	$50	$510	10
KFDA	6/24/2009	$570	$500	$300	$360	$50	$150	$1,930	39
NFDA	10/22/2009	$2,500	$550	$800	$300	$150	$600	$4,900	98

You will notice that I’ve included a few past conventions, to show you how we’ve done in the past.

For the 2008 Kentucky convention, I planned on spending less than $2000 and we did. But I based my cost estimate on a plan to spend just $50 per cover sold toward marketing. Since we only sold 32 covers, we actually spent $62.50 per item, exceeding my budget.

Of course, it sometimes works out for the better. While the 2008 NFDA show was almost 3 times the cost, we sold 153 covers, making our per-cover cost just over $37.

The Georgia Expo was a success, as we sold 22 covers - one shy of our goal. Likewise, the IFDF goal should be in easy reach, since a free booth (I’m presenting two seminars for CE’s during the conference) gives us just 10 covers to sell to meet our costs.

Of course, we also have to take into account the dates of each convention, the availability of staff and capital to invest in these events and the travel distance.

Interestingly, our sales to Internet shoppers and wholesale companies are dropping right now, no doubt because of the general economic slowdown and the uneasiness that most business people feel right now. And I don’t see the trend changing within the next six months, so anyone selling products to funeral directors needs to find other ways to reach out and encourage a sale.

That’s why we’ll be attending even more conventions this year. While I won’t be going to Missouri (just to far away for us to drive in a single day), we are hoping to add the Ohio Convention to our list and possibly pick up a smaller state show somewhere in between.

Stay tuned!

If you want a copy of our spreadsheet, you can view it as a Google Document and copy the formulas. Or email me at finalembraceonline@gmail.com and we’ll send the original Excel version to you.

March 6, 2009

I’m Presenting Two Seminars at the 2009 IFDF Convention

Posted by finalembrace under NFDA Convention
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I just heard from my friend Jan from the Independent Funeral Directors of Florida; I’ve been booked to give two presentations!

First, I’ll give an updated version of the talk I presented at the OGR Conference in Key West last year. The discussion centers around both “Good, Better, Best” marketing and how to merchandise the public areas of funeral homes.

Then, I’ll help funeral directors understand the new social media (MySpace, Facebook, blogs, etc.) with a 50-minute discussion of how to use the Internet to connect with client families.

The 2009 IFDF Convention and Expo will be held June 11-14th at the Renaissance Resort World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida.

Also, IFDF published their newsletter this month. Check it out.

February 16, 2009

2008 NFDA Convention: Eternal Space

Posted by finalembrace under Cool Products, NFDA Convention
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Prior to the 2008 NFDA Convention, I consulted for several companies that would be making their first showing at the expo.

Among them was a well-funded startup, called Eternal Space. For two months before the show, we had weekly, hour-plus phone consultations to discuss how they’d interact with funeral directors (they’re new to our industry) and how to present their unique product to a skeptical or un-informed public.

In the course of our conversations, I worked to get the guys from Eternal Space (Jay and Dave) to whittle the explanation of their product to one or two short sentences. Here’s what I finally settled on:

Eternal Space is the online equivalent of the world’s largest and most inclusive resting place that is accessible from anywhere in the world. While it can feature traditional cemetery components like headstones, trees and flower arrangements, Eternal Space is ultimately customizable, with spaces as diverse as beaches, mountainsides and meadows and almost any memorial feature you can imagine.

In theory (the site launches later this month), families pay a small fee to own an Eternal Space from their loved one. Visitors can plant trees (that will grow over time!) leave gifts of flowers and other items and sign a virtual guest book. Each Eternal Space features a large virtual memory book for photos, videos and condolences.

Eternal Space hit the 2008 convention hard and rolled out a 20′x40′ booth with bright white carpet and awesome graphic elements to reinforce the theme of modern, sleek and well-designed. Their space was just across the aisle from our CotCovers.com booth, so I got to listen to their video presentation for four days! (No complaints here, Jay. The video was professional and adequately communicated your product offerings.)

Their initial traffic was slow, as funeral directors tried to figure out who these news guys were. Competitors began paying attention and sneaking over to get a peek.

By the third day, they were having regular in-booth meetings with big name family funeral homes (I’m talking 5-10 location family groups) and getting people interested in their product.

During our consulting sessions we had discussed setting a realistic goal for leads generated by the show. They surpassed that goal by the beginning of the first day and won the “best new exhibitor” people’s choice prize before the show ended.

I’d talk more about the website now, but we’re all still waiting for them to roll out the full product. In the meantime, you can visit their site at www.EternalSpace.com and enroll for updates. You can also play with the “scene selector” to see a few of the memorial landscapes they have planned and watch a video that explains how your firm can make money offering Eternal Spaces to your clients.

And while I do some paid consulting work for Eternal Space, this article is NOT part of the pay agreement and my opinion hasn’t been bought. When their site goes live, I’ll bring you a more in-depth review and show you some of the cool features!

January 27, 2009

NFDA Is Making Changes for 2009 Convention (And I’m Concerned)

Posted by finalembrace under NFDA Convention, Who Are We?
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I just received my “thanks for booking your booth” letter for the 2009 NFDA Convention in Boston and I’m excited (it’s a good convention) and a bit concerned.

I took advantage of a new feature at the 2008 expo; I booked my 2009 space in advance. The benefit of this selection was being able to look at the layout of the booths and the main stage and choose a high-traffic location for my booth. Another advantage was locking in the 2008 price.

My 2008 convention was a wonderful success, owed mainly to having a good location and enough time to interact with as many attendees as wanted to visit with us. And while I’ve downsized for the 2009 show (a 10′x10′ corner booth instead of a 10′x20′ island) and expect fewer “wow, this is new!” visitors, I still hope to spend as many hours as possible telling funeral directors about our product and encouraging them to buy.

Which is why the letter I just received (nfda-2009-convention-letter) is so troubling.

Once you get past the payment instructions, two important things are revealed:

After just a single year’s experiment, the main stage in the expo is toast.

The opening night expo “sneek preview” is canceled and the last day is shortened.

Both of these things concerned me, so I immediately emailed Wynn Burke, the NFDA’s point person for conventions. Here’s his response:

Dear Tim:

Thank you for your valuable feedback. Decisions about the direction of our signature event are not made in a vacuum. As you correctly noted, in your email, the decision to not hold the general sessions in the Expo Hall was made based on feedback NFDA received. This feedback came from a number of sources, including the attendee and exhibitor surveys, the Exhibit Advisory Committee and the NFDA Executive Board.

In our attendee survey, the one thing voted as the “least valuable” aspect of the NFDA International Convention & Expo was the NFDA Main Stage in the Expo Hall. Results indicated that 30.7% percent of returned attendee surveys rated the location of the stage in the Expo Hall as the “least valuable” aspect of our convention. The exhibitor survey yielded similar, less-than-glowing feedback on the NFDA Main Stage.

Additionally, NFDA incurred a significant expense constructing the NFDA Main Stage, and renting the necessary high-end lighting and sound equipment needed to create a quality experience for attendees. Even with our investment in high-end sound equipment, we could not produce the kind of “NFDA Main Stage” environment we’d originally envisioned. NFDA has a fiduciary responsibility to its members – a responsibility we take very seriously. In these challenging economic times, we cannot justify the additional expense of constructing a “NFDA Main Stage” in the Expo Hall.

Feedback from the groups mentioned above also factored into our decision to cut back on our Expo Hall Hours. Nearly 50% of the exhibitor survey responses stated the hours/days were too long. The overall sentiment of exhibitors, attendees and the Executive Board was that NFDA should return to that had been used for previous conventions.

Best,

Wynn

Okay, so the main stage wasn’t as wonderful as expected. I’ve already suggested how they can make it better (see the post, 2008 NFDA Convention: What NFDA Should Fix) and they seem to be taking some of that advice by offering “exhibitor product presentations” for a fee.

The general session location wasn’t a big concern of mine, so I was more disturbed by the reduction in expo hours. Here’s an excerpt from the letter:

Here’s where I disagree with other vendors (Wynn cites almost 50% of vendors and attendees claiming the hours were too long) about the length of a trade show expo.

While our first night at the 2008 show was kind of slow sales-wise, we still talked with a bunch of funeral directors. In fact, we saw quite a number of “expo-only” visitors, locals who would not have visited the show during the week, but opted to take a stroll of the expo floor during the only evening session.

And many of the full convention attendees we met the first night browsed the floor and returned on another day to make their purchase. By canceling that first night, NFDA cuts my chances to get folks to think it over and come back. Worse, I think it forces people to make quicker decisions, which can lead to fewer purchases.

For exhibitors who complain that the hours are too long, I have three important words: get over it.

Meeting with past customers and future prospects is a HUGE opportunity! People fly from all over the country to visit you and see what you have to offer. Many list the expo as the main reason they come to the NFDA Convention. And still, you complain about having to spend a few more hours with these folks who want to see you?

Are you kidding me?

Maybe you’re burned out on trade shows, but I wonder if this constant complaining isn’t just a symptom of a larger problem.

Consider the common complaints I hear from other exhibitors:

“No one stops to look at my products.”
“I can’t get anyone into my booth.”
“People just want to take the free stuff.”
“My feet hurt.”
“I’m bored.”
“I stayed up too late last night.”
“This show is sooooo slow.”
“My booth location is awful.”
“The hours are too long.”
“No one wants to buy anything.”

If 18 hours per year at the largest funeral convention in our hemisphere is too much for you (and the tens of thousands of dollars you’ve spent to get there) maybe the real problem is this:

YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO PREPARE FOR AND RUN A TRADE SHOW BOOTH.

I’ve talked a lot on this blog about how to be better exhibitors. I’m sure I’ll keep speaking about it and trying to educate my fellow vendors.

But it still doesn’t change the fact that the NFDA cut 5 hours out of my time to talk with my customers and is still charging me $2500 (booth fee alone) for the privilege. I expect Boston to cost me over $8000. Before the cut, I needed almost $450 an hour in profit to break even. Now, with the time crunch, it’s $615.

I guess I’ll just have to talk faster. All because my fellow exhibitors want to get off their feet a few hours earlier.

January 6, 2009

Hey, Vendors. Stop Telling Me How Hungry You Are.

Posted by finalembrace under NFDA Convention, Our Philosophy, Vendors
[2] Comments

Mace Stuffing His Face by Brandon (danger_boy_13).

Photo by Flickr user Brandon Larkin

After my November 2008 post, 2008 NFDA Convention: The Tired, The Hungry and The Bored, in which I told vendors not to eat food on the convention floor, I got a few emailed responses that disagreed with me. Here’s the most common rebuttal and my re-rebuttal (if that’s even a word):

“I paid for it, so I should get to eat it.”
You’re right, your money did help pay for the food that some convention put out “free” for attendees. And no convention organizer is going to tell you not to eat it. But I’m telling you to keep out of that food.

Why? Because you have a limited amount of time to interact with your visitors. Why spend even 30 seconds of that time stuffing food into your mouth when you can do that before the show? At the IFDF Convention in June 2008, we had exactly 5.5 hours to sell cot covers. I had a goal of 15 covers sold for the show, so I needed to sell almost three an hour. Not a lot of time to eat all the wonderful food offered (they had cookies, fruit and hand-carved roast beef, among other things).

“I didn’t get a chance to eat before the show.”
Here’s my heartless answer: get organized and plan your time better. Ouch, huh? Truth is, you should have been ready hours in advance so you could have a bite to eat before the show. You took time getting showered and dressed, didn’t you? Why didn’t you budget time to eat?

Stuffing his face by emtboy9.

Photo by Flickr user emtboy9

“The show hours are during my dinnertime.”
You mean they’re serving food to attendees when they might be hungry? Seems kinda obvious, doesn’t it? But guess what, if you’re going to get the most out of the convention, you can’t take a chance that you’ll have poppy seeds stuck in your teeth or mustard in the corner of your mouth when talking with a prospective client.

Why take the chance of having a mouthful of food when you need to talk to a customer, especially if you can always eat a snack before and plan a meal to celebrate your success (fingers crossed) after the show closes?

“But the food just looks so good!”
If the food is attractive and smells even better, you should be happy; the spread is meant to please your visitors and make them more eager to enjoy the rest of their stay on the expo floor.

But practice some self control! If you expect to keep your booth and your clothes as attractive as the food, you need to minimize the chance that you might spill something on your carpet, your product or yourself. That’s why I try to keep our in-booth food/beverage items restricted to water.

“I only eat the food if the convention is slow.”
Unless the traffic has ground to a complete halt, you have even more reason to be the one person not stuffing his face. Those visitors who are wandering the floor are still convention attendees and all the regular rules apply. You need to get their attention (with your booth design, your product or your winning smile) and convince them to come look at your product. You need to invite them into your home.

If you’re already in the middle of a meal (I once saw a salesman for a big industry company carry a full plate of food, stacked three inches high, to his booth) they won’t feel welcome and while they won’t say it, they won’t want to interrupt your dinner.

Photo by Flickr user Cynnerz

“I eat when I’m nervous.”
When the nerves hit you (convention expos can be stressful) try tidying your booth or folding pamplets. And if your “meal” of choice is fingernails, stop biting those, too. You need to be appropriately groomed to impress your guests and bleeding fingernails are bad form.

“Everyone else eats at expos.”
Yeah, and everyone else ends the show complaining about the attendance, their low sales figures and their inability to attract visitors to their booth.

Not to blow my own horn to loudly (picture Dizzy Gillespie’s distended cheeks), but we don’t have those problems. But then again, we’re not everyone else and we don’t eat in our booth. Maybe we’re on to something.

In Conclusion…
Unless you’re working an eight-hour show, there’s no reason why you can’t wait until after the show to eat a meal. And if you are doing that super-long show, the best arrangement is to get away from the booth to eat. If you don’t have someone to take over for you (I always bring a helper, but I can finally afford it), work out an arrangement with a neighboring vendor and trade off coverage so each of you can eat something light away from the show floor.

January 5, 2009

NFDA Membership Has Its Privileges

Posted by finalembrace under Funeral Home Financials, NFDA Convention
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EDITOR’S NOTE: I just got an email from my friends at NFDA. If you’re not a member yet (or you don’t take advantage of your membership), here’s what you’re missing. The rest of this post is clipped from the NFDA email and contains their claims, not mine. Oh, and I have not received any compensation for sharing this information with you.

Did you know your NFDA membership saves you a minimum of $15,308 every year?
Learn how to take FULL advantage of ALL your NFDA member benefits in 2009 by attending the FREE teleconference “Your NFDA Membership Benefits”, January 8, 2009, 1-2 p.m. CT (No CE).

You’re guaranteed to learn how to:

Receive rebates of up to 6¢ per gallon on fuel purchases with the new BP Fleet Management and Fuel Rebate Program.
Keep up to 80% of your collections with the new and improved collection service through CCR Collections, Inc.
Save a minimum of $125 per hour with FREE legal forms through NFDA’s FaxBack system.
Save $50 per 15-minute legal consultation with NFDA’s General Counsel Scott Gilligan.
Save a minimum of $88 per 15-minute consultation with FREE, unlimited use of NFDA’s OSHA support and human resources hotlines.
Save a minimum of $15,000 per year with FREE, customizable public relations and advertising materials, including more than 20 free print ads, radio spots and more!

3 Easy Ways to Register:

Register online
Download a registration form and fax to 262-789-6977
Call your personal NFDA member services representative at 800-228-6332

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!
More NFDA events are just around the corner …

January 15, 1-3 p.m. CT, When a Death Isn’t ‘Normal’ – Helping the Grieving: Working with Families Experiencing Sudden or Traumatic Loss, Web Seminar (2 CE Hours)

January 27, 1-2 p.m. CT, Preventing Debts from Going to Collection, FREE Teleconference (No CE)

February 5, 1-2 p.m. CT, Award-winning Ideas for Funeral Homes in Pursuit of Service Excellence, FREE Web Seminar (1 FREE CE Hour)

February 19, 1-3 p.m. CT, If Warren Buffet Owned a Funeral Home: Practical Financial Strategies for Independent Funeral Homes, Web Seminar (2 CE Hours)

February 24, 1-2:15 p.m. CT, Family Business Roundtables, FREE Teleconference (No CE)

December 18, 2008

2008 NFDA Convention: Before and After

Posted by finalembrace under NFDA Convention
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Last December, I shared my excitement about the 2008 NFDA Convention prospectus that had arrived in the mail. In the post, 2008 NFDA Convention Prospectus, I talked about the changes to the show, including the inclusion of the general session stage and seating within the expo hall.

I observed that:

This means exhibitors will get more face time with important clients as they attend the main sessions, lunches and receptions.

I also think this will encourage attendees to visit more booths and to revisit and spend more time with exhibitors they find especially interesting.

Now that the convention is over and we’re busy preparing for the 2009 schedule, I can look back at how well the convention fulfilled those expectations.

First, there definitely was more face time with clients, although I still think NFDA should trim some of the early morning hours when no one is walking the show floor (2008 NFDA Convention: What NFDA Should Fix).

The extended hours and inclusion of the general sessions on the floor actually helped the exhibitors, but possibly at the expense of the general sessions. There weren’t as many people sitting in the assigned seats and paying undivided attention to the opening session as I expected. On the plus side, more of them were talking to me and listening to the session in bits and pieces!

We also got a lot of repeat business, which didn’t happen in 2007 (bad booth location), with attendees stopping by our booth two and three times. Many who had already ordered dragged their friends over to look at the product.

More encouraging, we saw people walking the floor on subsequent days, meaning that the expo is no longer “that room you visit once during the show” but the center of the activities.

Now, if they could only figure out how to offer the CEU’s on the expo floor…

December 5, 2008

Robin Richter Shares “My Take on the 2008 NFDA Convention”

Posted by finalembrace under Be Our Guest, NFDA Convention, Robin Richter
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As always, I love attending the conventions with Tim. Supporting him, selling his products and being part of the excitement that is generated by the folks buying his cot covers really lights me up! Meeting the attendees and other vendors is great, too, as then I can put a face to a name when I’m reading the blog or Tim is talking about them.

Tim had the floor installed and the booth assembled on Saturday, with several good friends and fellow salespeople. I arrived on Monday, while Tim and the others were there on Sunday to start selling.

This year we had an incredible location, good lighting, a dance floor that really made us look different, and more people than ever to help with the booth. We were always busy and hopping!

Tim made many changes to the display since last October and surprisingly enough, they were much more effective than before (who’d a thought it could get better?). Along with having the open booth style that he advocates to everyone he coaches, consults with or generally gives tips to on the blog, the design encouraged even more folks to stop and look – and usually buy.

As last year, our goal seemed almost unobtainable. I felt certain we could pull it off. Tim’s posts have told you just how great we did. He is still getting orders as a result of the convention!

My role in photo-taking this year didn’t get very far. It was so busy that I only took a few and a majority of those didn’t come out well, and I found that frustrating. Tim had a new way to video folks for the podcasts – a Flip Camera – and he interviewed several vendors when he could get away.

One of the “other” cot cover companies did not attend this years’ convention. Last year, Tim provided good, sound business advice in his Final Embrace Contributors Forum. I attended that event and listened as he gave thoughtful assistance to several first-time businesses. There were several who seemed intent on NOT listening to his advice and, not surprisingly, they didn’t attend this year’s convention.

Tim has been working with consulting clients for quite a while now and those companies had made very positive changes to not only their booths, but to some of their sales strategies.

Always the innovator, Tim set up and hosted a Mort Dinner at a very nice restaurant on Monday evening for anyone that wished to attend. We had about 12 attendees and the talk was non-stop. It was a lot of fun, provided lots of insight to many, and declared very successful by all!

Tuesday was just as busy as Monday. We had a new “body” to replace one that early in would think everyone on our team had been selling cot covers for years! Tim has a pretty specific and easy to do sales presentation, but everyone was so genuine and passionate about the product, they did a truly awesome job! I went to another booth for three hours to help with some specific coaching. When I came back to our booth to check on things and go to lunch, it was so busy, I couldn’t go back to the other booth for the rest of the afternoon!

I did not get to stay for the final day, Wednesday, but from everything I’ve heard, it was just as busy and exciting as it was on Monday and Tuesday.

Am I going to Boston next year? I sure hope so and I’m putting in my convention team request right now! Being part of the Final Embrace Team is a delight and I’m glad to be there to help, in any way, every step of the way!

Robin Richter is a Human Resources Expert,
an avid motorcycle enthusiast and,
as the owner of several Boston Terriers,
is a “rabid” fan of the breed.

November 20, 2008

2008 NFDA Convention: The Tired, The Hungry and The Bored

Posted by finalembrace under Client Relations, NFDA Convention, Our Philosophy
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Since this post is about the various states of convention exhibitors, I probably should add “the newbie”, “the worried” and “the over-it” to the title.

Still unsure what I’m talking about? Let’s go over how each of these six conditions can negatively impact the interaction between vendor and attendee and how to overcome them.

THE TIRED. Yes, it’s physically tiring to rush to the convention floor, set up a complicated booth, shower, get dressed and get back to the show before it opens, which may explain why so many exhibitors look tired even on the first day.

That’s why I always get to a convention site at least a day before the show starts. Is this expensive? Between time away from home, hotel rates and meals on the road, it certainly is. But how many sales might I lose by looking tired or letting fatigue keep me from giving the precious few exhibiting hours my best attention?

And I don’t suggest doing a lot of partying or sightseeing in the hours away from the expo floor. Standing for five or six hours is hard on your body. Don’t complicate it or overdo it by going out to a tourist nightclub to drink the night away, just hours before the next full day of exhibiting. Save the partying for after the show, when you’re celebrating success.

THE HUNGRY. A few conventions have started to offer food on the floor, but I would caution against partaking in the food while the doors are open to guests. Invariably, the minute you step away to get a piece of roast beef, some interested attendee will be ready to place an order at your booth. Even worse, you may offend paying attendees by being in line ahead of them.

My solution? Eat ahead of time. Before the last few shows we’ve done, I get our booth finished a few hours before the show starts and hit a local restaurant (usually at an off hour, so less traffic) before heading to the hotel to get changed. That way, I don’t spill anything on my good clothes and the meal has time to digest before we start talking to potential clients.

THE BORED. Yes, shows can sometimes be slow. But you need to find booth-related things to do to pass the time. No, you cannot read a book, unless it’s an exciting book about your industry. I suggest you fluff merchandise or, if you make a product, bring some to work on during the show. One of the blogs I read is by Luann Udell, who does a lot of art shows and talks about making her art in the booth during slow sessions.

THE NEWBIE. These folks have been pushed into a booth without any experience and no idea what to expect. To combat this, I always pair a new person with a pro. I’ve trained the last four of my product experts that way and it works.

In Vegas, Robin accompanied me and learned, by watching, how to interact with our customers and bring people over to our booth. At the 2007 IFDF, Lynn found out how I like to show off our product and which features he should highlight. During the 2008 Kentucky show, Linda watched as I lured people into our booth and found out how to “ask for the sale.”

Most recently, at the 2008 NFDA show in Orlando, Kim learned how all the great features of our covers and marketing messages we craft (she helps me out in the workshop and the office) come together to entice funeral professionals to buy a cot cover from us.

Now I feel comfortable sending any of them out to sell covers on their own, because I know that they won’t be newbies, but seasoned veterans with the skills and knowledge necessary to anticipate what a convention will bring their way.

THE WORRIED. There’s a transformation that happens on the second or third day of a show, when those who haven’t met their goals or are unsure of how the show will pan out begin to wonder if it’s all over for their product/service. Unfortunately, their panic and concern usually telegraphs to the attendees and they seldom recover and turn the show around.

There’s not much you can do about becoming one of “the worried,” except understand what is happening at the show (no one wants your information, no one will enter your booth, attendance is down) and attempt to figure out what contribution you are making to the problem. Are you aggressively inviting visitors into your booth? Is it the product? Are you explaining the beneficial features accurately? Do you have body odor? Is your nervous smile creepy to people?

Or you can do what a lot of exhibitors do when they get a case of “the worrieds.” You can complain about the bad turnout and commiserate with the guy in the next booth.

THE OVER-IT. These folks have clearly had enough and they’re just waiting for the signal to break down their booth and hit the road.

This can be exhibitors who have had a terrible show and even those who have sold more than their goal. In fact, I felt this the last day of the 2008 NDA show and had to convince myself that we could still make more sales in the afternoon, even though I was ready to pack it in and rejoice over our great success.

Unfortunately, the over-its often miss great opportunities that appear on the last day. In their rush to get their booth packed before everyone else and be out of the convention hall just as the final buzzer sounds, many ignore the thoughtful, interested clients who walk the expo floor on the last day. As I’ve shared before, our booth neighbors at the 2007 NFDA show packed up a full 3 hours before the show ended, missing at least 5 interested visitors who wanted to know more about the diamonds they make from cremated remains (not LifeGem).

In conclusion, companies spend a lot of time and money to attend trade shows. It’s sad to see all the hard work wasted because the human element (the part with all the cool ability to interact and impress clients and make the sale) is pre-occupied or too nervous to be “on” that day.

November 13, 2008

2008 NFDA Convention: What NFDA Should Fix

Posted by finalembrace under NFDA Convention
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In a recent post, 2008 NFDA Convention: What NFDA Did Right, I detailed the good decisions I saw from NFDA. Now comes the criticism!

First, I should tell you how much I appreciate the folks at NFDA and all the hard work they do to make this show successful. In tough economic times and an era when many groups struggle to keep their membership and mission fresh, I know how hard it is to come up with new ideas or break out of old habits.

So here are the things I believe that NFDA should address to make the show even better in the future:

1. Where was the food? I got so excited seeing the floorplan with a section labeled “Cafe” at the back of the expo area. When I arrived, I found out it was a few dozen tables and some high-priced vendors selling $10 burritos and $8 bowls of ginger chicken. For exhibitors, this was at least an easier way to grab a quick bite to eat, but it felt more like a band-aid than an answer to food on the exhibit floor.

2. Lotsa empty booths. Adding the general session area (a good idea) to the expo space meant renting a whole extra hall at the Orange County Convention Center, which gave the impression that the space wasn’t filled and there were less exhibitors (not the case). Many empty spaces on the grid were simply left open. By not filling in back sections, NFDA left some exhibitors out to dry, especially those who spent extra and thought they’d be at the front of a deeper section of booths along the large back aisle. I saw at least two exhibitors who picked up their booths and moved to another location (I’d guess they got permission first) to be nearer the crowds.

3. Not enough resting areas. The only resting place I saw was directly behind our booth and featured a few sofas, some of those ufo-looking retro chairs and some gaming “slings” that sit way too low for adults. NFDA could have used all those empty booths (mentioned in #2) to spread out the chairs or added some small bistro tables at strategic locations around the hall. This would have allowed vendors a place to step away to without being too far away and funeral directors a place to stop and regroup while walking the big show floor. (Note: there was also a section of tables and chairs in the new exhibitor section. I don’t know if this was planned or a solution hit upon when they didn’t sell all the space in that section.)

4. Pre-Registration or Registration? Maybe this is just me, but I when I tried to help several of my expo-only guests get their registration badges, they were bounced between pre-registration and (normal?) registration several times before getting the issue resolved. I think the names are too close to each other and don’t give accurate direction. Once again, that might just be me and the two folks who I was helping.

5. 9 am – 3 pm everyday? While the evening preview session gave area funeral directors a chance to use their expo-only passes, the monotony of the following three days’ expo sessions did little to encourage different types of visitors. I’d suggest having at least one more late afternoon or evening session, to give area funeral directors and visitors a chance to check out the expo at a later time.

6. Too-long expo hours. Turns out that very few people want to check out new trocar designs at 9:00 am. Who knew?

7. New exhibitors need nurturing. Companies that have attended the expo even once before will look like old hands next to a new exhibitor. From choosing a location to setting up a booth at a national show for the first time, new exhibitors need extra special attention. I know that NFDA is working on this right now, so don’t take this as a huge criticism. But the reality is that quite a number of last year’s new companies didn’t return this year. Whether that’s because they had crappy product, bad salesmanship or no support from NFDA is unknown.

8. Sell space on the jumbo-tron. The general session area had a huge jumbo-tron that could have been used to advertise for exhibitors. Why not sell some ads cheap? It would allow exhibitors to reach a few people who might not have ventured over to the east wall of booths but who might be the perfect customer. And who knows, an obscure or brand-new product might do well with some big exposure. Better yet, don’t charge anything for it and allow each exhibitor to submit a slide for the jumbo-tron and run each one for 5 seconds. You could exhibit 400 of them in 35 minutes loops.

9. $10 for parking. Really? This one’s a tiny pet peeve, but if I identified myself as a patron to the Southern Women’s Show, I only had to pay $6. If I said I was with NFDA, they charged me $10. UGH!

Could I complain more? Sure, I’m good at it. But the truth is, most of the issues I heard about at the show were confined to the expo floor. I didn’t get out to a lot of the sessions, so I can’t comment, but I know that many of the attendees enjoyed the education portion of the show.

In my mind, NFDA needs to strive to make the expo floor more “attractive” to both exhibitors and funeral directors. That doesn’t mean aesthetically, but attractive in the sense that it needs to be something people want to see. Exhibitors invest a lot of money to attend a show and they need resources to do a better job of presenting as well as more people to talk with. Better-equipped exhibitors will interact more with visitors, which will increase the interaction and information exchanged. That makes the expo more inviting to funeral directors.

By continuing or expanding the expo-only program, NFDA and their exhibitors can invite a different set of attendees (usually first-timers who haven’t ever considered going to a national show) and expand the audience for their exhibitors.

November 13, 2008

2008 NFDA Convention: How Final Embrace Averaged 36 Sales a Day

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Traveling the convention near the end of each day, I heard the same thing from numerous exhibitors:

Today was slow. No one wanted to stop at our booth.

Made me want to say “boo-hoo, crybaby.”

Now, before you think me a complete jerk, know that I didn’t actually say it and I don’t mean the phrase as an insult.

Of course, if everyone had experienced the same kind of day, where no one was stopping at booths or buying anything, I’d have been lamenting right along with them. But our booth averaged 36 sales a day.

Meanwhile, folks I talked to on Day 3 had still not made a single sale. Others hadn’t even made any promising contacts with industry buyers.

But being the kind-hearted giver that I am – and the needy book writer who has to get some pages ready anyway – I’m going to reveal our strategies for bringing visitors to our booth and generating sales. Here are the steps:

1. We chose a beneficial location. Because we didn’t have to travel far (only 40 miles from our workshop to the Orange Co. Convention Center), I was able to spend a little more on booth rental this year and get a better spot on the floor. But I still spent hours looking at the proposed layout and trying to decide where to place our exhibit.

2. We booked early. We couldn’t have gotten that great location if I hadn’t made the decision early and secured it right away. Early planning also helped me save for other expenses (we put a little away each month) and keep a look out for deals on our hotel and other purchases.

3. We considered the competition. This doesn’t just apply to others who sell similar products, although they’re important. We actually considered how other booths would look and how those competing with us for a visitor’s attention might try to attract it. That’s why we went with a wood floor in a contrasting color to the blue carpet the show organizers selected for the group flooring.

4. I booked enough staff. Even before we expanded our booth size (see #5) I made sure we had enough people scheduled to work the booth to talk to all the visitors who passed by.

5. We saw an opportunity to expand our booth and took it. When it became available, we upped our booth space from 10×10′ to 10×20′ and made ourselves more visible.

6. We talked to everyone who walked by. This can’t be stressed enough: we made an effort to engage everyone who walked by our booth. And we didn’t just say hello and let them walk away. When they responded to our greeting we engaged them, either by asking “have you seen our beautiful quilted cot covers?” or “can I show your our covers?” or “do you use our quilted cot covers?” And it worked!

7. We qualified attendees. The first qualification was getting them in the booth. If they chose not to look at the product, they obviously weren’t a potential sale. But even those who enter the booth might not be “our customer.” We asked questions like “do you make removals?” or “what kind of cover do you use now?” Answers to these questions helped us decide whether to give the full-on sales pitch or quickly finish up with the visitor to move on to the next prospect.

8. We asked for the sale. After walking people through our product’s features, we asked our visitors if they were ready to buy one. If they resisted, we reminded them of our 10% convention discount. If they were still reluctant, we gave them a brochure and reminded them that they’d have to order during the convention to get that big discount.

9. After the sale, we thanked them. Funeral directors are also businesspeople, so they understand how important it is to make sales and they enjoy getting a good product and helping out other people. By thanking them, we reminded them how much we appreciated their business and how integral and important they are to us.

10. We set a goal and kept track of our progress. At our busiest times, all five of our booth workers were talking to people and selling covers. When anyone made a sale, we added it to the total and spread the word to the others, so that everyone knew how far we were from our goal. Even better, I promised our staff that we’d celebrate with a nice dinner if we reached that goal and that helped motivate my sellers even more.

Every time I hear someone complain that they’re not getting visitors to their booth or they’re not making any sales, I remember the odd little truth about trade shows: As much as you work to qualify expo visitors, they’re also qualifying you and they’ll walk right by booths where the exhitor fails to invite them to take a closer look.

Before the next NFDA convention (in Boston next year), I’ll be holding a “booth camp” for exhibitors. I don’t know, yet, how we’ll work it, so stay tuned for more details.

November 12, 2008

Deidre Blair Shares Her 2008 NFDA Convention Experience

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While you can read a lot more about her experience on her blog, Deidre shares her thoughts on the New Exhibitors Area in a blog post:

Knowing that the guys in the next booth were newbies like me. We both had spent time developing our products and had invested our money in something we believe in! We were not hired to babysit our booth, rather work hard at making new contacts and beginning new relationships. We learned the ropes together!

I thought it was great to be able to extend invitations to Funeral Directors to attend the convention expo floor free of charge. I had a few Funeral Directors attend and I know they enjoyed their time!

She also shares some things she didn’t like and hopes the NFDA will work on.

Read the full story on her blog, Final Reflections.

November 8, 2008

Wanna Know More About How We Make Cot Covers?

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Here are a few of the videos we’ve made lately:

First work after the convention:

First orders ready to leave:

Making pillowcases:

Sometimes we have to fix mistakes:

Kim loses count and we make our own pockets:

Boxing more orders:

October 30, 2008

More 2008 NFDA Convention Coverage Coming

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I had originally posted a schedule of 2008 NFDA Convention stories, but I’ve had to back off of that because of my own personal commitments and all the orders we’re still filling from the convention.

Here’s a list of what I plan to write, without any promised publish dates:

2008 NFDA Convention: National Urns
2008 NFDA Convention: What NFDA Should Fix
2008 NFDA Convention: DNA 11
2008 NFDA Convention: Eternal Space
2008 NFDA Convention: What We Learned
2008 NFDA Convention: Best and Worst Booth Locations
2008 NFDA Convention: Not-Yet-Ready-For-Primetime Products
2008 NFDA Convention: The Tired, The Hungry and The Bored
2008 NFDA Convention: 10 Ways to Get Visitors into Your Booth
2008 NFDA Convention: How Final Embrace Averaged 36 Sales a Day
2008 NFDA Convention: 10 Unique Booth Configurations and Features

Look for these in the coming days and weeks.

October 29, 2008

2008 NFDA Convention: What NFDA Did Right

Posted by finalembrace under NFDA Convention, Our Philosophy
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I’ve tried writing this post three times and I can’t seem to make it a cohesive, single story. So here’s a bunch of “bullet point”-type paragraphs highlighting the best aspects of this convention.

NFDA chose the right location. With myriad theme parks and other tourist attractions, Orlando is a great place for funeral directors with families. Many of the folks we sold cot covers to shared that their family was at a theme park while they attended seminars and training classes.

For vendors, the location was great because Florida is a “right-to-work” state, meaning many exhibitors could set up their booth without getting attitude from union laborers about who can plug an electric cord into an outlet.

They invited expo-only guests. By inviting area funeral directors (with a free pass offered through exhibitors) to attend the expo, the NFDA got bodies on the floor, so to speak. They received several hundred of these registrations, many of which, I would presume, were from people who wouldn’t normally pay to attend a national convention.

NFDA still collected full-convention fees from those who saw the value in attending everything AND they were able to get new people to the floor to check out all the great new products and services. Getting these folks onto the floor helped fill out their final attendance figures, but it also helped vendors with their biggest hurdle: getting people to walk by the booth.

They combined the general sessions with the expo floor. A few people were confused by this arrangement (”Wait – I go into the Expo to see the opening session?”) but it got people onto the floor and made the expo floor a place visit more than just one day of the show.

The opening night reception provided variety for expo-only visitors. Because the next three expo-only sessions were during the day (9:00 am – 3:00 pm) the opening night “preview” was a good change of pace for area visitors who needed to get back their funeral homes Monday morning and provided something to do for out-of-town directors who arrived Saturday or Sunday and wanted to hang out and chat.

While my company didn’t sell a lot of cot covers that night, we made some good connections with folks who returned later in the show to place orders and make our exhibit truly successful.

Allowing Boston 2009 booth reservations builds confidence. Vendors who had a good show, like me, are more likely to work from the immediate success and lock in their spot right away. This also gives NFDA a chance to capture repeat business (something that may have been a problem from last year) from the people (exhibitors) who help pay a portion of the convention bill.

Also, rewarding early adopters by giving them primo booth placement means better relationships with some “power exhibitors,” the folks who will help drive the show in the future. Yes, companies like Batesville will still provide a lot of the show’s draw, but when someone wants to see new products or that small company that doesn’t travel to all the state shows, they look for booths like mine.

NFDA Staffers looked like they were having fun… most of the time. I don’t know if it was part of Wynn Burke’s work or just the mood that Orlando helps create, but NFDA staffers looked like they were enjoying themselves. From bright-colored “paradise” shirts (a management decision, to be sure, but it made them easily identifiable) to the easy smiles when asked a question, every staffer I met was cheerful, even when there were lots of things going on and many issues to address.

All in all, my experience at the 2008 Convention was great. There are a few things I would change and some specific snafus that the NFDA needs to correct before next year’s show, but those few problems don’t change what I saw as a strong show with a good base plan to build on.

October 29, 2008

2008 NFDA Convention: RK Productions

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One of the other exhibitors I met at the NFDA Convention was Randy from RK Productions.

A veteran of the gift industry, Randy has decided to bring his expertise with carved stone items to the urns.

Randy’s urns are beautiful, like the “In Flight Urn” pictured here:

Unique and high-quality, urns by RK Productions are different than what is currently available in the funeral industry. I was especially impressed with the weight (carved from real stone material!) and the level of detail in each piece.

They also provide personalized engraving at an additional charge.

You can see the full line of Ever After urns from RK Productions here.

While I can’t disclose Randy’s wholesale pricing, I double-checked to make sure the numbers he quoted me were accurate.

Reasonably priced and beautiful, these urns are something truly new to the industry. Call Randy today to find out how to get a few for your selection room.

RK Productions Inc.
Toll Free: 1-888-ARK-PROD(275-7763)

NOTE: This is a free review. RK Productions has NOT offered any compensation for this product spotlight.

October 28, 2008

2008 NFDA Convention: Final Embrace Dinner

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Prior to the start of the NFDA Convention, I sent emails to all the vendors who were scheduled to exhibit. The email invited them to a dinner, hosted by my company, at a local restaurant.

I also invited blog readers to join us to talk about the industry, enjoy a nice meal and make some business connections.

24 people RSVP’ed for the event, which I planned for Monday, October 13th at 5:00 pm.

We chose the Samba Room, a Cuban-inspired restaurant that features a moderately-priced menu and a full bar. The folks at the Samba Room were very accommodating and set aside a large area for our group.

After a satisfying day on the convention floor (see ), I headed back to the hotel to get changed. Robin Richter, one of our faithful blog contributors, joined me and, together, we stopped to pick up one of the vendors who had RSVP’ed.

By 5:30, we were joined at the restaurant by 10 other funeral directors and vendors, bringing our dinner group to 12. And while the 12 no-shows was a bit high for a dinner, I was still glad that we got so many tired people to make time to attend our event.

As I introduced everyone around the table, I was heartened to see so many natural conversations already forming. I purposefully made groups split up and made sure that we “sprinkled” our non-exhibitor guests among all the vendors.

Conversations were varied and in-depth. On one end of the table, a mortuary science student discussed 21st-Century funeral practices with an online memorial provider. Elsewhere, two exhibitors talked shop over drinks. I had a great discussion with Stephen from National Urns about the trials of starting a new funeral industry business while juggling other responsibilities.

The appetizers were delicious, the meal was awesome and the company was first-rate. I was tempted to make everyone get up halfway through the event and switch seats, but too many really awesome conversations were begun to shake it up that way.

While I had organized one previous dinner (in Kentucky this year) and a Final Embrace Contributor’s Forum in Vegas, this event was, by far, the most successful.

What else will we be telling you about the 2008 NFDA Convention?

My booth workers will share their thoughts, with Robin comparing this show to 2007’s NFDA Expo in Vegas. Linda will tell us how our booth location and show experienced stacked up to this year’s Kentucky show, while Kim gives us a newbie’s take on the whole shebang.

October 26, 2008

2008 NFDA Convention: Final Reflection

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October 23, 2008

What the 2008 NFDA Convention Means for Final Embrace

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I’ve got a lot more convention coverage coming for both vendors and funeral directors, but I wanted to take a moment to tell you what our success means for Final Embrace.

First, it means that our product (quilted cot covers) will be used by at least 100 more funeral homes and seen by their competitors and other colleagues. The more often our covers are seen, the quicker they become industry-standard and the quicker we are able to sell them to all 20,000+ funeral homes in North America.

Equally impressive are the two new distribution relationships that we started with companies based in foreign countries. Our ten-year plan featured a non-U.S. component and it’s nice to see that, as year 5 winds down, we have already begun to spread our product to other shores.

Because we run a no-debt company, the profit we make from this convention (yes, we made a profit even with all the cash we put out to exhibit and attend) will help us secure better prices for materials (buying more means less per yard costs) and we’ll be able to put more product on the shelf for stock.

More stock means less pressure to make product at the last minute (happens often with our more popular patterns) and a smoother work schedule.

We’re also taking the steps necessary to do more advertising, exhibit at more conventions and begin a direct mail program.

Most of all, the success at this show tells us that we’re on to something. That no matter what business decisions we make (spend lots of money on ads now or continue to trickle along with word-of-mouth and press releases) our product is still viable and people like what we’re selling.

And the comments we’ve heard at this show will help to fuel our next generation of cot covers, as we’re using the input from funeral directors during the past year (at the IFDF, KFDA and NFDA shows and by phone) to design better features and more-useful covers.

So stay tuned. We’re still early and there’s a lot more excitement ahead!

October 23, 2008

2008 NFDA Convention: Day 4

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After a wonderful night’s sleep in my own bed, I hopped in the pick-up truck (to haul back all our stuff after the show ended) and sped off to the Orange County Convention Center for the last day of a successful expo.

Although I expected a slower day, I had Kim, Lynn and Linda join me so we’d have plenty of help to “sew up” some last-minute orders and break down the booth at the end of the day.

Day 4 featured a nice Q&A session with the folks featured in the PBS documentary “The Undertaking.” Seated under the lights on the main stage, Patrick Lynch and staff members discussed the filming and how the documentary has affected their firm and their community. Between interviews, portions of the film played on the “jumbotron” overhead.

I didn’t get much chance to watch the presentation because we were very busy talking to customers and taking orders. Surprised by the number of people who made their first visit to our booth on the last day, I was encouraged to hear the kind words and endorsements of people who were returning after a previous visit to pick out the cover they wanted (and it doesn’t hurt that they new visitors got to hear that kind of praise).

But the truth is that when someone says “I’ll come back later and pick one out,” I figure we’ve got about a 25% chance that they’ll actually return. Why? Because no one really wants to hurt your feelings, so many will say something encouraging to get out of the conversation, even though they don’t intend to return.

IMG_0132 by you.

We skipped lunch on Day 4 because I promised my staff that if we hit our goal (100 covers) during the show, we’d have a nice big celebration at a local restaurant. And since we sold 103 by Day 3, we were all salivating in anticipation of an awesome dinner.

When I returned to the booth in the late afternoon (I snuck off to talk to a few other exhibitors and walk the floor one last time) I was shocked to hear our sales total: 42 for Day 4!

Honestly, I was expecting less, since we had already had such great numbers on Day 2 and Day 3. And from a production point of view, I was already concerned about how we’d be able to make 103 of our covers in a short time, so adding 42 more to the pile was an added burden.

Luckily, Kim reminded me that it’s a pretty awesome burden to have, getting so many orders and hearing a lot of great feedback and comments about our product, so I decided to stop complaining about our blessings.

The show ended at 3:00 pm, with some vendors rushing to leave and others lethargically packing up their boxes and slumping toward the door. Others seemed like madmen, determined to be the first booth completely broken down and out the back door.

We took the reserved approach and boxed up all our stuff and piled it in the middle of the booth. We got one car out of the Rosen Hotel garage (where we finagled $6 parking instead of $10 AND a shorter walk) and drove to Cafe TuTu Tango, a local eatery who’s menu features nothing but appetizers.

We stuffed ourselves full of awesome food (the chicken eggrolls are my favorite!) and laughed about the show. I looked at Lynn and Linda, who make the basic version of our product and deliver it to my workshop to add pockets and binding, and wondered how they’d ever get all these orders done in the next few weeks.

You see, for us, this business has been a labor of love that we work during the hours we’re not working our “bread on the table” jobs. This was the first time that this company seems poised to take a much bigger step, supported by an awesome product.

At 5:00 pm, we retrieved the pick-up and drove to the loading dock at the convention center. Within fifteen minutes, we had loaded both vehicles and dismantled the floor (with Stephen’s help – he met us there to get his floor back) and were gone.

On the way home, I got calls from two funeral homes, looking to order a cover that they had seen during the show. I reminded them that their discount was only good during show hours, then offered them a smaller discount to say “thank you” for believing in the product and trying it out.

In the end, we sold 145 covers at the show and 7 covers afterward. Not bad, when you consider that my WILD goal was 100 and I was fully prepared to be happy with just 70!