Preparation Before SHOT Show Determines Benefits Achieved After Event

I know what you’re probably thinking.   He’s going to tell me to make a schedule and lock in to appointments at the SHOT Show prior to touchdown at the Las Vegas Airport.   Nope!

Okay, then he’s going to tell me to make a game plan and highlight on a map all the booths where I want to pick up materials and talk to exhibit personnel.   Wrong again!

The SHOT Show has long been accepting of many types of attire, but to gain the most respect it pays dividends to look your best.

Let’s see, I bet he’s going to suggest I scour some of his blogging buddies’ websites who occasionally get leaked advanced information on new guns, products or services so the hype is in full force by the time the show floor doors open on Tuesday.   Nah, not really!

Then it must be he plans to explain how a checklist created in advance is a necessary aid to ensure everything a show attendee wants to accomplish actually gets completed.   Great idea!   But no!

One last guess.   I bet he plans to tell us how carrying a small notebook to jot notes with a tape dispenser to attach business cards right to that page of the notebook is a smart plan to stay organized and not forget any of the important details.   Well…as a matter of fact, NO!

WELL, WHAT IS IT?

Truth is, all of these suggestions are great ideas and worthy of careful consideration to stay organized and efficient.   Yet, the preparation I’m talking about today is more about developing a professional state of mind.   Everyone who goes to SHOT represents something.   If you’re the buyer for a store, obviously you represent that store.   If you’re a manufacturer’s rep who carries a bunch of different lines, well then you likely are wearing several different hats during the show.   Even media who does freelance work represents something important—themselves.

It’s important to go into the SHOT Show thinking and acting like the true professional you seek to be.   Long before you pack your bags and head to the airport you need to start thinking about your image.   Honestly, the non-verbals such as what you choose to wear while walking around the show can play a big role in how others perceive you, professionally speaking.

Now, I’m not here to say everyone needs to dress up and wear a sport coat or a dress.   Many people do that and some are required by their employers to do so, and that’s great.   I, in fact, do not dress up quite like that.   Instead, what I am talking about is if you wear jeans make sure they are new and not a pair that appears like they’ve been through hell.   Likewise, a dingy old T-shirt (or a T-shirt of any kind, for that matter) is best kept at home.   How you appear speaks volumes about how seriously others will likely take you at the show.   First impressions are important both in love and in business.

Another aspect toward developing a professional state of mind is being organized.   Believe it or not, others will judge you as a professional based on the few minutes you spend at their booths.   For instance, if you forgot your business cards or don’t have a pen when one is needed, this reflects negatively on you.   The preparation phase for being organized at SHOT begins right now!

And finally, the professional state of mind requires a positive mental attitude throughout the show.   Let’s not kid ourselves…the SHOT Show can be a grueling adventure.   By Thursday and Friday it takes an extra effort to crack a smile or stay upbeat when your body is getting beaten down.   Don’t allow fatigue to dull that professional edge.   There’s still plenty of work to be done even as the show begins to wind down during the final days.

In closing, it’s easy to focus on the glitzy, high-anticipation energetic days spent at the SHOT Show as being the most important days of your tradeshow experience.   As well it should be.   Still, if you want the best possible positive results in the weeks and months to come after the event, the time to prepare and to act takes place from the moment you finish reading the post.   Good luck!

©2014 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

10 Attendee Tips To Ensure SHOT Show Success.

Today kicks off a series of blog post I have planned about the upcoming Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show) to be held next week in Las Vegas.   I know that perhaps a large majority of this blog’s readers do not attend this annual trade show, however, my hope is that it gives both show attendees and non-attendees alike some greater insight into what happens at SHOT.   In the outdoors world this show really is a BIG deal!

The fast pace at the SHOT Show will wear you down quickly unless you come prepared for success.

I just counted it out and since attending my very first SHOT Show held in Dallas back in 1989 I think I have only missed two shows since that time.   That makes the 2014 show my 24th  SHOT, I do believe.   In any case, I have witnessed a bunch of changes and have had lots of experiences over the years.   I’d like to use some of this past show knowledge to help both first-timers and savvy old veterans, alike.

Consider these pointers to achieve SHOT Show success next week:

  1. Arrive well-rested.   I can’t emphasize this enough.   No matter what physical condition you are in the SHOT Show will find a way to kick you in the butt.   I guarantee you will discover muscles that have not been sore for years.   This condition is only amplified if you arrive worn down.   Besides, your body stands a better chance of fighting off illness when well-rested.   Who wants to get sick at SHOT anyway?
  2. Bring your most comfortable shoes.   I’ve written in the past how many miles of walking the SHOT Show represents on non-forgiving cement floors.   Oh, sure, there is carpet in booths and most isles, but don’t kid yourself…several hours in and you will find your “dogs” barking for relief.   Again, this situation is only made worse when your shoes are chosen for fashion and not primarily for comfort.   If necessary, wearing tennis shoes with dress clothes is both permissible and somewhat expected.
  3. Drink plenty of water.   Do this before the trip, during your stay in Vegas, and also when you return home.   Why?   While you might think food is the energy source for your body, in fact a healthy body can only perform with adequate water intake.   Don’t forget…Vegas is a desert and the air will dry you out because of that fact.
  4. Travel with a plan.   Write some goals down on paper you want to accomplish.   Keep it simple and don’t try to accomplish too much.   Refer to this written plan often.   Maybe you have a goal of finding 20 new product suppliers for your store.   Perhaps you have a list of rep names you have been wanting to finally meet in person.   No matter what outcome you desire from SHOT, it works best to quantify it and write it down so the plan can be reviewed and you stay focused.
  5. Be sociable.   I’m not necessarily talking about tweeting on Twitter.com or any of the other Social Media outlets…although it would benefit you to do so.   Instead, I’m talking about being sociable the old fashioned way with your mouth.   Talk to folks while in line at the concession stand.   Engage booth exhibitors by asking questions or having them demonstrate product.   Most people at SHOT are friendly and willing to converse, but it takes a bold person to start the exchange.   Be that person who is bold enough to introduce yourself to a stranger.
  6. Get a show floor map and use it (or download the new Smart Phone app).   I often tell new attendees how the most important 5 minutes they can spend is reviewing a map and learning the SHOT Show exhibitor layout.   The National Shooting Sports Foundation(NSSF), who owns and administers SHOT, has put a great deal of effort into show management.   Two decades ago booths lacked any logical order, but no more.   Today, if you want to maximize your time spent in, let’s say the tactical area, that is entirely possible.   Getting familiar with a map will make you more efficient with your precious show time.
  7. Prioritize your literature and show samples.   Generally I take a wheeled carry on bag when traveling to SHOT.   When I get to the hotel I empty the bag and this becomes my literature carrier all during the show.   Then each day I fill the bag with catalogs, price lists, trinkets, samples, etc. and haul it all back to my hotel room each night.   Once I get there and I’m relaxing, I then created two piles.   One pile is the show materials I have an IMMEDIATE need for once I get home.   That stays in the hotel room with me until I pack for my departure.   The vast majority gets sorted and taken back to the show with me the next morning.   Why, you ask?   Simple.   It gets placed in a handy, dandy shipping box (services near the escalator) and when I am done filling it on my final day…this box gets shipped by UPS/FedEx directly to my home/office door.
  8. Open your mind to new possibilities.   Several years back I overheard a bunch of product buyers lamenting all this “Zombie Crap” on display, to use their words.   Well, that “Zombie Crap” helps increase sales potential, but only for the folks who were forward thinking enough to realize this would become a new shooting craze among many.   You go to SHOT to see new things.   Indeed, some ideas or products will leave you shaking your head.   Others, well, it might just be the next better mouse trap, so to speak.   Don’t overlook potential (or profits) because you are stuck in your old ways of doing things.
  9. Take time to have some fun.   This may seem silly, but I truly believe it is vital to having a positive show experience.   Don’t spend all night in your room getting room service or even down on the gambling floor.   Make plans!   Make fun plans!   Include others and get out and spend some time unwinding.   Make dinner reservations or hit one of the upscale buffets famous in Las Vegas.   Remember, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas so if you go and end up having some fun…nobody will tell on you!
  10. Once you get back home, follow up with your new contacts.   I consider this one of the most important aspects of SHOT Show attendance.   You have a stack of business cards gathered(new contacts).   Drop them a quick e-mail and express how glad you were to have met them and your future business plans with them.   Not only does this act show you as an elite professional (less than 5% will do this), but it will garner you additional respect from that contact that you valued their time spent chatting with you at the show.   Folks, this is a must activity accomplished within five days upon getting home from SHOT.

I could go on, but I do consider these to be some of the big points you’ll want to consider.   Does anyone else have suggestions about SHOT you would like to include?   Comment below.

©2014 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.