Who Is Your Signage For?

A client asked me to have a look at their banner designs for an upcoming trade show. They were nice looking designs but they were nothing special. Too often we forget that our banners and our signage is not about us. They are about our clients and our prospects.

Here are a few thoughts for you on signage.

• What is the purpose of the banner? Is it to reinforce your brand, is it to attract prospects or is it to give a clean back drop for your booth. There are many reasons. Understand why you want them.
• The bottom half of Pull up banners are irrelevant. The majority of the time someone is standing in front of them and you can’t see it. The top half is what will attract the attention
• Banners are not about words. Too many people try and put the "About Us" section from their website on their banners. NO ONE CARES!! Put some eye catching images or bold sentences that inspire the prospect to come and talk to you.
• Can you connect to it? A prospect or customer needs to be able to look at the banner and think “I want that” or “That’s me”. That will then encourage them to come and discover more about what you offer.

For example, here is one of my banners from the Exhibiting and Sponsorship Institute at a recent event that we sponsored.



Notice our brand and website are at the top followed by three statements that are easy to read from a distance. These statement are ones that our prospects can relate to and also desire.

This banner is usually going to be on stage when we speak, so we are more likely to have the bottom half read but see how here the final statement is almost hidden behind the table (it was the least important of the three so that is why we put it there)

So Friends how is your signage?

Warwick Merry - The Get More Guy, is your high energy, results focused, action oriented, no holds barred tour de force Master MC, keynote speaker and Exhibiting Specialist. He ensures your attendees Get More from your event. His MC work is like insurance for your event. It guarantees things will run smoothly and on time. As a speaker, he is like a dose of Berocca – a bubbling, burst of healthy, sustainable energy for your attendees.  If you need a burst of inspiration, cogitation and celebration at your next event you MUST book The Get More Guy, Warwick Merry.

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+61 408 592 158 getmore@warwickmerry.com

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Have You Got A Card?

I was at a friends birthday party on the weekend. It was a fantastic event and I was sitting with some people I had never met before.
Now as usual, we started talking about what we did. It's a standard opener, "So what do you do?" You have probably used it yourself.
Well it didn't take long until we were chatting away full steam and we coming up with ideas on how to increase her business. It only made sense after talking business to ask for her business card and give her one of mine.

Then I shuffled seats. Again the conversation started, "So what do you do?" And we were off and racing (in fact, he is into horses and runs a horse magazine). A few more ideas and then it was "So do you have a business card?"

While I am not saying you should turn every function into a business meeting, I am saying that you need to have your cards ready. If you are like me and are passionate about what you do and how you may be able to help others, why wouldn't you give a business card. Much to wifey's dismay, I have even swapped business cards at a funeral!

Now while you probably don't need them as much now as you can put details in your phone, it is always great to have them handy. (I am often surprised at people who go to networking events without a stack of business cards. What the..?) I was taught years ago, that a business card in your wallet gets crushed. So I have a stash of them in the special pocket of each suit jacket, the glove box of the car, my compendium, my card holder and some reserve in my wallet. It pays to be ready if ever someone asks, "So what do you do?" or "Have you got a card?"

So Friends, have you got a card?

Warwick Merry - The Get More Guy, is your high energy, results focused, action oriented, no holds barred tour de force Master MC and Exhibiting Specialist. He ensures your attendees Get More from your event. His MC work is like insurance for your event. It guarantees things will run smoothly and on time. As a speaker, he is like a dose of Berocca – a bubbling, burst of healthy, sustainable energy for your attendees.  If you need a burst of inspiration, cogitation and celebration at your next event you MUST book The Get More Guy, Warwick Merry.

© Get More Pty Ltd
+61 408 592 158 getmore@warwickmerry.com

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Is It Engaging?

I was working at the AUSTECH 2013 tradeshow run by AMTIL last week. It had some huge and amazing equipment on site. Laser cutters, sheetmetal stampers, 3D printers and loads of other great technology. It was a really great show. But regardless of the technology, whatever you have, you need to be able to make it engaging. Either get the prospects attention or get them asking questions about what you are doing.

Here are a couple of highlights from AusTech for you:

1 - Bolt Welding.

Why tell someone what your machine can do when you can show them. Here is an 8 second video of the bolt welder in action.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/thTaZY0KJY8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

2 - Peen Hammer

Why show them what you can do when you can let them do it.

The Peen Hammer you see in Cassie's hand is used to punch details on to steel. In this demonstration you can type in your name or any word you want, then then stamp it on the wall. If you zoom in on the top centre of the wall you will see my name proudly stamped (it's good to be tall).

3 - Large Australian Manufacturer

This well known manufacturer and supplier to industry decided that they didn't want to be there all day so they left this sign on their booth. To me it was a colossal waste of money. For the sake of one staff member to positively promote the brand, get interested details and engage with the public, surely it would have been worth it.

When you are in the market place, either at an expo, face to face or even on social media, ask yourself the simple question, is it engaging?

Warwick Merry - The Get More Guy, is your high energy, results focused, action oriented, no holds barred tour de force Master MC, keynote speaker and Exhibiting Specialist. He ensures your attendees Get More from your event. His MC work is like insurance for your event. It guarantees things will run smoothly and on time. As a speaker, he is like a dose of Berocca – a bubbling, burst of healthy, sustainable energy for your attendees.  If you need a burst of inspiration, cogitation and celebration at your next event you MUST book The Get More Guy, Warwick Merry.

© Get More Pty Ltd
+61 408 592 158 getmore@warwickmerry.com

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How Are Your Basics?

HOW ARE YOUR BASICS?

On Friday, I visited the Better Homes and Gardens Show with my exhibiting business partner, Danielle Storey to work with one of our exhibiting clients. There were loads of exhibitors all trying their best to get their message across and stand out from their competition or at the very least, stand out to their prospects.

Well... I guarantee you that they THOUGHT they were trying their best but most of them were missing the basics.

• They didn't smile (this is the easiest thing to do but most don't)
• It took as 2/3rds of the show until one of the exhibitors engaged with us
• So many were sitting down looking at their laptop or phones as people walked past

Others were doing the basics really well. 

• Crisp looking stands
• Friendly faces with welcoming comments
• Themed qualifying give aways

What about you Friends? Whether it is for your exhibiting effort or in what you are doing right now, are you doing the basics?
Get the basics right and it will make a world of difference.

PS You can see a few photos and a video review of the Better Homes and Gardens show on our blog.

(Image: Lush Stand at  the Better Homes and Garden Show)

Warwick Merry - The Get More Guy, is your high energy, results focused, action oriented, no holds barred tour de force Master MC, keynote speaker and Exhibiting Specialist. He ensures your attendees Get More from your event. His MC work is like insurance for your event. It guarantees things will run smoothly and on time. As a speaker, he is like a dose of Berocca – a bubbling, burst of healthy, sustainable energy for your attendees.  If you need a burst of inspiration, cogitation and celebration at your next event you MUST book The Get More Guy, Warwick Merry.

© Get More Pty Ltd
+61 408 592 158 getmore@warwickmerry.com

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