The Real Estate Commission: how much are Realtor Fees?

Make sure you know what they charge for this service (if anything — some vendors provide it free) because those fees can add up. If you have an internal graphics staff, you’ll save money, but make sure they are in good communication with the vendor graphics staff to ensure that the appropriate sizes and formats are supplied. It seems there are always little things you didn’t think about that greatly affect how much you love or hate a product you’ve purchased. Here, cost is usually the key difference. Usually, the booth vendor can either create your graphics from images you supply, or they may offer services to create the images for you.

To find out who attends, ask the show management for a demographic profile of their attendees. You can also check out the exhibitor list from the previous year, Selling Residential Real Estate and ask those non-competing exhibitors what their impressions of the show were and whether they will be attending again. Check the titles and purchasing responsibility if that information is available. Have a list of questions ready that will tell you if they are indeed the decision makers, and what value they placed on their time spent in the exhibit hall. Typically, show literature will list only the numbers and general titles of their attendees. Another route to finding the best shows is to contact past attendees.

Those items can easily be packed among your other booth items and will save considerable money over time. It’s amazing how things like deadlines will creep up on you. Many times, there are early-bird discounts or prepayment discounts for a lot of the show items, so flag all of those so you won’t miss out on some savings. Missed deadlines aren’t always a catastrophe, however; you’ll just have to pay more for the service if you sign up for it later, and even more if you decide you need it once you get to the show. Also, be aware of the convention centers that require you to use union labor.

Assuming you don’t have a magic show, a live animal promo, or other crowd magnet, the burden of getting people to stop at your booth is on your booth staff. The first rule of engagement is: Don’t ask a question that will allow the attendee to simply give you a one word answer and keep on walking. Ask them what product they are looking for at the show, whether this show has been as helpful for them as another show, if they are familiar with your company, etc. Be creative — this is a critical step, and the goal is to get them to stop and talk to you. Phase two is the qualifying phase.

You certainly don’t want to waste your time on someone who isn’t really interested in your product, so it pays to ask some qualifying questions right off the bat. There’s nothing worse than seeing six good prospects walk by while you’re politely listening to someone who you suspect doesn’t even need your product. Phase three is show time! So to qualify your prospect, take one to two minutes to ask some specific questions like, “Tell me about what you’re looking for at the show.” “Tell me about how your company does .” Essentially, just ask them whatever you need to ask to identify whether or not they need your product or service.