I have always liked international trade fairs, exhibitions, shows - call them what you like, I am drawn to the atmosphere created by so many people coming together from all over the world to talk to each other, listen to presentations, to 'do business'. The first one I remember going to was the 'Royal Agricultural Show' in Stoneleigh, England. My family lived fairly close by and I visited the show several times as a child. Lots of tractors and cows etc., plus a visit from the Queen. 

 

Much later in life I worked for a transport company at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham and helped various companies with transporting exhibits all around the world, not just in and out of our local venue. Of course, I have also attended quite a few events as an exhibitor so, all in all, I must have been to hundreds of these events over the years and yet I am still drawn to them, fascinated by the mind-blowing diversity of products and services available. However, what strikes me most about these events now, is just how important they are to so many people; the exhibitors with products and services to sell, the visitors who need new products and services and the organisers who work for months in order to make it all happen in just a few days. I don't just mean the people who attend the show of course. They are just a few 'lucky' ones, depending on your own feeling about these events. Most of them have a network of colleagues and shareholders, all depending upon their success - not to mention all of the children, wives, husbands and other family members who depend on a regular income.

No wonder there is such a buzz!

So much work goes into stand design, production of brochures and leaflets, transport of exhibits, building the stand, exact positioning of the exhibits, cleaning the carpets, finding accommodation for staff, getting suits dry-cleaned, ironing the shirts, buying a new tie.....!

But what did we miss?
How well did we prepare our people?

People...?! Don't they prepare themselves? We had a meeting.....and we have been emailing each other for weeks....and there was that circular memo to all staff.....what more do we need?

Imagine your favourite football team running out onto the field with this level of preparation. No training, just the memories of the last big match, a meeting and a memo telling them how to play better and score more goals. Millions of €/$/£ worth of potential (and costs!) but no training since the last time they were let loose with the ball! Let's hope our competitors on the adjacent stand don't have a better plan.

Let's look at a better scenario in which we also organised some training for our people, the so called 'most valuable asset a company has'. What would we do?
It seems to me that the whole foundation of these events is 'communication'. That is the purpose, the key - to communicate effectively, with our existing and potential clients, about our products and services, in order that they will buy them. So who are they (the people) and what do we want to say to them?

Many of them are from other countries and we have to communicate with them in English. So here is the top tip:

Learn your lines
In this situation, this 'role', we are like actors in a play or film and we must learn our 'lines'. It is as simple as that. We must, of course, know our products and services and be able to describe their features and benefits. We must be able to anticipate questions and provide answers. An actor practices and practices, over and over, speaking the lines with feeling so that in the end there is no need to think. We must do the same if we are to be convincing. This takes training.

I am from the town of Rugby. Rugby is also a sport which requires great discipline and teamwork. If one player does not know their role, their position in the line on the field, then the whole team will suffer. The team will practice 'set pieces' of play, together, so that they know what to do in the game to support each other - without thinking. The ball is passed down the line from one player to another. It is a very hard contact sport and I think it is a very good analogy for business. The Rugby World Cup was last year but if you missed it and you are not familiar with the sport, try watching some of the RBS Six Nations Championship games over the next few weekends - a tournament between England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy. It is a tough game - business is a tough game too.

I should mention that each team has a coach.