Conference ilbbak::us_sales_service

84.0. "Keeping your eye on the ball!" by GRANPA::DLEADER (Dave Leader @DWO) Thu Feb 27 1992 14:46

    Permission was granted by the author of the below note.  Having had the
    assignment to work a Digital booth in the past, and having a STRONG
    value for Customer Satisfaction.....   I urge all who are asked to
    participate in any customer event to keep there attention to our
    CUSTOMERS!	They are the people who make DEC possible.
    
    Dave
    
    
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Note 1715.17              Unpleasant DECUS surprise...                  17 of 22
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                       -< Maybe marketing needs tuning? >-
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    This probably doesn't belong here, but I hate starting new notes.  The
    MODperson has my permission to move this if they find a better home.

    I stopped in at NETWORLD 92 today, which is a major networking,
    telecommunication and computing trade show being held at the Hynes
    auditorium.  It just happened that four of the vendors/products I am
    currently working with were there.  Digital was also there, as well as
    IBM, HP, Novel, etc, etc, etc.

    To keep this brief, I stopped into the Digital display just to see what
    was going on.  First of all, we had quite a piece of real estate (Trump
    would have been proud), plenty of equipment, and plenty of staffers. 

    Unfortunately, what I encountered was a number of "bored" looking
    people, mostly talking with each other, and generally not paying much
    attention to passers-by.  I was actually in the booth, about six or
    eight inches from two DEC people, looking at a display and was able to
    walk away without either of them stopping their conversation long
    enough to say 'hello'.  I came back a few minutes later and one of them
    finally asked me if I had any questions (he didn't notice my badge
    indicating I was from DEC).  I said I wasn't quite sure what they were
    selling and asked what the displays were.  He didn't have an answer,
    fumbled, and then asked if I had any specific area of interest.  When I
    told him I was from DEC, and just wanted to see what we were marketing,
    he said "just pathworks and pc's", then he walked away.  This wasn't
    just low key.  This could only be described as comatose.

    Now this was lunch time, but I had just come from IBM's booth, as well
    as a number of companies that probably had fewer total employees than the
    contingent in the DEC booth.  At each of these booths I was greeted
    aggressively, and was made to feel welcome. In some cases, I was greeted
    in the aisle just for making eye contact.

    Maybe the DEC engineers could have described in bit rendering detail
    the intricacies of ISA, or the senior level managers could break 80 at
    pebble beach, but I didn't see a really good reason for a customer to
    try hard enough to find out.

    Maybe I am just being too hard on us, and maybe I stopped by at a bad
    time.  Maybe.  The show will be open until Thursday at 4:00.  Maybe
    someone else should stop by and see.

    Sorry, I don't mean to hurt anyone.  I'm sure it's not an easy job.

    

    It's hard to do, but we shouldn't be at shows we can't do well even if
    they're "must attend" shows. I think some feel that any display is
    better than no display at all, and that somehow they'll get by with
    whoever becomes available to staff it during all required show hours.
    
    One of the most popular displays at one show was nothing more than a
    lounge area in the middle of the show where people could take a quick
    break. It took just a few quality people to staff, and they came away
    with LOTS of leads developed during casual conversations while they
    were making people feel welcome and discussing the show with them.
    
    Rather than automatically showing lots of technology requireing lots 
    of demo development, staffing, and training, we need to be creative 
    to work within the constraints we all face.
    
    Fred  :^)
       

    
    	This note should be taken as a 'HEADS UP' as we start to prepare
    for DECworld!
    
    	I have done many hours of booth duty at multiple DW's (and other
    shows) as well as managing one of the AutoFact shows.  One of the major
    problems is - you guessed it - other Digits coming by to 'chat'!  While
    I empathize with their need to renew old acquaintances, the show floor
    is NOT the place to do it!  What may have occurred at DECUS was that
    the people observed were not even 'on duty'. 
    
    	On the other hand, we spend too much time in show preparation
    worrying about the dam hardware/software and ignore the fact that the
    ONLY reason we're spending the time/money is to SELL!  At least 50% of
    the booth duty training should be spent on Customer Relations
    Procedures (and this includes the training of the Account Reps).  I 
    would suggest that DW management goal EVERYONE physically present at the 
    event on LEAD GENERATION - and, dammit, keep score ad publish the results!
    
    	As to the first problem (other Digits), I suggest that we designate
    some area conveniently located as the "Kitchen" where people can meet,
    leave messages, relax, etc. but OUT OF SIGHT of the customers! 
    Everyone on the floor should be thinking they are 'on stage' and behave
    as if they were.
    
  	If we do everything else right and do this wrong, we've just wasted 
    a bunch of money (which we don't have)
    
    Been there,
    Jerry

    I agree 100%, We are there to impress the customer with our knowledge,
    our expertese, and that we know what we are doing. This is a showcase
    to show off what we know, and that we have the best that is out there.
    Treat it as such. I hate to sound like a wet noodle, but this is the
    time for the digit's to shine.
    
    Have fun and do a good job. To put it bluntly, the job that you save
    might turn out to be your own.
    
    D