You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello, and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Adelie, and I'll be your host for today's lesson on working at a trade show.
Trade shows can be fantastic opportunities to meet good prospects, network with others in the biz and even close sales.
But there are definite do's and don'ts about working the trade show circuit.
At a trade show, there are a lot of people.
That means a lot of potential customers and leads, but it can also be easy to waste time on bad prospects.
So you have to be outgoing to draw people in, but you also have to figure out quickly who is really worth talking to.
And to engage good prospects and get rid of bad ones, you need excellent communication skills.
In this lesson we'll look at how to be approachable, connect with customers and make a quick pitch.
We'll also learn how to pass a prospect off to another team member and how to set up an appointment.
We are going to hear Kevin and Jenny, who work for a Chinese packaging company called Deepak.
They're working a booth at a large trade show.
They are dealing with Andrew, who works for a manufacturing company.
Andrew has come by Deepak's booth, and Kevin and Jenny have to work their magic.
As you listen, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What does Andrew's company want to do?
2.
Why does Kevin talk about their big U.S. clients?
3.
What are Jenny and Andrew going to do at 10 the next day?
Hi there.
Having a good look around?
Take your time.
I know opening day can be pretty crazy.
Yes, yes, pretty busy.
I'm just making my first rounds here.
No problem at all.
We are DPAC, as you can see, a full-service packaging company, and I'm Kevin.
OK, thanks.
I'd just like to have a look at some of this recycled stuff here.
You're interested in recycled products?
Yeah, well, we're looking at making our packaging greener.
I totally understand.
A lot more manufacturers are moving that way.
So, environmental responsibility.
Is this one of your company's core values then?
Yeah, for sure.
Very important to us.
Everything, even packaging, has to send the right message.
Though we can't break the bank.
That's exactly what our big US clients say.
We like to put it this way.
Chinese prices with European quality.
And, like I said, we're full service.
Design, manufacturing and printing, a complete solution.
I see.
Well, thanks, Kevin.
It's definitely interesting stuff.
Great to hear.
And listen, I really think you should talk to Jenny here about our green products.
She has some ideas that might be right up your alley.
Did I hear green solutions?
Yeah, that's right.
Well, we should definitely talk.
Listen, I know it's the first day and there's a ton to look at, so why don't we sit down tomorrow morning?
Say ten o'clock?
Yeah, OK.
Ten o'clock.
I can do that.
Fantastic.
Here's my card.
Just let me write that time down on the back.
And could I get one of your cards?
Here you go.
Super.
So we'll talk more tomorrow.
Now let's go through that dialogue again and talk about exactly what's happening.
Hi there.
Having a good look around?
Take your time.
I know opening day can be pretty crazy.
Yes, yes, pretty busy.
I'm just making my first rounds here.
No problem at all.
We are DPAC, as you can see, a full-service packaging company, and I'm Kevin.
Kevin begins by greeting Andrew warmly and asking him if he's having a good look around, which means a browse around the different booths at the trade show.
Kevin also tells Andrew to take his time, an expression that we use to make people feel relaxed and comfortable.
Andrew says that he's making his first rounds or circuit.
Notice that Kevin says, no problem at all, before introducing the company and himself.
With both his choice of words and his attitude, Kevin is being warm and approachable.
That means that a customer will not feel uncomfortable, nor hesitate to ask a question or engage in conversation.
This is very important in a situation like a trade show, where your success comes directly from your ability to connect with people.
Let's practice a few more examples of how to be approachable.
If you have any questions, let me know.
I'm happy to help.
There's a lot to look at, isn't there?
Please just take your time.
Hello and welcome.
Make yourself at home.
Okay, thanks.
I'd just like to have a look at some of this recycled stuff here.
You're interested in recycled products?
Yeah, well, we're looking at making our packaging greener.
Andrew is looking at recycled products.
In packaging, that means they're made from used paper, such as old boxes or newspapers.
When Kevin asks about his interest in such products, Andrew reveals that his company is thinking about making their packaging greener or more environmentally friendly.
Now listen to how Kevin develops that idea to make a connection to his prospect.
I totally understand.
A lot more manufacturers are moving that way.
So environmental responsibility.
Is this one of your company's core values then?
Kevin says he understands and that many other companies are doing the same.
He then asks whether environmental responsibility is a core value of Andrew's company.
In other words, Kevin wants to know if this is a basic priority for the company.
By asking about Andrew's company's motivation and values, Kevin is making a connection with the potential customer.
There are many ways to do this, as you can hear in these examples.
You mentioned working overseas.
How was that experience?
So, keeping up with technology has been a challenge.
What kind of challenges have been the most difficult for you?
I hear you had a great quarter.
That's quite an achievement in this economy.
Yes, everyone's cutting costs these days.
How's that affecting you guys on a day-to-day basis?
Now back to the dialogue.
Yeah, for sure.
Very important to us.
Everything, even packaging, has to send the right message.
Though we can't break the bank.
That's exactly what our big U.S. clients say.
We like to put it this way, Chinese prices with European quality.
And, like I said, we're full service.
Design, manufacturing and printing, a complete solution.
Andrew is explaining that being green is a core value and says that everything must send the right message or communicate those core values to customers.
However, they want to do this without breaking the bank.
In other words, they don't want to spend too much money.
Kevin says that Deepak's big US clients have the same concerns, which is a clever way of letting Andrew know simply that they have some big clients.
And this is the perfect opportunity for Kevin to make a quick pitch.
He says that they like to put it or say it this way.
Chinese prices with European quality.
That's certainly a convincing slogan.
And he reiterates that Deepak is a full-service company, emphasizing this point with the statement a complete solution.
A pitch has to be short and convincing.
At a trade show, you will be making this pitch over and over again, so you need to have it right.
Let's run through some more examples of making a quick pitch.
Our engines are second to none, and being the number one consumer choice for the last 10 years proves it.
Customer loyalty is our number one priority, so we're not happy until you are.
If it's dirty, we can clean it.
No job is too big or too small.
Okay, let's hear how Andrew reacts.
I see.
Well, thanks, Kevin.
It's definitely interesting stuff.
Great to hear.
And listen, I really think you should talk to Jenny here about our green products.
She has some ideas that might be right up your alley.
Andrew sounds interested in what Kevin's talking about.
And Kevin is certainly interested in Andrew as a prospect.
What he does next is to pass Andrew to his colleague Jenny.
Kevin tells Andrew that Jenny might have some ideas that are right up his alley or exactly what he's looking for.
At a trade show, it's common to work in teams, with one person screening prospects and passing the good ones on to another team member.
There are several different ways we can do this, as you can hear in these examples.
Irene, could you please walk Ned through the different options?
If I may, I'm going to get Ron to answer that question.
You know, Victor is really the guy to speak to about design issues.
I'm sorry, but I think Greg needs to step in here.
He's got exactly the answers you're looking for.
Now, let's hear how Jenny handles Andrew.
Did I hear green solutions?
Yeah, that's right.
Well, we should definitely talk.
Listen, I know it's the first day and there's a ton to look at, so why don't we sit down tomorrow morning, say 10 o'clock?
Jenny says that they should definitely talk, but she wants to give Andrew some time to look around, so she tries to set up an appointment for the following day.
She does this casually, saying, why don't we sit down and say 10 o'clock?
Jenny is trying to create a relaxed, friendly, and helpful mood.
This will help Andrew feel comfortable and open up when Jenny asks him questions.
At an event like this, you may not have time to talk with everyone when they visit your booth.
It may be necessary, just like at the office, to set up an appointment for later.
What else can we say to set up an appointment?
Here's a few more examples.
Why don't we go over some ideas tomorrow around 11.30?
Does 10 o'clock over by the coffee stand work for you?
How's your afternoon looking?
I've got some samples I can show you if you've got about 30 minutes.
How about sitting down around 2.30 and getting into this a little more?
Now let's listen to the end of the dialogue.
Yeah, OK.
Ten o'clock.
I can do that.
Fantastic.
Here's my card.
Just let me write that time down on the back.
And could I get one of your cards?
Here you go.
Super.
So we'll talk more tomorrow.
Andrew agrees to come back the following day and Jenny writes down the time on the back of her card, asking Andrew for one of his as well.
So the team at DPAC has identified Andrew as a good prospect, given him their pitch and set up an appointment to talk more.
Now let's practice some of the language we learned for connecting with customers by taking something they mention and asking a question about it.
For each turn, you'll hear a statement from a customer.
Then you'll hear a prompt.
Use the words in the prompt to try to connect with the customer.
For example, if you hear, We've had pretty high turnover lately.
Turnover, how, affect, morale.
You can say, high turnover, how has that affected morale?
We'll play an example answer after each practice.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
We're really interested in very modern designs.
Answer.
Modern design.
Is that an important part of your company image?
We've tried to be really innovative when creating new products.
Innovative, that's important company Answer.
Innovative, eh?
That's something that's also very important at our company.
We're hoping to expand outside the states next year.
Business.
Be.
Good.
Answer.
So business must be pretty good.
We have a very strong commitment to community service.
Community service.
Committed to.
Corporate responsibility.
Answer.
Community service, huh?
So you are committed to corporate responsibility?
Now let's practice useful vocabulary and idioms.
You'll hear a series of sentences with a word replaced with a beep.
Repeat the whole sentence, saying the missing word.
For example, if you hear, You can say, To be greener, we're becoming a paperless office.
After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
Asking clients to pay for boxes just doesn't send the right... Answer.
Asking clients to pay for boxes just doesn't send the right message.
Janelle is really excited about the new project because it's right up her... Answer.
Janelle is really excited about the new project because it's right up her alley.
We really can't afford to break the... on office furniture.
Answer.
We really can't afford to break the bank on office furniture.
Brian left his last job because it wasn't the right for him.
Answer.
Brian left his last job because it wasn't the right fit for him.
We've reached the end of this episode, the first in our series on trade shows.
We've learned how to be approachable, connect with customers and make a quick pitch.
We've also heard how we can pass a prospect off and set up an appointment for a later time.
Be sure to tune in for the next episode, when we'll hear how kevin handles someone who he thinks is not a very good prospect.
Thanks for listening and see you again soon.
