NEXT ISSUE SERVICE DEALER BUSINESS QUARTERLY Magazine Summer 2013 published July 2013
Featuring Heritage Awards 2013 Focus on the North East Edwin Budding: a visionary Dairy of a Season Distributor Focus: Handy at 75 Countdown to SALTEX Download new Media Pack
SCHMOOZE AT SALTEX Why shows are probably more important than ever . .
Telegram, telephone, telex, text, tweet . . . the way we communicate has gone from days (if you were lucky) to nano-seconds. Today, we live in an age of information overload. Those that want to, can reach millions of ears and eyes at the push of a button.
But whether we have the capacity, or the will, to absorb everything directed at us is debatable.
Our computer screens, mobile phones and iPads (other tablets are available) are a window on the world. In theory, we can take virtually every decision we need to make - without personal contact. What we buy and sell, how we buy and sell, how we pay, who we do business with, prices, specifications, availability, photos, customer experiences (good and bad), everything you ever need to know - is available at the push of a button.
But these technological gizmos are lacking in one important element of human behaviour - emotion.
Yes they can present you with options, but then you are on your own.
Which is a rather long-winded and pretentious way of promoting the importance of shows like SALTEX.
I have a favourite, but now rather outdated saying which says more about my vintage than the sentiment expressed “You can’t fax a handshake”.
It is probably more important than ever, that we have the opportunity to get out, meet, greet and generally schmooze at shows and exhibitions. Those exhibiting obviously like to ‘scratch the order book’ to justify the expense, but really the point of such events is to encourage business inter-action, socialising, meeting and greeting, shared experiences, educate, illuminate, look, listen, learn, laugh and enjoy.
Yes, you can take away leaflets, business cards and goodies - but in the long-run it’s days or hours spent at a show or exhibition that can tickle up and boost the business senses for weeks or months ahead.
