Authors: Arielle Langlais, CTSM and Maddie Ogren, CTSM
Which one reminds you of your relationships with your suppliers?:
We’re going to need new graphics for our exhibit.
- Okay, give us the address, and we’ll ship them to the show site.
- I have some folks in my network in the show city. I’ll send them the files and save you the shipping charge.
We want to do the same things at the show that we did last year.
- Okay
- You know the show is in a new location this year. So let me tell you some ideas we had to make the most of the new venue.
Should I rent or buy an exhibit?
- That’s up to you.
- That depends on your show schedule, whether your finance department wants to capitalize the expense, and the footprints from show to show.
We need to order AV for that large wall.
- Okay
- You know, I have a show tearing down right before yours. I’ll see what we’ll have on site so we don’t have to ship more than we need to. Then let’s talk about what you want to display on that wall.
See the difference? Of course, you do.
A vendor negotiates transactions based on business relationships, often providing cookie-cutter solutions to unique problems and services in standard transactional patterns.
A partner tailors your business relationship based on trust and transparency and takes risks on your behalf. A partner tells you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear, and makes recommendations based on your needs, not their sales quotas. A true partner has your back when the best-laid plan goes awry and comes to the table willing to find a solution for any challenge.
How do you go about choosing a partner?
- Do your due diligence. We often feel as if we don’t have the time to conduct an in-depth search, but time spent on the front end will pay dividends down the road.
- Ensure a good cultural fit. The cultural “fit” can involve edgy vs. conservative creative execution. It can also be about more subjective things. Perhaps tattoos are no big deal to you, but your CFO might not be a fan. Tell the agency about your company’s personality and allow them to adapt or walk away. The end product must reflect your company’s culture and brand promise.
- Meet the agency team you will work with. Nothing is worse than the bait and switch that happens when you meet the pitch team but not YOUR team.
- Consider an agency with experience in your industry. For some industries, such as healthcare, the learning curve is steep. Do you have the time to educate the agency?
- Be transparent. Don’t hide budget numbers, expectations, approval processes, etc.
- Only work with an agency that increases your comfort level, not your anxiety. If you find yourself stressed before meeting with the agency, ask yourself why—and if the agency is a good partner. Too often, we inherit agencies from our predecessors, and the comfort level on either side makes the relationship difficult.
- Share your needs, your expectations, and your vision for the future. What does the agency offer beyond basic services? How much do they do in-house, how much do they subcontract—and who are their partners?
Determine What Your Partnership Needs
Let’s get practical: How complicated is your show schedule? Do you have a variety of footprints? How often do your graphics need to be updated or changed?
Can you develop different configurations for your exhibit properties—or augment them with rental pieces when necessary? Who makes these arrangements?
How do you measure the success of your program—not just results from the show but adherence to the objectives you set for your partners? Evaluation is critical: it’s the best way to keep your relationships from deteriorating.
But if things don’t work out….
Try not to make a breakup personal. Instead, base your decision on business outcomes.
Breakup by the book. Your contract should have a termination clause. Involve others in your company (like finance) for guidance.
Breakups are never pleasant, but they shouldn’t come as a surprise—not if the relationship has been built on transparency all along.
Need a few more tips? We’ve created these Flashcards for you.
