“10,000 years ago, civilization forked. Farming was invented and the way many people spent their time was changed forever.”
That’s the opening of Seth Godin’s blog of Wednesday, Feb 3. Seth went on to make the point that marketers seldom differentiate between Hunter type personalities and Farmers. A sentence way down at the bottom, very close to the end of the post, caught my eye: “Trade shows are designed to entrance hunters, yet all too often, the booths are staffed with farmers.”
Seth sure nailed that one.
There is a need, of course, to include the shy technical expert and the reluctant research specialist among the exhibit staff, but not many event marketers count on those types to open relationships. What about the legions of account managers and product managers that I see in exhibits? These are highly socialized men and women. Most of them are accomplished professionals. Many even have extroverted personalities. Yet they generally hang back and wait to be approached. Coaching and training definitely help, but no amount of coaching will transform a farmer into a hunter.
I think Seth is on to something. Why spend thousands of dollars on floor space, exhibitry, sponsorships, signage and promotions, only to put the wrong people in the booth? Next show, ask yourself: “Who are the hunters in our organization.” Try staffing a booth only with people who are trained to scan and pounce. Then compare outcomes with a prior show. Do hunters make better trade show staffers? Let me know.