Don’t buy on the fly!
The expression “Løp og kjøp” roughly translates to “run and buy” meaning hurry up and purchase and is used a lot in Norway. Real estate agents, retail and grocery stores, on Finn (an online marketplace), and pretty much everyone who has ever tried to sell something.
Don’t get us wrong, we do want you to buy our products. But at X, we don’t want you to rush and buy – we want you to make good, thoughtful choices.
Good choices aren’t made in stressful situations.
We believe the best decisions are made when you have gathered useful information, taken the time to consult with the right people, and can see the challenges and solutions.
The best part of our sales job is that we get to contribute in creating good experiences for people. Whether it’s an anniversary, a kick-off, conference, or a trade show, something magical happens when people come together. Our job is to make that magic happen whether it’s a Friday evening or Monday morning. To do that, we need to know the venue we work at.
Let me give an example of how you can slip up by not knowing the product you’re selling. Many years ago, I had a large group of around 600 people celebrating an anniversary at a hotel in Northern Norway. We had promised a solution with grilling self-caught fish for lunch on the conference’s last day because what could be better than standing on the pier in Svolvær in May, grilling your own caught fish for lunch?
Turns out, there are quite a few things better when the weather forecast predicts that it will rain sideways just 16 hours before.
It’s not easy to find umbrellas for 600 people in Lofoten. Luckily, the hotel manager up there is extremely solution-oriented, he ended up raiding all the stores in Lofoten for umbrellas that had just come into stock and got hold of a local sports team to stand in as umbrella holders.
After that, we realized that the maximum capacity for that experience should maybe be around 200 people.
Fortunately, the customer was very satisfied, and they still talk about that lunch!
In comparison, I know my way around X down to the smallest detail. I know how long it takes to get 2000 people through a lunch buffet or the time it takes to move them up the escalator. I know which meeting rooms have afternoon sun and whom to avoid in job interviews. Just as you know your own home, I know “my” venue.
So my suggestion is: find yourself a good advisor at the place you want an offer from.
A good advisor is interested in you and genuinely interested in the question I believe every sales person in this industry should ask, and sometimes answer, on your behalf:
Why should you give your money to me?
That job becomes much easier if you’ve done the following BEFORE sending a request:
- Have an estimated number and date.
- Include some information about what you think will happen during the event.
- Are there any challenges that need solving, that we might be able to provide input on?
- Why are you gathering?
- What do you want as a result of said gathering?
A typical request might include a date, a number, and that’s all.
I have about 10 questions I’d like answers for BEFORE I can respond to you.
Is this event a conference, meeting, trade show, exhibition, or social gathering?
Will you be seated in a hall both days, or will you have partial seating?
What setups do you prefer?
Will you have a banquet dinner or dinner at a restaurant?
Is the program already set so that you’ve locked in lunchtime, or are you flexible?
Do you need setup?
Do you need hotel rooms?
What is the purpose of the event?
What is your budget per head?
If you have formed an opinion about any of this, it’s easier for us to advise you on how we can create a great event together.
The venue or hotel rep is also very good at advising you on logistics to and from, which activities suit the venue, and what trends we see coming and going. We conduct anywhere from 1 to 30 events every day and have great insights. For example, the trend now is to sit at long tables instead of round tables (after the pandemic, we like to be able to talk to more than just the person on each side of us). We also know, for example, that a 15 min coffee break was plenty before March 12, 2020, but now you won’t get away with less than 20 minutes. We’re starved for small talk.
In these times, some industries are struggling more than others, and then it might be an easy solution to think that we’ll just cut out a convention and save a few million, or we’ll cut out all training conferences. A good venue advisor should have good insights into most markets and can advise you on how to create a cheaper event through small tweaks and/or provide advice based on experiences from previous events.
So don’t be afraid to ask questions or seek advice. That’s why we’re here for you.
No rush, you don’t have to buy on the fly, you can instead relax and participate in your own event.
Welcome to X!
