We’re gearing a client up for a tradeshow so I’ve been thinking and reading quite a bit about them lately. I keep coming back to a memory of one particular company I met at Dreamforce 2 years ago as the prime example of what not to do on the expo floor.
I had my vendor list all planned out and I knew I needed to visit two of the eSignature companies booths. I’d done some research on both companies but still had some very specific questions I needed answered. I visited eSignature company 1 and got great information and just really enjoyed the booth staff. They were friendly, knowledgable, and seemed genuinely happy to be there. Plus they could do everything I needed – and more.
I wondered around and found eSignature company 2.
Let me start by saying this particular company had the cutest screaming flying monkey tchotchkes. We picked some up from them the year before and they turned out to be the hit of the office so I wanted to grab one for my daughter during this trip.
Their booth was dead quiet, no expo attendees in their 10×10 space – sweet I can get both reps undivided attention, this should be great. I walked up and both the man and woman working the booth had arms folded across their chests and just stared at me. I stood there and stared back for a few awkward moments and finally said “Hi, I’m Heather – can you guys answer some questions for me?” and I kid you not the man nodded towards his rack of marketing material and said “You can grab some of those and if you still have questions you can come back.” Woah. Woah. Did that really just happen? Oh, but it gets better. I grabbed their single sheet of material which was just a brief regurgitation of the website. Disappointed I told him I’d read all this already and had some specific questions about his product. His reaction was a long sigh so I told him forget it – I’m going with eSignature company 1.
But I still had to get my monkey. I ended up sending my colleague over to grab one for me because I couldn’t stand to talk to those people again – and they were just as rude to her.
All of this happened over 2 years ago – with employees who likely don’t even work for the company anymore, but that experience still sums up the way I feel about that company. I’ve avoided them as a solution for my clients and probably always will. eSignature company 1 is a little more expensive – but its a price I’m willing to pay to be treated well and to know my clients always will be as well.
