Riding The Nods — A Surefire Way to Trade Show Success

When Jason and I first started doing trade shows we didn’t quite know how to pitch Game Night in a Can. We would start by talking about what other games are missing, or how we host live game nights in LA at the Hollywood Improv, or how you open the lid and the spinner is underneath, to anything else we could think of.
And we started noticing an interesting thing: when something connected with the potential customer we were talking to, they would nod their head. So we started collecting these nods, seeing what talking points got the most. We then took those talking points and made them the bulk of our standard pitch. This is where you start.
But where it gets totally rad is when you begin RIDING THE NODS.
We now have our standard pitch, but when we notice the nods, we try to feel into what is connecting with them, and then continue riding that wave. Everyone you speak to is different, and they will all connect with different things…so ride those nods!
For example, I could be pitching to someone about how Game Night in a Can is incredible for large groups, and perhaps they give a tiny nod. But then I tell them we plant a tree for every can we sell and they go “oh!” Much bigger nod for them on this one, so I will continue down that path. “We also use all recycled metal, recycled cardboard, and soy-based ink. We don’t even wrap the outside of it because we want to use less plastic.”
Now they’re like “Ohhhh Daaaamn!” nodding all over the place. In this case, the sustainability aspect got them nodding, so we rode it.
A different person could ‘get their nod on’ when we tell them that Game Night in a Can is all about inspiring creativity. Perhaps they say “That’s great, kids are on their devices too much these days.” So we ride that nod and go down the path about the importance of analog games, and how families often forget about their phones while playing, and it’s just a great new way to connect. We may not even get to the sustainability part of our pitch, but it doesn’t matter because we’re already Riding The Nod.
Nods can happen anywhere at any time. Keep your eyes open, and when the nod wave starts to form, hop on board!
“But Barry, what if they don’t nod at all? What if I’m giving my speech and they just stare back at me like the living dead?”
This happens too. Sometimes it means they don’t like what you’re pitching. And sometimes it doesn’t mean anything at all. (Or perhaps they just want to eat your brains.) That’s ok! Just give your pitch, let it land, and keep cool. You never know what’s going on inside someone’s head. But the best thing you can do is not come off as desperate. We’ve actually had people stare at us blankly throughout an entire pitch, sure that they were going to walk away afterward. And to our surprise they said “We’ll take it.”
Of course we’ve also had countless people in that situation say “Not for me” and walk off. That’s ok too! For every NO, you’re that much closer to a YES.
To Recap: Find your nods, string them together into a cohesive pitch, find more nods while giving that pitch and then ride them into a customized conversation with each new person.
See you on the waves my friends.
