Anyone looking for digital information and contacts here will “digitally die of thirst”!
It is always a real challenge for me as a digitalization consultant to attend a trade show.
One would think that digitalization would be much further advanced here.
CRM systems (Customer Relationship Management) should actually be commonplace by now.
Unfortunately, reality looks quite different.
Welcome to the digitalization desert at the Caravan Salon
Paperless? Information at the click of a button? No such luck. Plenty of QR codes on stands and vehicles, but very rarely with the detailed data one expects for the displayed product.
Information about who is at the stand and when they are available is, if at all, on paper lists.
Scrap paper with contact details to forward my visit and the information that they have no idea who at the parent company is responsible for what, because they do not have a stand here and I should simply send an email to “Info@”. And this at a global corporation?
When asked about specific problems such as a knowledge database for issues with corresponding solutions, the response is only “we’re working on it, no idea when it will be ready”.
Mama Mia, what a poor showing.
I took a look at “the state of the trade show” (instead of nation) and found nothing but alarming results.
Whether large or small company: digitalization seems to be a foreign word here.
Customers or prospects are practically left to die of thirst, and there seems to be more interest in coffee with heart designs (from the barista) than in contact with the customer.
Details on this, including solution recommendations, as always in my blog post.
The Chinese are already here. With more digitalization in the motorhome than at the entire trade show!
(Image source: Messe Düsseldorf / ctillmann)
The digital motorhome is better than the trade show itself!
Let’s start with registration. As a holder of a press pass, book author, and blog operator, I enjoy attending trade shows.
Naturally, I am particularly interested in trade shows that directly concern me as a mobile digitalization consultant.
What could be more obvious than visiting the Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf.
Registration as a press representative already fails because I am not quite press and not quite a content creator either.
None of the forms fit. So I am initially rejected.
Only after a phone call with the manager and resending all information does it work. Phew, made it.
Then it continues. In the car, I diligently saved all my favorites. Worked well. There is always room for improvement in features, but when all the data suddenly disappears and I have to search in the web browser, I am annoyed. (see image)
Funny: shortly before the end of my trade show visit, the data reappears. A miracle has occurred!
The crowning finish is the parking meter. Instead of telling me that the ticket is already paid and I can exit, I am told that I have an invalid ticket.
So back to the counter to get the information that the display is wrong and I can exit after all. Here someone has once again “thought things through”.
Chaos in the app and I am annoyed!
Incorrect display and even more steps on the step counter
No interest in digital gold
Overall, it is quite surprising. Customer retention by manufacturers seems to be a foreign concept at such trade shows. Perhaps because most manufacturers sell purely through dealer networks. So why should they capture visitor data? (Except for prize draws, whose marketing value is very questionable.)
With manufacturers, one would actually think that they would, naturally GDPR-compliant, pass the data on to dealers. No such luck. No one asked me about it.
Even my badge, which identifies me as a content creator including a clearly visible press pass, did not lead to inquiries about contact details or who and what I write for.
Are they simply too “satisfied” or do they all have no desire to really sell anymore? I am somewhat confused.
I found it particularly interesting when I was interested in new mattresses for my consulting mobile. So at the manufacturer, who also sells to end customers. Here they provided extensive advice and gave me a brochure (no digital links), but did not even ask for my data.
How is that possible? A salesperson who does not want to know who has a genuine interest and whom they should actually follow up with?
Who would have thought?
But! Perhaps it is also because the companies do not have a GDPR-compliant process for data collection and therefore have more fear of penalties than joy about possible orders.
Of course, this can be remedied! I am happy to support with CRM selection with GDPR-compliant processes. Simply arrange a free initial consultation and soon start mining data gold again!
At this trade show, there are no miners of data gold. Everyone is probably already “rich” enough.
Always be the first to receive the latest news, interviews, and expert articles?
I want MORE – information and interaction
Seriously. Printouts with vehicle data? Should I photograph them? Not even a QR code and, if so, then to a general website or with luck to the vehicle page.
Do I then have to save all the clicks on my phone and organize them myself?
And what about the well-intentioned images from the salespeople if I cannot contact them and know where they are or whether they have time?
It is truly frustrating with the “digitalization” of exhibitors. They make it much harder than necessary not only for themselves, but also for prospects and customers.
Even when one of the “salespeople” approaches with a tablet in hand, they only have some PDFs without links on it and cannot find, even after consulting an “expert”, what the addition of a solar system on the roof should cost and gives up.
A configurator is so rare that one should probably open a bottle of champagne when finding one that is also current.
Yet there are already great solutions in this area, such as the digital folder®, where everything can be accessed in one folder on the smartphone. Nicely organized, with all the contact and information options one can imagine.
Simply take a look.
Oh yes, there was one small bright spot. The manufacturer of my dry separation toilet, Arwinger, solved some current problems with me at the trade show and then directly sold me an upgrade at the stand. Including payment on site. Without a cash register system. Simply with their app on the smartphone and a mobile credit card reader. That is what I call digitalized. (even if the invoice is still pending)
Information, neither one thing nor the other
Everything can be perfectly displayed in the digital folder®
What if?
The trade show and exhibitors actually used a CRM system and all desired information was available at the push of a button?
It is possible! Perhaps it would be time to tackle this challenge with an experienced digitalization consultant and knock customers, prospects, and even one’s own dealers off their feet at the next trade show!
For a free initial consultation, simply request an appointment here in the link. It will definitely be worth it!
Conclusion: Somehow (almost) everything looked the same. If only digital service quality were a distinguishing criterion. Not a chance!
Image sources: Shutterstock, Messe Düsseldorf, Christoph Groß
