Model Builders Inc Blog

To create a trade show exhibit that sells, focus on solving these three basic problems:

Problem 1: How do you get the attention of your highest potential buyers?

Answer: Use a concise headline in the most easily seen part of the exhibit - put it up high, make it big, light it up. Repeat the headline elsewhere in the exhibit. Use the company name nearby. 

Focus the headline on a specific product, or service and make a strong benefit promise. For example, Uni-tek's headline is "Broken Taps Removed Fast" in large, flood-lit lettering. Sharp focus like this attracts people who want what you have to offer.

You have five seconds to attract the attention of potential buyers and less than five minutes to develop interest. 

Problem 2: How do you develop detailed product interest?

Photo: A 30" diameter model of the Millennium ball drops slowly a few times a day in synch with a video countdown at this 50' trade show booth for Philips light bulbs, drawing attention to the  key product benefits on the billboards.

Answer: Highlight the product. Use a sales message with the most important features and benefits. Show your product or service in action. Invite the potential client to participate in a product demonstration.

Remember the product is the star. Consider a cutaway of your product to highlight how it works.  Make a small product larger with a realistic larger-scale model as the center of attention in the booth, like the 5' high spark plug Bosch used. For a large product like a locomotive, aircraft, or mining truck, feature a smaller-scale model that fits in the trade show booth. Consider adding mechanical movement or chase lights to show the sequence of how the product works.

The sales message should be simple and dramatic.  A video or exhibit backwall with a few pictures and copy can tell your story quickly and effectively. Help the booth staff tell the product story with a few key visual aids that highlight the product's most important features and benefits.

Problem 3: How do you follow up with the potential buyer?

 Photo: Business card drop box (slot) in a 2X scale prop model of a new medical device.

 Answer: Often several potential buyers show up at a trade show exhibit at the same time.  A business card drop box offers a quick way to get a potential buyer's business card even when exhibit staff is busy with someone else. Provide blank name/address cards, too, and pens to make it easy to fill them out. Consider adding a question or two on the blank card to help qualify the prospect as a potential buyer.

If the objective is to make an appointment with the potential buyer for a followup call, include a graphic that invites the visitor to sign up for a product demonstration. Include a large appointment book to make it easy.

Another option is to integrate a private area or separate office into the exhibit area as a place to close a sale, show more detailed product options, etc.

One technique to close sales is use of show specials: offer a lower price for orders at the show only, making the invitation highly visible.

To wrap up the planning process, ask yourself:

• Did we pinpoint the product and sales message in the headline?
• Did we dramatize the product for immediate impact?
• Is the exhibit uncluttered and geared to a single objective?

If yes, then you are on your way to having an effective exhibit. If you have any questions or would like to discuss exhibit design, a cutaway of your product, a product model, or a larger or smaller than life model contact us at Model Builders, Inc. 773-586-6500 or info@modelbuilders.net .

One of the easiest things to use to attact visitors to your exhibit booth is your product  because that is what you are selling. However you may be overlooking the advantages of using a product model instead.  Here are three examples of exhibits where there was a very significant advantage to using a product model versus the real product.

(1) The first advantage is a savings in weight and therefore cost. Below is a photograph of a replica model of a track welding machine which is 12' X 4' X 3'.  The cost to ship the real machine which weighs close to 15,000 lbs. is quite high. Then the expense to move a real track welding machine into the exhibit booth and set it up is also high. However a replica model made out of ABS plastic instead of steel like the real product weighed less than 1,000 lbs. The shipping cost savings for the first tradeshow alone can pay for the model.

(2) The second advantage of a product model versus the real product is you can make a large real product as a much smaller product model which enables you to ship the product model to more tradeshows for the same cost as one tradeshow. Furthermore for really large products like some mining trucks the real product is too big to even fit in an exhibit hall.  Shown below at 1:16 scale is a mining truck model which is about 33" long which has been shipped to tradeshows around the world.

 (3) The third advantage of a product model is that an expensive product such as medical equipment with expensive components can be replaced by a product model greatly reducing the cost of shipping insurance. The model cost about 1/15 the cost of the real  lithotriper.The lithotripter model shown below also was made at 1:3 scale to make it small enough for the sales force to drive it to their clients locations in addition to the use of the model at tradeshows. The mechanical arm moved exactly like the real lithotripter. 

The benefits of product models are real. If you would like information on having a product model fabricated contact us at Model Builders, Inc. 773-586-6500 or info@modelbuilders.net .

Prototype models can make your product more successful at any stage of its life cycle. A prototype is a preliminary design or scale model representation of the final product. It allows your team and your customers to understand the product. You can take it to photo shoots, trade shows, or the customer's site. Below is a look at four of the advantages of using prototypes.

Preview the Final Product:

A prototype model can be an early representation of the final product, done to exact dimensions or to a larger or smaller scale. In addition, the prototype may be cutaway to showcase the internal components or have mechanical movement that demonstrates the operations of the product.

Prototypes are particularly important since they give a general picture of products that are still in development, and whose requirements are not entirely known. Until you can see and touch the prototype you often don't discover what works and what doesn't. Is it too big or too small? Will it actually work and if so how well? Do people like the look of the product in three dimensions? Can it be manufactured at an affordable cost?

A prototype enables all parties to visualize the product quickly and communicate what insights they have for the final product. You can find out if the prototype meets the requirements of potential users and then make changes before the final product is ready for production. The prototype is also the focal point for discussion with the design and engineering team.  The final product is a result of the fusion of design, marketing and engineering input as well as potential user interaction with a prototype.

       The first prototype at 2 times scale used to build demand at a tradeshow

Reduce the Cost of Development and Production:

Using a prototype model enables you to demonstrate the concept of your product and discover any flaws. You have the opportunity to correct these flaws, or come up with solutions for improving the product. This reduces the risk of your product failing. Hence, the cost of development and production is drastically reduced because you don't have to fix problems later after the final product is already in production.

Reduce the Time Needed for Product Development:

Once you have a prototype of your product, you are able to see it completely in 3D. The system requirements are defined as much as possible during the prototype process which is early in the product development. You are able to have a better idea of what the final product will look like, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge enables you to accelerate the product development because using the prototype can get you feedback from all parties at the beginning of the product development cycle.

Many firms still are bouncing new product development back and forth between the finance, marketing, sales, and production departments, etc. without using a prototype to get input from all relevant departments early in the product development cycle. This bouncing around among departments results in a longer product development cycle.

Increase User Participation in Product Development:

When you create a prototype of your product, consumers get the opportunity to study it and give suggestions or observations. Users can test the functionality of the product and give feedback. In this way, consumers have the opportunity to help you improve your product. In addition, you can develop a product that is more appealing to consumers since you will be using their direct input.

Usually a new product is developed with a series of prototype models that are reviewed and improved by those who will be involved with the design, marketing & manufacture of the product and potential users. This normally increases the odds of success for the product in the marketplace.

Product models are an investment that often pays off big by increasing product sales. Here are five ways that product models boost results.

1) Product models attract attention to sales presentations by communicating in three dimensions.  Models tell a story your client can see immediately, even without words. The visual story combined with your comments have a powerful, long-lasting impact. Perhaps my father, William H. Chaffee, a model maker for most of the 20th century, said it best: "Models enable you to visualize an idea or product in a scale you can relate to."

2) Product models are used to draw people into a trade show booth and start the sales conversation. They are an attention-getting focal point in the sales process.  Just changing the scale of a product can command attention.  Small objects become gigantic and large objects can become small enough to fit in a 10' wide trade show booth. A 7' high detailer motorized brush as shown in the above picture, 8' tall drill bit, a 9' long windshield wiper blade with some new features, and a 6' tall toothbrush with lighted fiber optic bristles drew heavy traffic into their exhibit booths. Ordinary products command attention when produced in an unexpected scale and their unique benefits are immediately obvious.

3) "New" is one of the most response-generating words in advertising. Models can get new products in front of customers immediately through quick fabrication for presentations at a sales meeting, trade show, or photography for public relations releases. Prior to the first production run of a new industrial pool pump, a full scale exterior model was built for a trade show to introduce the product. The model was detailed down to the surface which had a casting texture painted on it. When the original product engineers first saw the model, some of them thought the model had come straight from the production line. Without the product model the company could only have shown two dimensional photographs or drawings with less impact.

4) Models can highlight product advantages by showing how the product works or revealing certain features. A cutaway model of a real product can show any unique feature and the quality of the materials used inside.  For example, one product model used a clear plastic housing and some internal translucent parts combined with some real parts to create a jet engine oil pump that revealed where the oil flowed and the unique parts that made it work. For another client, a 2X scale oven with 2" wide red/orange fluorescent plastic "heat arrows" inside showed the even flow of heat.

5) Closing a sale is often quicker when you use a  model. For exmple a scale model of a trade show exhibit booth can sell the client on the booth design. Clients often cannot visualize a 3-D booth design as well as the designer. A model facilitates communication and clarifies any changes to the trade show booth design in order to gain a commitment to go ahead with construction of the booth. A model quickly and clearly shows the interior design, space planning, sight lines, traffic patterns, engineering, materials, colors, signage, and the interrelationships between various elements. The model helps to answer questions and solve potential problems. It is a fast way to understand a complex project and hence shorten the sales cycle.

Done artfully and with skill, product models like those described above help increase sales. Take the next step by contacting us at Model Builders, Inc., 773.586.6500 or info@modelbuilders.net .

Competition for attention is very stiff at a trade show. Companies that get noticed often have product models that grab attention and draw the passer-by into the trade show booth for more information. Here are five types of unique and enticing product models.

Working model

A working model is a very effective way to attract traffic at trade shows. Demonstrating how the actual product works not only creates a vivid image in the potential customer’s mind but the action itself also draws the eye and stops traffic.

The medical device in these two pictures permits the hand to move while the wrist is recovering from a break instead of being fixed in one position in a cast. The hand is motorized to move slowly up and down to demonstrate the range of movement.

Creative action model 

Even with a static model you can create action to help draw traffic to your booth. Your product model might pop up out of a related setting such as a topographic or plant layout model.

Extend a model out from a picture

This techique is an attention grabber and at the same time cuts the cost to far below what it would be if you made a model of both the vehicle and the brush cutter in front. It also puts the focus on the brush cutter. The focus on the railroad right of way maintenance car is on the double bladed rotary cutter on the right.

 The larger story model  

Product models are three dimensional, which is always more engaging than a flat display.  But you can take this advantage one step further as well. You can place your model in a realistic setting that draws the potential client to the display.  Another method is use your product model in conjunction with others (your product or not) to simulate the larger story of your product’s unique benefits.

Interactive model

An interactive product model allows a person to learn about the product by starting, moving, pausing or stopping the operation. A user-controlled video alongside the product model could be added to help better understand your competitive advantages. Seeing someone who is engaged with your product makes others more likely to stop to see what it’s all about.

Use product models like those described above to help the product sell itself and grab the attention of potential customers at a trade show. Give yourself a competitive edge with a product model that tells your product’s story with impact and often without the use of words. Take the next step by contacting us at Model Builders, Inc., 773.586.6500 or info@modelbuilders.net .

Every product has its own story to tell. Often the best way is with a with a cutaway. Product cutaways are a dramatic way to show how a product works or how well it is made. Manufacturers of pumps, valves, storage tanks, power tools, transmissions and engines are frequent users of cutaways so they can show unique features and present principles of operation. Superior materials and craftsmanship can also be shown. To see quality is to believe it.

The use of product cutaways is not always confined to tradeshows or sales calls. Other uses are for education, in museums, sales training, engineering training, assembly training, and photos for technical manuals or advertisements. Product models are useful anywhere a three dimensional product or process needs to be explained. Cutaways have a stronger impact than an illustration. 

There are many types of product cutaways. Some are associated with equipment that is contained in a metal casting - a hand held power drill for example, or a transmission. However you shouldn't confine cutaways to just those types of equipment.

You could:

• encase the guts of a product, such as a switch, in clear plastic so that you can watch it work.
• build a small cutaway model of a large product such as a turbine or a large model of a small product such as a microchip.
• construct multiple cutaways to demonstrate a process.
• animate the cutaway with mechanical motion or sequenced lights.

The success of a cutaway depends on how well you are able to show your product story. You could have someone just cut your model apart but you should use skilled professionals to help you. Some points to consider in having cutaways made are:

• is the product the right scale or should you have a smaller or larger cutaway made?
• does the cutaway need to have its parts move to demonstrate how it works?
• should hot areas be painted red and cool areas painted blue?
• should parts be polished, plated, painted, etc. to project a quality image?
• should there be labels on the cutaway parts?
• is what you want to show clearly visible or should more of the casing be cut away?
• rather than simply cutting a product in half, should you have it cut at a dramatic angle to make it more interesting?
• should you have small cutaways made for your sales representatives to use as a focal point of their customer presentations?

If you have a dramatic product story to tell from the inside out, use a cutaway. If you would like more information about getting a product cutaway done send an email to info@modelbuilders.net .