I was reading Sharon Tara's post today Creating a Positive first impression- Burden of Proof falls on Sellers which was excellent and well worth reading about the first impression on a buyer. Just click the link, take your time, we'll be here when you get back.
It reminded me of something about 36 or 37 years ago. If you read my posts, you know I grew up in a family of antique dealers and I was an antique dealer as well exhibiting all over the world. At one of these shows, at TEFAF in Maastricht, a city in the south of Holland, often called the crossroads of Europe because two other countries are just minutes away and it dates back to Roman times as well we were exhibiting. I got to meet Axel Vervoordt for the first time.
Axel Vervoordt was also exhibiting. He had an enormous booth, but whilst everyone else's booths were being built and set up they were open and visible. Axel had his draped with material so your could not see what was happening. Set up for this fair took three days, and the show itself was over a week long which is very unusual. In those days people came from all over Europe. Today, they come from all over the world for TEFAF Maastricht, which has now begun two shows in New york as well.
Anyway as I read Sharon's post about making a first impression and making sure everything was ready before you list and how important this was I thought of Axel Vervoordt. That material stayed up in front of his booth the entire time till the doors opened to the public. It is hard to explain what a difference his booth was to normal and get the right words. We were merely antique and art dealers. Axel Vervoordt was a designer. His booth was like a stage. From the materials on the wall, to the objects mixed together, to set up and lighting it was dramatic to say the least. I am sorry I do not have a photo but check out his website you might get an impression. He mixed modern art with 17th century ceramics and 16th century furniture. Objects glowed under spotlights that made them stand out alone from everything else around them.
His first impression was more than just selling an object, he was selling himself and his design, as well as the objects in his booth. Here is a video of a talk he gave
We are like that ourselves when we meet a new client. Remember, from that first contact we make an impression. What one are you making?
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