As I'm writing this, I'm halfway through Day #2 of manning our virtual booth for the GoToCollegeFairs.com virtual fair that several of you are manning booths at as well. While some might think going virtual would be MUCH easier than packing all your wares into what I like to call our giant "Mary Poppins Magic Bags of College Wonder" and herniating discs from loading/unloading said bags sometimes 3-4 times a day/3-4 days a week in order to hit every college/career fair you possibly can while traveling hundreds of miles in just a few months travel time, I'm finding this switch of format is no walk in the park (yes - I was one who thought it'd be easier...I now stand corrected).
While many of the challenges are the same (making sure your booth is eye catching, that you have relevant/up-to-date information, plenty of "handouts" people will look at), the differences are definitely to be noted.
Downside of Virtual Fair
- A pleasant smile and eye contact can't be used to entice a conversation.
- Your "sales pitch" is harder to communicate regardless of whether you're using the Meet or Chat feature.
- The blow to the ego is a little harder to deal with when you try to initiate contact by clicking "start chat" and it disconnects time and time again before getting to enter your "Hello & thanks for taking a look at YadaYada U! What questions can I answer for you today?" spiel.
Upside of Virtual Fair
- If you're only able to use the Chat feature, hair/makeup/dress clothes are totally optional.
- The chances of getting judgy looks for checking your email/answering a call in the middle of the fair are drastically reduced.
- Kids aren't coming over just to take the cool give-aways on your table - the ones you visit with HONESTLY want to hear about your institution.
Granted, this is only my first venture with virtual fairs (and with blogging, truth be told) and I'm sure there are those of you out there who are more seasoned & will heartily disagree me. And that's okay. If we've learned nothing from this "new normal" it's that different opinions seem to make the world go 'round. And even though learning the ins/outs of this updated format have not been the easiest, it's been a challenge I've welcomed with open arms & am excited to introduce to my crew because, like it or not, ya mama's college fair might become a thing of the past sooner than we'd all like...you'd better embrace the present, or you're gonna get left behind.
Regular business practices really have had to adjust! However, in some instances, the introvert will excel in seeking out information from the comfort of their own homes! Keep up the fantastic work!