Years ago, trade shows were an excellent excuse to urge out of town and eat expensive dinners on the company’s dime. Now, though, they represent something entirely different and better: the chance to shut a year’s worth of sales during a few days.
As more and more companies are catching on to the changes that accompany having hundreds or thousands of decision-makers at an equivalent place and therefore the same time, I buy tons of calls from business owners and sales managers who want me to show their teams the way to cash in of the event with only every week or two to urge ready. Here are a couple of the items I teach them first:
Set big goals.
It would be hard to mention an excessive amount of about how great trade shows are for salespeople. Not only will nearly all of your biggest clients and prospects be within the same place, but they’re likely to all or any be during a buying mood. There is a reason your company is spending pile on travel and exhibitions – it is your best chance to lock down dozens of latest accounts during a short amount of your time.
Make appointments.
Don’t calculate simply bumping into the lads and ladies you would like to ascertain most. Call them before the fair, remind them that you’re going to be there face to face, and see if you’ll found out a time to urge together. Confirm to not overlook breakfast and dinner times, as those are often the foremost convenient for your clients to satisfy.
Practice your “boothmanship.”
Because bigger trade shows can have an almost carnival-like atmosphere, you’re getting to need to have a technique for standing out, introducing yourself, and getting prospects interested quickly. I prefer to call this routine “boothmanship,” and it can mean the difference between walking away with many new contacts and clients or spending a couple of days standing around and watching people make sales.
Know the pricing strategy getting into.
Since many companies offer “tradeshow specials” so as to shut new accounts on the spot, it is a good idea to travel over yours beforehand. Albeit you are not offering any discounts, be prepared for clients to ask. Perhaps quite the other setting, seasoned tradeshow attendees are going to be looking to wear you down on your prices, so be ready.
Be prepared to shut quickly.
From having the meeting room found out to preparing the paperwork before time, confirm everything is in situ purchasable to happen as quickly as possible. There are two important reasons for this: first, with all the thrill of latest products and concepts, many purchasers are going to be wanting to finish things abreast of the spot – something you obviously want to encourage; and secondly, you simply have a given number of hours to satisfy as many buyers as possible, so you should not waste them doing routine tasks they could’ve been finished before you bought on a plane.
Follow up quickly.
Once the show was ended, don’t become a foreign memory in your prospects’ minds. Confirm you follow up with the lads and ladies you’ve got met promptly; there should be a couple of buyers who didn’t find what they were trying to see at the tradeshow and are hospitable working with you.
Give yourself longer within the future.
Ideally, a sales division should have 3 to six months to organize for a serious tradeshow. The more legwork you’ll do before time, the higher your chances of creating an unprecedented number of sales, so give yourself the time you would like to be ready subsequent one.
Carl Henry may be an adviser. He focuses on helping companies within the selection of top sales and customer service talent. Carl is additionally a licensed Speaking Professional and, therefore, the author of several books and articles associated with sales, sales management, and customer service. He conducts seminars and webinars for clients worldwide.
