Participating in a tradeshow is a common component of most business development efforts. The experience can be fun - the crowd, excitement, change in scene, and new product info are all stimulating, and there is the lure of developing new sales leads.
You might even sell something!
But lots of sales managers will tell you that "shows" can be expensive, and in many cases yield nothing.
One frustrated VP of Sales even expressed disappointment with his group’s after-the-show effort. "We had a pile of business cards that nobody really knew anything about; as a result, any attempted follow-up was ineffective."
So the question is, "Are tradeshows worthwhile?" The answer, simply stated is, "Yes!" As long as we make productive use of floor time...
The Secret to Success
Planning, goal-setting and follow-up are all very important, but the secret to tradeshow success is to properly deal with the known prospects, friends, competitors, and "suspects" that you encounter. "Suspects" are the key - we can call everyone else anytime, in theory, because we already know who they are!
In addition, everyday sales presentations are best left at the office on tradeshow days, as it becomes important to:
1. Quickly meet many suspects
2. Identify the true prospects
3. Note contact information
4. Strategically & quickly disengage
5. Follow-up on Monday
Saturday, July 10, 2010
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