MAKING YOUR TRADE SHOW SALES PLAN

Now that I've gotten you excited about making a year’s worth of sales in just a few days, let me share the bad news with you: It's going to take more than a few days. If this sounds like a fortune cookie riddle, don't worry; what I really mean is that trade shows represent an awesome opportunity to close new business. To make that happen, though, you're going to have to do some of the groundwork ahead of time. That's why one of the best things you can do for yourself is to create a trade show selling plan that will help you identify which prospects you're going to sell to, what you're going to sell to them, and how you're going to reach them.

Start out by identifying how many of your potential clients are going to be attending the trade show. In most industries, nearly every decision-maker you could come across is going to make some kind of appearance at one of these events. Now is a great time to find out when that will be and see if you can set specific appointments to meet with them, even if it's just for a few minutes.

Having a set of predetermined meetings is one of the easiest ways to increase your trade show closing percentage, but one that most sales professionals ignore. That's because most haven't been to enough shows, or often enough, to realize how hectic things are going to be once they are on location. Both you and your potential clients are likely to be more overwhelmed than you would think, so see if you can lock down a time to get together as soon as possible.

To that advice I would add two quick thoughts. First, make sure the appointments are for specific times. If they are too vague, they'll end up not happening once other commitments start to build up. And secondly, be sure to verify each appointment the week before the show. There are always going to be a few prospects who forget, and a few more who won't be able to make it to the trade show. The worst thing you can do is waste your time looking for someone who isn't going to be there or isn't expecting to meet with you.

Don't just stop with potential customers you already know, however; make a concerted effort to find new prospects in the weeks and months leading up to the trade show. As with any other type of sales, the more contacts you have in your pipeline, the more you're going to close later. This is especially true of trade shows because the accelerated selling process lets you move things along more quickly.

For each potential sale you come up with, follow one simple rule: qualify, qualify, and then keep qualifying. While that's not bad advice in any sales situation, at trade shows it's critical. The reason is that you usually can't make a sale without reaching all the decision-makers. Typically, each of these men and women is going to be in attendance, but you're going to miss out if you only speak to one or two. With that in mind, find out who is going to be in on the buying decision beforehand. You might not be able to make appointments with all of them – individually or as a group – but at least you'll know what you're working with before you invest a lot of time and energy into presenting to the wrong person.

It goes without saying that, throughout this process, you should be taking careful notes, updating your contact manager, and otherwise putting a timeline and strategy together. The goal isn't to fill up your calendar with "busy work," but to make sure you can maximize your hours by seeing as many good prospects as possible and moving them toward a successful close. The more contacts and information you have, the better and more comprehensive your trade show selling plan is going to be.

At the same time, realize that there should be more to your plan than simply having contacts and appointments – you need to be as ready as possible with your sales skills and product knowledge. In my seminars, I'm consistently amazed at how many professional salespeople don't read any books, attend any conferences, or otherwise educate themselves on the business of selling. By failing to invest even a minimum of time and effort in perfecting their craft, they are basically relying on luck to make sales, not to mention leaving the door open for the competition to run them over.

Don't make the same mistake. You're never going to close huge sales, at a trade show or elsewhere, if you don't understand anything about the selling process. Even if you are normally diligent about learning, it might be a good idea to brush up on your in-person sales skills. Modern technology is great, but it leaves a lot of salespeople as experts in dealing over the phone or online, but weak when it comes to closing face to face. Try to get some practice working close up as the show approaches.

And finally, make sure your product knowledge is complete. The chances are good that your company is going to be rolling out something new to offer, as well as your competitors.

Potential customers are going to be comparing what you sell side by side with their other choices, so it's important that you understand the benefits and drawbacks of each and can explain them in a way that won't leave prospects feeling confused or indecisive. In other words, know what you're going to be selling, and know it inside and out. Taking the time to learn the details now can save you thousands in lost commissions later.

Trade shows can let you close a ton of business at once, but it's not going to happen unless you're prepared. Gather up your contacts, find new prospects, prepare yourself for big sales, and then put it all into an actionable plan. It might be more work than you're used to doing before you travel, but it's going to pay off in a very short amount of time.

Pullout: Don't Ignore Existing Customers

With all the excitement of planning for your trade show and finding new business, it can be very easy to make one of the most classic sales mistakes: ignoring your existing customers while you hunt for new ones.

It isn’t only your prospects who will be attending the trade show, seeing what’s new and being exposed to dozens of vendors at once. That’s why it’s a good idea to play a little bit of defense, as well. Remember the adage, which is as true as it is ignored: “It costs you five to ten times as much effort and money to bring in a new customer as it does to sell to one you already have.” Existing clients are the lifeblood of any business, so it makes sense to do what you can to hold on to them.

Luckily, this shouldn’t be all that tough – just follow the same steps you are planning to take with your biggest prospects. Find out which customers will be on site, and then try to make appointments to meet with them briefly, being sure to qualify them in case they have any buying needs that haven’t been uncovered. Once they’ve stopped by your booth, be sure to show them anything that’s new or exciting; you want them to be as impressed with what they see from your company as they’re going to be with your competition.

Trade shows also make for a good customer service setting. Take the opportunity to check in and see how they’re making out with your products and services, whether they have had any issues or questions that they haven’t mentioned before, or just get to know them for a few minutes. It’s not uncommon to have several clients, even very important ones, that you’ve never met face to face. This is your chance to make a personal introduction. Sales has always been a relationship business, and letting your customers see you as an actual living, breathing human being can go a long, long way toward keeping accounts and making future sales.

One final reason to meet with your existing clients is that they can be your very best advertisers. If you come across a prospect who is difficult to close, or find yourself needing an extra bit of credibility, having someone nearby who has enjoyed doing business with you in the past can be just the thing to tip a sale over the edge. Simply introduce your prospect and customer to each other and ask your existing client to describe what it's been like working with you; the rest should take care of itself.

Even better, many customers will do this for you without you ever having to ask. If they've enjoyed a good relationship with you for some time and see that you have something exciting happening at your booth, they might steer other interested prospects – both within and outside their own company – in your direction or recommend you by name. It's hard to beat that when it comes to warming up a new prospect.

Trade shows are busy, frantic settings to be working in, and it's important that you maximize your time and energy to bring in new sales areas; don't get so focused on new accounts, however, that you forget about the ones you already have. Existing customers can make or break your business, so be sure to pay attention to them.

Henry, Carl. Trade Show Selling: How to Make a Year's Worth of Sales in a Few Days or Less. Unknown. Kindle Edition.