YOUR TRADE SHOW SALES PLAN
- Pro-Branding
- Feb 17
- 5 min read
While the prospect of achieving a year's worth of sales in just a few days is enticing, it's important to recognize that this process requires more than just a few days. Although this may initially seem perplexing, the key takeaway is that trade shows offer a remarkable opportunity to secure new business. To capitalize on this opportunity, it is essential to lay the necessary groundwork in advance. Therefore, one of the most effective strategies is to develop a trade show selling plan. This plan should help you identify potential prospects, determine what products or services to offer them, and establish a method for reaching them effectively.
Begin by determining the number of potential clients who will be attending the trade show. In many industries, nearly every decision-maker is likely to make an appearance at such events. This is an opportune moment to ascertain their attendance schedules and attempt to arrange specific meetings with them, even if only for a brief period.
Establishing a schedule of predetermined meetings is a highly effective strategy to enhance your trade show closing rate, yet it is often overlooked by many sales professionals. This oversight typically stems from a lack of experience or frequent participation in trade shows, leading to an underestimation of the bustling environment once on-site. Both you and your prospective clients are likely to experience more overwhelm than anticipated, so it is advisable to secure meeting times at the earliest opportunity.
To that advice, I would like to add two brief suggestions. Firstly, ensure that appointments are scheduled for specific times. If they are too ambiguous, they may not occur as other commitments arise. Secondly, confirm each appointment the week prior to the event. It is common for some prospects to forget, and others may be unable to attend the trade show. The least productive use of your time is searching for someone who is either absent or not anticipating a meeting with you.
In addition to engaging with potential customers already identified, it is crucial to proactively seek out new prospects in the weeks and months preceding the trade show. Similar to other sales strategies, expanding your network of contacts enhances the likelihood of future conversions. This is particularly applicable to trade shows, where the expedited sales process facilitates quicker progress.
For each potential sale you identify, adhere to a fundamental principle: continuously qualify your prospects. While this advice is valuable in any sales context, it is particularly crucial at trade shows. The primary reason is that securing a sale typically requires engaging with all decision-makers. Generally, these individuals will be present, but focusing on only one or two may lead to missed opportunities. Therefore, ascertain who will be involved in the purchasing decision beforehand. Although arranging meetings with all parties—either individually or collectively—may not always be feasible, having this knowledge will prevent you from expending significant time and effort presenting to the wrong person.
It is essential to meticulously document your activities, update your contact manager, and develop a timeline and strategy throughout this process. The objective is not to occupy your schedule with "busy work," but to optimize your time by engaging with as many promising prospects as possible and guiding them towards a successful conclusion. The greater the number of contacts and the more information you gather, the more robust and comprehensive your trade show selling plan will become.
Simultaneously, it is important to recognize that your strategy should encompass more than merely maintaining contacts and scheduling appointments. You must be thoroughly prepared with your sales expertise and product knowledge. In my seminars, I am consistently surprised by the number of professional salespeople who do not read books, attend conferences, or otherwise engage in self-education on the art of selling. By neglecting to invest even minimal time and effort in honing their skills, they essentially depend on luck for sales success, while also allowing competitors to surpass them.
Avoid repeating past mistakes. Successfully closing significant sales, whether at a trade show or in other settings, requires a thorough understanding of the sales process. Even if you are typically committed to continuous learning, it may be beneficial to refine your in-person sales skills. While modern technology has enhanced remote communication, it often results in sales professionals excelling in phone or online interactions but lacking proficiency in face-to-face engagements. As the trade show approaches, consider practicing your direct sales techniques.
Lastly, ensure your product knowledge is comprehensive. It is likely that your company, along with your competitors, will be introducing new offerings.
Prospective customers will compare your offerings with other available options, making it essential for you to thoroughly understand the advantages and disadvantages of each. You should be able to articulate these points clearly to avoid leaving potential clients feeling uncertain or indecisive. In essence, it is crucial to have an in-depth knowledge of your products or services. Investing time in learning these details now can prevent significant losses in potential commissions in the future.
Trade shows offer the opportunity to secure substantial business deals simultaneously, but success requires thorough preparation. Compile your contacts, identify new prospects, and ready yourself for significant sales, all while formulating an actionable plan. Although this may entail more effort than usual prior to traveling, the benefits will be realized in a short period.
Insight: Prioritize Current Customers
In the excitement of preparing for your trade show and exploring new business opportunities, it is a common sales pitfall to overlook your existing customers while pursuing new prospects.
It's not just potential customers who will be attending the trade show, exploring new offerings and encountering numerous vendors simultaneously. Therefore, it is wise to adopt a defensive strategy as well. Consider the well-known saying, often overlooked: "Acquiring a new customer requires five to ten times more effort and expense than retaining an existing one." Existing clients are the foundation of any business, so it is prudent to take measures to retain them.
Fortunately, this task should not be overly challenging. Simply apply the same strategies you intend to use with your most significant prospects. Identify which customers will be present on-site and attempt to schedule brief meetings with them, ensuring to qualify them to uncover any unmet buying needs. Once they visit your booth, make sure to showcase any new or exciting offerings; your goal is to leave them as impressed with your company as they will be with your competitors.
Trade shows provide an excellent setting for customer service interactions. Utilize this opportunity to engage with clients, assess their satisfaction with your products and services, address any unresolved issues or questions, or simply spend a few minutes getting to know them. Often, there are several clients, including key ones, whom you have not met in person. This event offers the perfect occasion for a personal introduction. Sales fundamentally rely on building relationships, and allowing your customers to perceive you as a genuine, approachable individual can significantly enhance account retention and facilitate future sales.
An additional reason to engage with your current clients is their potential to serve as exceptional advocates for your business. When encountering a challenging prospect or requiring enhanced credibility, having a satisfied client present can be instrumental in securing the sale. By introducing your prospect to an existing client and inviting them to share their positive experiences of working with you, you may find that this effectively facilitates the closing of the deal.
Moreover, numerous clients may take this initiative on your behalf without any solicitation. If they have experienced a positive relationship with you over time and notice something noteworthy at your booth, they may direct other interested prospects—both from within and outside their organization—towards you or recommend you by name. This is an unparalleled advantage in cultivating a new prospect.
Trade shows are dynamic and demanding environments, making it crucial to optimize your time and efforts to explore new sales opportunities. However, while pursuing new accounts, it is essential not to overlook your existing clients. These current customers are vital to the success of your business, so ensure they receive the attention they deserve.
Comments