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EXHIBITION TIME DRAWING
NEAR
Have
all your staff involved with the exhibition, go through a trial run of
the stand set-up, think of
everything you will need. Sales Enquiry Forms (even though you may use
Scanners) make notes yourself, to remind you after the show what
exactly you discussed (my memory I know is getting worse), business
cards, literature, pens, paper, staplers with spare staples, sellotape,
Velcro, spare light bulbs, scissors, extension lead, petty cash,
exhibitor’s passes, car passes, charger for mobile phone,
promotional hand-outs, promotional clothing. (some foot soothing
lotion and maybe backache tablets as well)!!
THE BIG DAY
The
show opens, you now have the chance to speak to more people over the
day or days of the event face to face than you will in the next month
or months (Brill) – don’t miss out.
Too many people take an exhibition as a jolly to get out of the office
for a few days (done that and regretted it having a hangover the next
day), ok have a laugh with the people on the next stand but you are
there to sell, be friendly but still professional. You need the leads,
that is why you are there. Be
sure not to intimidate a potential client, but don’t be nonchalant
either. A friendly smile
is the best opening, find out the interest in what the ‘unknown
potential client’ came to the show looking for.
This way you won’t waste their time or yours. Now you have a
potential client, open ended questions will get your potential clients
talking. If they already have a product or service like you are
selling, why are they changing? You should now know how you can turn
this into a sale for you. Or if they haven’t this product/service
already have they seen anything so far that they like, if you know
your competition, again this should be a sale for you. (I love this
part of an exhibition – I love it even more when my competitors are
there!)
AFTER
THE SHOW
Back
in the office - make sure you contact all your potential customers no
more than five days after the exhibition. This is when you will see
how good your Enquiry Form detail was when you initially made contact
at the exhibition. Be
prepared for ‘which stand were you on’, again this will tell how
good an impression your Company and stand made. Remember not all
enquiries from the show are immediate, it could be 10months down the
line, be sure to make contact then.
Read
Part 1 - Successful Exhibiting
Read part 2 - Choosing your stand
Good
luck, be successful. I
personally have 18 years experience in the exhibition industry and a
24 hour telephone assistance line for our Clients, we are there if
ever you need us.
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