The Hardest Job Of A Trade Show

You've heard this before: There were four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it. Nobody did it. Somebody got angry because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Somebody would do it. But Nobody asked Anybody. It ended up that the job was not done, and Everybody blamed Somebody, when actually, Nobody asked Anybody.

Question is - What was the Job?

At a trade show, the job that Anybody can do, and Everybody thinks Somebody will do, but winds up being that Nobody does it - well, that's the follow-up part.

The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (ceir.org) says research shows that up to 80% of leads gathered at a show are not followed up. Bottom line, that translates to - you've wasted 80% of your money.

Here are tips for recouping your investment and improving your bottom line:

1. What's Your Purpose at the Show?
If it's to gather leads, then that should be the main focus for the entire process - before, during and after the show. What if it's something else, like meeting with clients or recruiting employees? That doesn't absolve you of following up leads. You still have to do it.

2. What's a Lead?
Define before the show what you consider a lead. Is it a company that will purchase within a certain time period? Has a certain budget? Is looking for a particular product you sell? You can separate the contacts into levels - A, B, C or hot, medium, cool - and work them that way. But they still have to be contacted.

3. Who's Responsible?
Before you get into the Body problem - any, no, some and every - write out the process. Produce a schedule for following up. The first contact should come within 10 days of the end of the show. Otherwise people forget who you are. The trail becomes cool, then cold. Determine names and responsibilities at each step of the follow-up process. Accountability is important. Make certain people know what is expected of them, and who else is in the process. This is critical when the person staffing the booth is not the person who does the actual call. The farther and longer the process from the show site and date, the more chances there are to lose the lead.

4. What's a Follow-up?
At minimum it's a Thank You note to every contact you made. These people invested time and money to come to the show, time and effort to stop by your booth. The simple courtesy of a Thank You goes a long way in today's fast paced and impersonal world. If you listened properly and were able to gather specific information, you can provide a quote, supply answers and have a real reason for the follow-up call.

5. What Should You Send?
Unless requested, do not send the $20.00, 20-pound corporate package of literature that tells absolutely everything about your company. Do not send an obvious form letter ("Thank you for visiting us at the ABC Expo in Booth 6543 six months ago...").

Do Send:

* your business card - people will remember a logo and spelling of names and companies
* information about your company - a generic piece is fine
* the specific answer to the question - My company can help your company ____ (crunch numbers faster, ship with less hassle, increase accuracy in testing)
* any samples, price lists or references which will help speed the sales cycle.

Remember - The job that Anybody can do, and Everybody thinks Somebody will do, but Nobody does - well, that changes when all understand the importance of trade show follow-up.

Julia O'Connor - Speaker, Author, Consultant - is an expert in the psychology of the trade show environment. She understands the reluctance of some staff to be company players at a trade show - the "It's-Not-My-Job" attitude.

Companies spend big bucks to exhibit , then drop the ball at follow-up, which can be the most important part of the whole experience.

http://www.TradeShowTraining.com -- 800-355-3910

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


3 Secrets That Set The Context For Sales Success

In today's competitive environment, every organization is trying to improve... Read More

The Surest Way to Boost Sales

If you have a small business and you are looking... Read More

Sales Plan? Whats a Sales Plan?

In the past, if you said the word "plan" to... Read More

Increasing Sales by Using Coupons - Will it Help Your Business?

Increasing Sales by using Coupons. Will it help your business?... Read More

Want to Increase the Amount of Business that Your Firm is Getting?

Business development is important for every business and refers to... Read More

How Your 60-Second Elevator Script Can Transform Your Staff, Your Sales, & Your Business

When attending a Chamber of Commerce breakfast networking get-together, I'm... Read More

10 Things to Help Your Business When Sales Are Slow During the Holidays

Twiddling your thumbs and waiting for some business to come... Read More

Sex, Drugs, & Rock-n-Roll: Trade Show Traps and Tips

Sex, Drugs & Rock-n-RollHere's the Scenario...You're at a trade show.... Read More

Sales Pipeline Forecasting Is There A Better Way?

To put it mildly most companies sales forecasting just isn't... Read More

How We Build a 90% Failure Rate into the Sales Process

I recently began doing training in the banking industry. Across... Read More

How to Sell Strategically

If you want to maximize your sales performance, take a... Read More

Overcoming Sales Objections for Small Business Networks

Do you need help overcoming sales objections? Do you sell... Read More

Small Business Marketing: Overtaking Your Competitors

Few businesses keep tabs on competitors, yet such knowledge can... Read More

Snowflakes Improve Holiday Sales

Snowflakes are beautiful!For the Winter Holiday sales season handcrafted snowflakes... Read More

Raise Your Fees Overnight!

Do you want to make more money?Yes, I guess that... Read More

Investing in Your Sales Team

While there's no easy answer to this question, there are... Read More

How to Win Over the Man in the Chair Salesmanship, Repetition, and Direct Mail

In a classic business-to-business print ad from the late 50's... Read More

Poor Performance - Fix it by Coaching

Coaching is about finding out the cause of poor performance... Read More

Sex, Drugs, & Rock-n-Roll at Trade Shows

Here's the Scenario...You're at a trade show. Out of town.... Read More

14 Top Lead Generation Tactics

According to former Harvard Business School professor David Maister, typical... Read More

T. L. S. Part I: Tier Level Selling ? A Penetration Strategy

A number of sales "Gurus" have promoted the theory that... Read More

Train a Winning Sales Team: Rounding Third and Heading for Home

Although I never met the man, I imagine Lou Boudreau... Read More

Accepting Responsibility for Your Sales Success

That we live in a time of relentless and pervasive... Read More

Is Your Sales Trust Factor High Enough to Win Against the Competition?

How high is your sales trust factor?Is it higher than... Read More

6 Steps to Avoid Losing Summer Sales

It's a fact - the online world dies down in... Read More

Is Sales Process & CRM Stopping Sales?

Standard metrics and KPI's (Key Performance Indicators) are created usually... Read More

When Its DUH? Time at Trade Show - 3 Little Words Save the Day

TIME, MONEY, HASSLE - You can make a sale on... Read More

Run a Productive Business From Your Car-Office

The way we do business has changed dramatically over the... Read More

Increase Retail Sales With Meetups

I recently attended the monthly Italian language Meetup here in... Read More

The Effective Executive

What does it mean to be an "effective executive"? Well... Read More

3 Steps To Getting A Sales Meeting

The best way to get a new customer is to... Read More

Profitable Relationships: Is It Amateur Hour or King of the Hill?

"We're in the relationship business?...airplanes are what we use to... Read More

How to Organize a Seminar or an Event

Seminars and events have always been implemented as a holistic... Read More