An Ideal Selling Situation

The largest sale that I ever closed was negotiated over hot dogs and a soft drink at a refreshment stand, just off the exhibit floor, at a Superintendent of School Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I met an educator who was interested in the summer study abroad programs that I was selling at the show. He saw my nametag for the Foreign Study League and wanted to learn more about my products. His school district filled two and a half jet airplanes with over 400 students (at more than $1,000 each) who enrolled in my firm's summer study programs in Europe. Exhibiting and selling at tradeshows, if handled properly, is the most cost-effective selling tool in which a business or professional organization can invest.

By attracting prospects, clients or customers to a single location, a tradeshow exhibit is an "ideal selling situation," because you can sell at your booth, meet prospects at vendor sponsored cocktail parties or even promote your products or services during the down times when the show attendees are supposed to be in meetings--like the school superintendent that cut a convention session to learn more about my high school summer study abroad programs. In a day or two at a tradeshow, you can meet more decision-makers than you can contact over many weeks of cold calling and/or in-person meetings. And, participants who visit your exhibit are for the most part pre-qualified, with an interest in or a need for what you are selling, giving you access to decision-makers in a non-threatening and fun environment.

Research shows that tradeshow participants rarely see the meetings and exhibits as a selling event, so there is less resistance to your product or service promotions. Also, Tradeshow Weekly magazine reports that: 86% of a tradeshow's attendees make or influence buying decisions for their business or professional organization. The magazine's researchers have also found that over 80% of the decision-makers attending a show were not even contacted by an exhibitor's representative prior to a given event. Yet, 75% of the attendees left an exhibit area having made a commitment (i.e. agreeing to taking the next step or setting an appointment) or actually concluding a purchase. As these statistics illustrate, often it's the little things you do prior to the show or with your exhibit that can make the difference in your level of success. To make the most of a tradeshow opportunity, you might want to call in an expert to help you orchestrate the many small details that can make the show a profitable event. Just go to http://www.thesellingedge.com/tradeshows.htm to learn more about the expertise and programs available to businesses and professional organizations that want to generate the most business from a tradeshow event.

Obtain Free The $elling Edge®, Inc. Sales Myths E-Training Program At: http://www.mcssl.com/app/contact.asp?id=32989&afid=&formid=&preview=

VIRDEN THORNTON is the founder and President of The $elling Edge®, Inc. a firm specializing in sales, customer relations, tradeshows and management training and development. Clients have included Sears Optical, Eastman Kodak, IBM, Deloitte & Touché, Bank One, Jefferson Wells, and Wal-Mart to name a few. Virden is the author of Prospecting: The Key To Sales Success and the best selling Building & Closing the Sale, Fifty-Minute series books and Close That Sale, a video/audio tape series published by Thompson Learning. He has also authored a Self-Directed Learning series of sales, coaching & team development, telemarketing, and personal productivity training guides. Check them out at:http://www.TheSellingEdge.com/Book1.htm.

Vi rden teaches for the Center For Professional Development, Texas Tech University at Lubbock, Texas and in the School Of Entrepreneurship, J. Willard And Alice S. Marriott School Of Management at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah. You can contact Virden at: Virden@TheSellingEdge.com. or learn more about him at: http://www.TheSellingEdge.com .

---

Obtaining Self-Confidence

A reader recently asked me the following: "I enjoyed the... Read More

6 Steps on How to Install Confidence Into Your Clients

What methods can we use to install confidence into your... Read More

3-Levels Of Successful Selling

Any selling approach that lacks a proven strategy, a practiced... Read More

Peak Performance ? What You See Is What You Get!

Would you like an easy way to track the performance... Read More

Lance Has What It Takes

Lance has what it takes and then some.Did you know... Read More

The Anatomy of a Sales Letter

When Dr. Frankenstein exclaimed "it's alive... it's alive," he thought... Read More

Whats the Secret to Repeat Business?

When you think about ways to gain repeat business from... Read More

An Introduction to B2B Lead Generation

It is important that organizations find other companies to do... Read More

How Sellers Can Take Control

For centuries ? at least since the serpent convinced Eve... Read More

Breaking the Ice and Winning Over the Client

Wherever you turn these days you'll find articles covering every... Read More

Persuading Learners to Buy: 7 Groups

There are seven major reasons why adults continue their pursuit... Read More

Six Simple Steps for Getting More Applications

When I first started out as a loan officer, one... Read More

Touchdown! Closing Skills for Successful Selling

It's early January 2004. The Green Bay Packers are just... Read More

Business is Great; I?m Just Not Selling Anything!

Awhile back you had a great idea. An idea that... Read More

Sales 101: Handling The Angry Customer

I am often reminded of the following true story whenever... Read More

Gic Number For Writing Sales Letters

When I write sales letters for my clients, one rule... Read More

17 Tips for Bringing Your Event to Life

Your job as an event planner doesn't stop with the... Read More

Build & Protect Your Confidence

I can remember the first time that I had to... Read More

Selling Your Business ? Step by Step Process

So it's finally come time to sell the business. After... Read More

Selling Services

Selling a service isn't the same as selling a product.... Read More

Selling: an art of a skill?

Selling is as much an art as it is a... Read More

The Biggest Mistake In Selling!

Some trainers and sales managers teach that there are prospects... Read More

How to Sell: Selling Tips of Master Moms

"If you don't think well of yourself, no one... Read More

Everything in Life is Selling

Robert Louis Stevenson said 'Everything in Life is Selling' and... Read More

Selling To Women - Selling To Men - It Isnt the Same

Selling To Women - Selling To Men - It Isn't... Read More

Interactive Sales Letter Skyrockets Conversions with 2 Simple Questions

There are many tactics and techniques that go into converting... Read More

Health Insurance Lead and Health Insurance Leads

Health insurance lead generation systems provide a stead stream of... Read More

Your Ad -- Who Cares?

Junk mail. We all get it. And it goes straight... Read More

Getting Past the Gate Guard

Over the years, many prospects have hidden behind their well-trained... Read More

5 Ideas for Writing Effective Sales Letters

Sales letters, sent via e-mail or snail mail, are an... Read More

Asking The Right Questions

On an introductory call, how do you gather all of... Read More

Handshake Intimidation

In some situations, attempting to intimidate the other person will... Read More

Follow the Long Yellow Copy: Do Long Scrolling Sales Letters Work?

Have you ever sat through a movie and got to... Read More