Trade shows are an integral part of the sales process. These exhibits allow companies and business professionals within a specific industry to all come together in one place. With all these potential eCommerce leads, and limited time, how do you know who to spend your energy on?
As a sales professional, you can use these events to get in front of the eCommerce leads that may otherwise never have the chance to meet in person. Trade shows allow sales professionals to build new connections with a target audience and educate others about their products or services.
With so many individuals at these functions, from various companies and with all types of roles, your preparation boils down to one question – whom should you target at a trade show?
1. Current Clients
Before the trade show begins, reach out to your current clients to find out if any of them will be attending the event as well. If some of them will be there, go ahead and ask which presentations or mixers they plan on going to. Once you know who should be there and where they will be, make a conscious effort to connect with as many of your current customers as possible.
Now, you may be thinking – I have already successfully sold to these people, so why should I focus my time and energy on them again? While you may know all of the technical details of your product or service, no one can testify to its effectiveness and power quite like the people who actually use it every day. Your clients may bring their connections along with them, and other prospects will likely be in the vicinity as well. Having your happy clients share their positive testimonials can provoke interest from others and make your job of creating leads even easier.
2. Social Media Enthusiasts
Make some time to scope out social media before a trade show begins. Oftentimes business professionals will post on sites like Twitter and LinkedIn about the events they will be attending. Finding leads through social media can be easy since some of these same individuals broadcast an invitation to connect during the trade show on their social media channels. These are people you want to target in your outreach.
If they are eager enough about the trade show to engage on social media about it, then they are probably more receptive to listening to what sales professionals have to say. Regardless of their position within their respective company, take them up on the offer to connect. You never know where that relationship could lead you.
3. Influencers And Decision Makers
While social media and mutual connections allow you to interact with all types of business professionals, there are times when you need to specifically target the influencers and decision-makers to make a sale happen. Will a major media outlet be at the trade show? Contact them to discuss options for getting publicity for your product or service. One solid interview could translate to numerous sales.
Additionally, target the people who can actually seal the deal. If you have been trying to get in contact with the CEO at a specific retailer without any luck and you find out that he or she will be attending the same trade show, now is the time to make your move on this eCommerce lead. Putting all of your sales skills and knowledge to use, try your best to get a few minutes of facetime with this individual.
ECommerce Trade shows are not the place to shoot blindly. With so much sales potential all in one place, it is imperative to have a game plan and be knowledgeable about your target audience.
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