ATTENDING TRADE SHOWS; A CHORE, A BREAK OR AN OPPORTUNITY?

Did your boss suggest or order you to attend a trade show? Maybe you are the boss, and realize you need to learn a bit more in order to make your business hit a tipping point.

A change in routine may be as good as a break, but a trade show is a special opportunity. Whether you are interested in boosting your career or boosting your business there is information just beyond your current grasp or someone you can meet for your mutual benefit.  I am most familiar with the retail environment so that is what I will refer to most often, but the advice is useful for other situations.

In most retail environments there are more products than any one person can possibly be an expert on.   Yet most of your customers assume you know more than they do about the products and services you sell.  They assume price is THE key factor in deciding what they should buy. If you could be more knowledgeable about products (and their applications), and know who to turn to for advice and support and be aware of upcoming trends more of the people that walk into your store would come back more often and tell their friends.

When salespeople come to talk to you at your retail location, you might be busy or focused on some problem, even if you had agreed to an appointment. You might forget that one of your customers had been asking you about the salesperson's product or their company. Or just as likely about a similar product. At a trade show you can delve into the matter more closely with a wider variety of experts. When you can deal with your customer's needs more effectively you become more valuable.  The goal should be to solve more problems.

Plan your work and then work your plan is also good advice for a trade show. Find out what is there ahead of time and decide what are the most important stops. Every day it is more likely that there will be a Facebook page or twitter account for the show and can be a good way to keep up to date with developments regarding the show. Keep an eye on your smart phone as you may find information right at the show.

If you are going as part of a group you might assign different tasks to different people so as to maximize coverage and minimize duplicate effort. You can collect a lot more information, literature and samples as a group as just lugging around a bag that can get pretty heavy.

We all have time limitations and often we have very specific concerns. It is wise to plan your trip to make sure you don't miss anybody who could help resolve one of your concerns. Even so, one of the advantages of a trade show is finding things you weren't looking for.  In other words there are known unknowns and unknown unknowns that you can profit by learning.

A trade show is an information gathering process. In many cases you will get a chance to ask questions, see demonstrations. Sometimes you won't, but if you are able to scoop up some literature you will have something to consider. and as a reminder.   Don't be shy about asking for samples as there is nothing better than trying out a product or having your customers try it before you commit to it.

It is not just information you gather, but also contacts. Some of the people you encounter can be your future trouble shooters and further sources of information. As business people they have similar problems to you and you might be surprised at how some of them handle them. They call on different businesses and are familiar with what works for other retailers and what doesn't.

Information is a two way street. When you visit someone you have done business with before you can report on how their products or services are working out. If you have not used their products before you can relate your own problems and you might gain a better understanding of applications.

After you have visited the show make notes of what you learned and who you met. The good ones will be following up, but if you are interested in others that don't follow up you will have to make the effort.  File away literature for studying at a convenient time and put aside samples for testing.

Another category of trade show visitor is the buyer. Often a trade show is where the largest discounts are offered. New product introductions are often made with heavy discounts. Judgement and negotiating skills can mean that a trade show can be the prime buying opportunity of a year. However be careful not to get caught up in untested products and gimmicks that encourage you to overspend. Also in your zest to make killing purchases do not overlook other opportunities at trade shows to gain important product and contact information and keep up with new products.

Was it worth the effort? Sometimes you might be reassured that nothing too drastic is threatening your market place. On the other hand there might be so many new trends and competitors that it is wise to consult with those you trust in order remain competitive. Sometimes it might be something that didn't register on your conscious mind that will serve as a warning of a new trend or someone you should pay attention to. Be assured more changes are coming and trade shows are one way to keep on top.

If you ever get to be on the other side of the counter, i.e. selling at a trade show be sure to check out the things I learned:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2012/01/trade-shows-where-customers-come-to.html

Sales Reps and Retailers can make a good team

I confess that I have never really done any retail work. I have worked with literally thousands of retailers and have learned a lot of valuable things. I thank you not only for selling my products or buying my services, but also for giving me valuable insights into what you and your customers like and don't like about my products/services and for general trade news.

You listen to your customers to determine how you can satisfy them right away or in the future. When you listen to a reasonable sales rep you learn ways to better satisfy your customers and get a chance to explain your concerns.

It might seem a bit presumptuous for me to think my experience could be of any value for you, but I have three other perspectives that give me some insight.

Specifically at one time I sold from a catalogue. I would be the first to admit, I knew very little about most of the thousands of items for sale. Pricing, convenience and my personal presence were my primary tools. My competition at the beginning had a killer edge over me-knowledge. Does that sound familiar?

What I didn't quite understand was that the people I was trying to impress had their own problems. Sure pricing and convenience might help and I suppose some prospects felt I was an amusing time waster. I did learn from talking to them and went back to my supervisors and gained some information. My company realized that knowledge would help close the advantage enjoyed by my competition. We visited manufacturing sites and listened to different product experts willing to visit us. In some cases I developed relationships to help me when I needed more information (or a favour). As time went on I was genuinely able to solve some problems for my prospects. Many of them were grateful and not only bought from me, but gave me leads and useful information.

One sales supervisor pointed out to me that when I talk to the customer(or prospect) I represent the company and should explain what we offer as positively and accurately as possible. When I go back to the company I represent the customer and should let the company know what it has to do to satisfy the customer and what relevant concerns they have. I have always tried to do that.

A second key perspective I have is that I and my family shop at retailers a lot. I am not a big spender, but it all adds up. Sometimes like your other customers I am just looking for a convenient place and time to buy what I want. If the price is not out of line with my expectations an easy sale is made. Sometimes I am not too sure what I really want--I just have some sort of problem. If the retailer can give me good advice (including going to another specific source) I remember and seek their advice again when appropriate. Sometimes I have been given unsolicited advice which often turned out to be in my best interest.

One good example of that was asking Nabourhood Home Hardware (on Barton St in Hamilton) for advice on doing some complicated plumbing. I realized I needed someone to actually do the work. They suggested a fellow, Don Heroux who is now a friend of the family. I have not forgotten.

A third perspective I have is a tool I stumbled on at a trade show. Tom Shay was presenting two seminars--one for people exhibiting at a trade show and the second for those retailers attending the same trade show. One of his themes was that there is a lot of information to be shared and he advised both sides how best to take advantage of the opportunity. He also recalled when his family's business had some very serious problems it was a sales rep who extended credit to help them survive at a time when the company was against it. Tom has a website and sends out newsletters with all sorts of useful advice for retailers. I try to keep on top of it and maybe you should too. Check out http://www.profitsplus.org/

You as a retailer and me as a salesman both have the need to solve problems as the core of our business. The more knowledgeable you are about what I sell the better for me, BUT also better for you. Maybe because you sold something you might not have otherwise, or maybe because you solved a problem the customer keeps coming back.

I try not to interfere with your customer flow and I realize sometimes you are just too busy to talk with me when I come unannounced. Sometimes it must seem I am just another annoying problem on a tiring day. Let's keep the door open. I hope to keep on learning from you and that I can maybe pass on some knowledge that will enrich us both.

The photo is an interesting watermill type of fountain I saw while calling on retailers in Orangeville.