Convention Sales

Every year we are invited to a selection of social events like birthdays, anniversaries or just to celebrate good times with special friends. We go with excitement and enjoy the process of selecting just the right gift.

Then there are those other invitations, the ones that require a significant payment to attend for the privilege of standing on our feet for hours at a time and the request to give away a gift in a raffle to a person we do not know, may never know and sometimes do not want know.

This is all about convention sales. Look on your calendar and you will see these events on your reminder list. They may include a conference for case managers, social workers, hospital respiratory therapists or continuing care professionals.

If you decide to take the plunge and attend, some guidance is in order. Convention selling is not only an art form but time-consuming. And you must select the right event and do your homework once you leave.

Make the suggestions in this 10-point plan a part of your convention sales process:

• 1. Think about the design of your space. Make sure people can walk into your “home” for the day. Keep the clutter to a minimum. You do not need to bring your entire store to the conference.
• 2. Draw the attendee in to your space. Create interest through signage, questions posted on your signs, colors and the use of words such as “new,” “different,” “only” and “exciting.” Separate yourself from those around you.
• 3. Booth giveaways. Minimum booth giveaways are fine. It is often all about the salesperson in the booth. Their personality, smile and greeting may be the best giveaway ever.
• 4. Name tags. Wear ’em. You want people to see your name and your company name just as much as you want to see theirs. Place nametags at eye level — not on your belt or waist — and make sure you have lots of business cards for people to take. There is no better marketing tool.
• 5. Approach the attendee. Never miss the opportunity to say hello. You need to meet and greet as many people as possible. And make sure that you are standing up. It’s hard to greet people when you have made the poor decision to be sitting down when attendees come by your booth.
• 6. Gather business cards. It is not only what you sell or do at the conference that is important but what you do afterward that could mean the most. Gather as many business cards as you can, then spend the day after the meeting gathering your thoughts, entering the names in a database and making a plan for reaching out to those potential customers.
• 7. Time in your booth is for initiating a relationship, not necessarily for selling. Keep in mind most conference attendees do not want to be locked in your booth for 15 minutes, unable to walk away graciously. Your goal is to make a connection and set the stage for a follow-up appointment after the conference.
• 8. Work the leads before they run cold. This is the hard part where many people fail. The business cards or leads you gathered remain in a box and are never touched. But you will be wasting the money you invested in attending if you don’t diligently do your follow-up work — and do it soon. After a week, most people have moved on to other issues and may have little recollection that they ever met you.
• 9. The conference giveaway. Since you may often be purchasing a gift to give away to a stranger, keep it simple. A gift card to one of the national chain book stores or a generic shopping card will do. I doubt any gift you purchase will grow your business, so save your time and energy when selecting this giveaway (that should go away).
• 10. Decide whether to attend again next year. At the end of the conference, go back to the office and think about the day or two you spent at the meeting. Was it worth your investment? Was supporting the organization the key reason you attended? Did you gain any leads?

There are many issues to consider, but make sure you convey your thoughts and suggestions for future meetings to management. In a few months, someone will again be deciding whether to attend the upcoming conference. In these economic times, make sure you learn from your marketing experiences to do what is good for your business.

Read more Sales Notebook columns.

Louis Feuer is president of Dynamic Seminars & Consulting Inc. and the founder and director of the DSC Teleconference Series, a teleconference training program. You can reach him through www.DynamicSeminars.com or at 954/435-8182.