Tip of the Week #20 - How to Generate Qualified Sales Leads at Exhibitions

Exhibitions are a powerful face to face platform for generating new contacts, sales leads and generally for getting your company name and message 'out there'. While it is one of the most expensive forms of marketing, the benefits and rewards you get from participating in an exhibition are priceless. Simply turning up, setting up your stand and handing out flyers and promotional items aren't enough to generate a return on your investment. Read on to find out some hot tips designed to help you generate sales leads and multiply the return on your exhibition investment.

Choose the right exhibitions
The first and most important thing is to pick the right exhibitions and conferences. You have to make sure that the exhibition you are attending is relevant to the your industry, and also that the attendees are are going to be the kind of people you want to target and talk to. You can call the exhibition organisers and ask them what kind of people attend the show. They should have reports with information such as the industry show attendees are in, how many of them are decision makers, and what visitors are interested in seeing at the show. By researching thoroughly before you make a decision, you can establish whether an event will match you marketing objectives and help you reach your target audience.

Focus on realistic prospects
It's likely that hundreds or even thousands of people will visit your stand during an exhibition, but your staff won't have enough time to talk to all of them. You and your staff will need to carefully manage the amount of time and attention you give to people. Don't get too involved in small talk, spend your valuable one-on-one time on finding out if the person is going to be a realistic prospect. Try and find out if they're a decision maker, why they're attending the show, and if they have a genuine interest in what you have to offer. If they're not interested, it's time to move on to other prospects.

Build relationships with visitors
Exhibitions and conferences gives you the perfect opportunity to meet and connect with key people in your industry. You should take this chance to talk to as many people as possible. Take the time to learn about their interest, business, and remember to get their business card so you have a way of contacting them post-show.