|
It’s
Show Time
The financial technology
show is upon us again so in this issue I thought
I would discuss the use of trade shows as a marketing
tool.
For those displaying
their services and products at a trade show, sometimes
the most valuable contacts are made between other
exhibitors rather than from those attending the
show.
There’s often
a bit of downtime when exhibitors can wander around
the show and look at other vendors and make useful
contacts.
You’d be surprised
at how many useful and interesting products and
services you can discover simply by wandering
around the hall.
I know form my own
experience that some exhibitors would be great
clients for me when I was in public accounting
and I had no shame in walking into the display
areas of likely clients and introducing myself.
After all, what’s
the worst that can happen? You meet someone who
is perfectly happy with their existing supplier…
for now!
Making new contacts
and keeping in touch with them – for example
getting their permission to be added to your mailing
(or emailing) list for your firm newsletter is
a great way to automate a keep in touch (KIT)
program.
But when you have
made a contact be sure to do more than that. Look
for ways to show your desire for their business.
Maybe you can clip certain news items and mail
them to them with a personal note.
Maybe you can invite
them to a seminar or two in the coming year, or
even to a social gathering if you feel it appropriate.
Trade shows can be
a super way of expanding your network. It depends
on why you are there, of course, as some companies,
such as software vendors, will be displaying the
latest version of their software, and looking
for new customers or to make contact and keep
in touch with existing clients.
On the other hand,
you might just come across some visitors to your
booth who are genuinely interested in your services
and may well go on to become clients.
If you are going
to mix and mingle, both with other exhibitors
and visitors, then your cell phone will come in
very handy.
After each meeting,
slip away and call your office number to leave
yourself a voicemail.
Dictate some notes
about each contact immediately after you have
met with them so that the details of your conversation,
and what you have agreed to do as a next step
are captured.
Leave a reference
number (start and 1 and move on a number each
time) and write that number on the back of that
person’s business card so that you can match
the name to the notes a day or two after the event
and follow up with whatever it was that you promised
to do.
Always have plenty
of business cards with you, and brochures for
the more serious prospects, so that you never
find yourself in the awkward position of having
had a great conversation with someone who could
well develop into a client, but you’ve run
out of business cards.
That just gives the
impression that you’re not well organized
and they will assume that your practice is not
that well organized either.
The financial technology
show is not the only place to go.
The Home Show is
an ideal (and very large) venue if you serve the
construction and home improvement industry. Just
think of all of the ‘Window’, ‘Deck’
and other companies exhibiting there.
That presents a lot
of opportunities to widen your network in a closely
defined market.
And what if a client
is exhibiting at a show? Why not go along?
Your client will
be highly impressed that you took the time and
made the effort to visit with them and your relationship
with them will be further cemented. Of course,
while you are there, it’s a great opportunity
to visit similar businesses and say something
like “we already work with a number of companies
in your industry, indeed, some of our clients
are exhibiting here today” when talking
about your experience working with similar clients,
should the situation be right to do so.
And if you have a
good relationship with your client who is exhibiting
there, they might be happy to field inquiries
from other exhibitors as to how they get along
with you and if they would recommend your firm
as their next accounting firm.
Yes, trade shows
present many different opportunities from both
the exhibitors and attendees perspective.
If you’re going
to the Financial Technology show this year, have
a great time and try to make some new contacts.
See you there!
|