{"id":131,"date":"2022-04-07T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-07T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/primaressource.enconstruction.website\/en-best-practices-b2b-event-or-trade-show\/"},"modified":"2023-04-18T16:00:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T20:00:37","slug":"best-practices-b2b-event-or-trade-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.primaressource.com\/en\/best-practices-b2b-event-or-trade-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Best practices for taking advantage of a B2B event or trade show"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to planning and organizing a successful business event, there are a few best practices to follow. I’m not talking about the logistical and planning elements, but rather the actual show itself and what needs to be done onsite to generate a positive return on investment (ROI).<\/p>\n

After two years of virtual events, we are gradually returning to face-to-face or hybrid trade shows and conferences.<\/p>\n

But in the meantime, several factors and behaviors have evolved and you have to adapt to them in order to be successful at a commercial event.<\/p>\n

In this article, I’ll share some of the best ways to get a high return on investment at your next commercial event.<\/p>\n

What has changed for face-to-face events?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

What are some mistakes to avoid at trade shows and events?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Chatting with colleagues<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Handling day-to-day business<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Distributing brochures<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Spending too much time with clients<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

What are the best practices for making an event attendance profitable?<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

1. Establish clear objectives<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

2. Set the rules<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

3. Prepare adequately<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

4. Invite clients and prospects<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

5. Start the conversation<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

6. Qualify visitors<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

7. Add value to the conversation<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

8. Collect contact information from prospects<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

9. Follow-up after the event<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

What has changed for face-to-face events?<\/h2>\n

After 2 years in virtual mode, events are returning to face-to-face, but not everyone is yet comfortable being around crowds.<\/p>\n

Some preventive measures – social distancing or hand sanitization – will certainly remain in place for several months depending on the type of event.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, technology has become an increasingly important part of events.<\/strong> Whether it’s registration, badges, appointment scheduling or other aspects, technology is now central to all events.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0What are the mistakes to avoid at trade shows and events?<\/h2>\n

<\/h3>\n

1. Chatting with colleagues<\/h3>\n

Some sales representatives see events and trade shows as a chore and a long period of time spent standing at the booth.<\/p>\n

Often, conversations between colleagues are the central activity of the day, and the risk is even higher after 2 years of working remotely.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Attending a sales event is primarily a business development activity, so internal conversations should remain marginal.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Handling day-to-day business<\/h3>\n

Traveling to an event to handle day-to-day business is obviously a practice that should be avoided.<\/p>\n

A business trade show is not the place to answer emails, make calls or have virtual meetings.<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you are at a business event, make sure you are 100% available to visitors.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Distributing brochures<\/h3>\n

Fortunately, this is a practice that is losing ground very quickly, but it is still in use, especially in highly technical and industrial areas.<\/p>\n

The objective of a sales event should never be to distribute brochures, but rather to initiate discussions and collect information<\/strong> about prospects.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Spending too much time with clients<\/h3>\n

It’s important not to fall into the trap of spending most of your time with the customers who come to visit you.<\/p>\n

Events are an opportunity to have conversations with new prospects, so don’t lose sight of that goal.<\/p>\n

You already know what opportunities exist with your customers, so put the effort into developing new opportunities.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

What are the best practices for making an event attendance profitable?<\/h2>\n

The investments made by companies to attend trade shows and events are major, which is why it’s imperative to make sure you generate an ROI.<\/p>\n

With the following 9 recommendations, you have an excellent roadmap to make your events a success.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Establish clear objectives<\/h3>\n

Preparing for a trade show is very similar to preparing your sales plan.<\/p>\n

It is essential to set quantifiable goals for the number of qualified opportunities to be obtained, the number of first meetings confirmed and the desired results (in dollars, in contracts) from the meetings that follow.<\/p>\n

Usually, individual goals are set for each representative, but also collective goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Set the rules<\/h3>\n