When most people think of trade show booth staff, they picture a gaggle of first-rate sales reps. They’re talkative, friendly, knowledgeable professionals who will connect with leads, discover the challenges they face in their businesses and mold product-centric solutions.
There’s no doubt that these folks should be in the booth. But they shouldn’t be alone.
The salesperson described above employs a particular set of techniques that have been successful in the past, but are becoming obsolete in modern business to business sales. These techniques were effective on purchasers who understood the problems their business faced, but didn’t know how to fix them. With endless amounts of product information available online, that’s not the case anymore.
This Corporate Executive Board study found that most B2B customers have completed 60% of a purchasing decision before they open dialogue with potential suppliers.
By that time, most customer have reached an understanding of their problem and, through research, have arrived at a solution. When they do begin speaking with a suppliers, they’re looking for the organization who can most efficiently and cost-effectively implement that solution.
This is where the importance of including technicians-turned-salespeople in your booth is evident. Legitimate purchasers are more likely to have detailed questions and these technicians-turned-salespeople are in a unique position to provide specialized information that paints a picture of fulfillment for potential clients’ existing, self-arrived solution.
Employing a focus on technical information shouldn’t stop at your booth. A study by Gelb Consulting shows that 56% of oil and gas trade show attendees claim that purchasing decisions resulted from various factors, including the trade show booth. It makes sense if they’re among the 60% referred to above. Including technical sections on your website or publishing white papers in industry publications ensures that the information provided by the technical expert manning your trade show booth is consistent across marketing channels and widely available.
Not only will this technique drive sales and lead conversions from trade shows, it will position your company as an industry expert, which is exactly what savvy industrial buyers are looking for.
