In Part 1 of Trade Show Life, we focused on the pre-tradeshow tactic of booking buyer appointments for your tradeshow booth to increase your tradeshow ROI (return on investment).
Now, in Part 2, we look at how we can maximize the time we have on the tradeshow floor, specifically on how to write more orders per selling day.
Make your buyers’ lives easier
Hopefully your brand has kicked its paper habit by now and has moved to a B2B eCommerce solution, preferably one with a strong mobile app.
While using a B2B eCommerce solution increases your brand’s tradeshow ROI, it will also make your buyers’ lives easier. No one wants to sit and wait for you to flip through papers and jot down notes, especially during tradeshows when time is precious. Your buyers will appreciate that you respect their busy schedules by utilizing available technology to expedite the appointment process.
No Wi-Fi? No problem
Tradeshows aren’t known for having stellar Wi-Fi connections, so you’ll want to choose an app that functions both on- and offline. With an app that works when the Internet doesn’t, you’ll be able to quickly and confidently capture notes during every appointment. Depending on your mobile device, you can just tap or click on the products the buyer likes, as well as enter specific notes about their preferences for upsell opportunities.
Not only will you have a clear understanding of buyer preferences, you’ll be able to immediately follow up by sending visual meeting recaps directly through the app to increase your tradeshow ROI.
Barcode scanning
When choosing a B2B eCommerce solution, go with one that provides barcode scanning. This will allow you to simply scan an item’s barcode, the way a customer does at a checkout counter. All of the information about that item will automatically load into the app, and you can include it in the order you send after the appointment.
Inventing inventory
You need to be selling confidently and not second-guessing inventory. Even worse is to make up the inventory numbers, effectively inventing inventory.
You should also be able to tell your buyers what your current bestsellers are. This is only possible if your brand is using a robust B2B eCommerce solution that provides up-to-date inventory. Impress buyers by accessing real-time data and quickly turn that info into actionable sales that benefit their bottom lines, as well as increase your tradeshow ROI.
Technophobes (those who fear technology)
Are your meeting with an old-school buyer who prefers putting pen to a paper line sheet?
Your B2B eCommerce solution’s app should be able to link up with a Bluetooth printer so you can print out a hard copy for your technophobic friends. You will still enter the information into the app, while those buyers will have their peace of mind on a piece paper.
Return on efficiency
With the speed and quality of your buyer appointments, they’ll be leaving your booth with their heads spinning, wondering why other brands are so inefficient. You’re increasing your tradeshow ROI by increasing your tradeshow efficiency.
Know what’s up
Even if you only have a few moments between buyer appointments, you’ll be able to send buyers their meeting recaps with suggested orders, as well as run reports on daily booth activity. At this point, you’re pretty much a tradeshow rock star.
You’ll have happy buyers and a happy boss.
What’s next…
You’ve now capitalized on the buyer meetings you worked so hard to schedule in Part 1. So what’s left?
Find out in Trade Show Life Part 3: How to Increase Sales with Epic Trade Show Follow Up.
