We are on the cusp of the autumn trade show season. Thousands of contractors, service managers, and technicians will visit one or more of the myriad local and handful of national trade shows. Here are five ways to get more out of the shows you attend.
If all you do is walk the show and pick up free stuff, it is not worth the time to attend.
If all you do is walk the show and pick up free stuff, it is not worth the time to attend. On the other hand, if you treat this as a combination fact finding mission, sourcing exercise, competitive intelligence gathering operation, mini-seminar opportunity, and recruiting exercise, you can turn a few hours on a trade show floor into some of the most profitable time you will spend this off-season.
1. Plan to Attend the Large Shows
For a large show like the Service World Expo or AHR Show, it is important to plan the show. Study the exhibitor list and identify the essential exhibitors you want to meet. These shows will have trade show floor maps online. Print the map and mark the essential exhibitors. Then, plan your route.
Determine an objective for each essential exhibitor. Do you want to learn about new or upcoming products or services? Is there a person you want to meet or talk with?
2. Get Local Insight From Local Shows
Booths at local shows are likely to be staffed by local people. This gives you an opportunity to gain competitive insight because these distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturer’s representatives likely talk to a number of contractors in your area.
Chat up the local salespeople. Ask them what contractors are doing that is innovative. Probe for more details. Ask who is tearing it up in the marketplace. Who should you look out for? Who is struggling? What kind of private equity action are you seeing? Is private equity causing contractors to shift equipment brands? What is happening at the distribution/supply house level that will impact contractors? How is the Internet changing the marketplace?
3. Treat Exhibitor Booths as Mini-Seminars
Learn from each exhibitor. Remember, each exhibitor is investing in the show because he believes his offering is compelling enough for contractors that contractors
will part with enough money to give him a return on his investment. He might be right. If so, it’s to your advantage to find out why. When you walk up to a booth, ask the exhibitor how he can help you make more money, how he can save you time, or how he can boost your profitability.
When you walk up to a booth, ask the exhibitor how he can help you make more money, how he can save you time, or how he can boost your profitability.
4. Source New Products
Traditionally one of the reasons contractors attend shows is to find new products. Sourcing new or better products, tools, services, and software is a key reason to attend the show. In some cases you might be dissatisfied with your existing supplier and know what you’re looking for. In others, look around.
Discovering new products is a case where you don’t know what you don’t know. Success in this arena can give you a head start on your competitors, especially the competitors who are “too busy” to attend the show. It might take them years to discover what you learn.
5. Recruit Students
Attend the Service World Expo in Tampa on October 18 – 21. This is the industry’s largest conference and show focused on residential service and replacement. Register today at www.ServiceWorldExpo.com.
Matt Michel is CEO of Service Nation.