Proactive Engagement: Boosting Your Sales Impact at Industry Events

Optimising sales opportunities at industry events requires more than just standing behind the table. By encouraging event teams to step out, engage proactively, and actively network, they can significantly boost their impact and uncover valuable leads

Industry events are an excellent opportunity for your sales team to connect with current customers and engage with potential new ones. While industry events can often be seen as the remit of your marketing team, it’s crucial to equip your sales team with the right tools and resources to maximise their impact – whether they’re managing the exhibition table or mingling on the exhibition floor.

Showcasing your brand

Equipping your sales team with the right sales enablement content ensures they can support their conversations during the event with relevant materials. While the ‘table’ team may have brochures and case studies in print at their exhibition stand, it’s beneficial for the sales team to have these resources in digital formats, such as on an iPad. This allows your sales team to engage with prospects on the go, while others on the team can focus on maximising interactions with walk-up visitors.

Who’s in the room?

Before the event, it’s wise to provide your sales team with information about key participants your business wants to engage with. This preparation enables your team to identify potential conversation starters and connect more meaningfully than they would with a cold intro on the exhibition floor. For instance, if a potential customer has recently mentioned delivery issues in their area, your sales team could approach them with an invitation to discuss the issue over coffee during the event.

Knowing the names of attendees is standard practice, but it’s also important to share and utilise post-event data gathered. Sales teams can leverage this engagement information to plan targeted and relevant follow-ups.

What’s the mission?

To maximise the impact of any industry event, it’s crucial to have a clear mission. Define what your sales team needs to achieve by attending. If the goal is to strengthen relationships with current customers, scheduling pre-booked meetings throughout the event will be most effective. Conversely, if the focus is on prospecting, aim for brief, impactful conversations that can be followed up with more detailed discussions later.

For newer team members, there’s often a temptation to stay behind the table at events, waiting for attendees to approach. To truly maximise the opportunities, it’s crucial for the team to be proactive. Encourage them to actively engage, start conversations and network beyond the exhibition table.

By being visible and approachable, your team can forge meaningful connections, discover potential leads, and make a more significant impact on event attendees.