Create Something They Can’t Live Without

One of the tactics car salespeople use to push potential customers over the fence and get them to purchase a car is to let them take the car home for the night. The idea is that after 24 hours you feel like you already own it and don’t want to give the car back. You can use this same method to get support and buy-in on your program from other departments in your company.

Trade shows provide a company an opportunity of a lifetime at a very low cost, but you have to be ready to embrace those opportunities. Many companies focus only on sales opportunities at trade shows, but they are missing out on other cost-effective opportunities. When the show organizers put thousands of potential customers at your disposal, your entire company can benefit from the experience. Why just limit it to your sales department? Start thinking of the trade show as an opportunity for customer service, research and development (R&D), billing, tech support, and market research. Use the show as an opportunity to turn your company’s leaders into industry thought leaders.