You probably think that following up on your leads from the AIA Show is the most important next step. You are wrong.
The most important next step is a serious debrief with everyone who was involved in the show in order to grow your architectural sales more effectively. Most companies don’t take this important step and continue to mindlessly spend money on trade shows because they always have.
Now is the time to decide if you should exhibit at the AIA Show again next year or if the money could be better spent on a more effective program. Now is the time to share what you learned in talking to all those architects.
You would pay thousands of dollars to a research firm to find out what architects think. You just did your own market research by attending the show. Now you should get the results of your research!
Here’s how I manage a trade show debrief.
Get the AIA Show team together on a conference call. This should include anyone who attended the show or was involved in it’s planning.
What was everyone’s opinion of the show?
Did they feel it was well attended?
How was the traffic on the show floor and in your booth?
What did each person learn or observe?
What questions were architects asking?
What are architects looking for?
What did architects think about your products?
What did you learn from your competitors’ exhibits?
Are there changes in your sales and marketing approach that you should make, based on what you learned at the show?
If you decide to exhibit at the AIA next year, what can you do to improve your results?
Is the AIA Show the right show for you? Would you get better results at a different show, such as CSI or Design Build?
And finally, should you exhibit at AIA next year?
Of course, you also need to follow up on the leads from the show, but a serious debrief, done soon, will pay even bigger dividends.
You can read more about wasting money at trade shows here.
Subscribe To My Newsletter
If you like what I say, sign up for my newsletter here and get my weekly newsletter every Sunday night.
