Connecting with prospects

I was reminded today of how long it takes to establish a relationship.

A colleague in Tucson, Fred Narcaroti, and I spent some time talking about how to build business. Fred pointed out that it takes a minimum of three contacts for a person to know you well enough to ask you about your business, let along award you business (a contract). When you apply this to trade shows and the world of face-to-face selling, you have to agree: a trade show is a step in the process of changing suspects into prospects and then into clients.

On the trade show floor, you most likely are meeting your contact for the first time. It could be the very first contact or could be the first face-to-face talk. It might could be the time you meet to close a deal. The point is, it is a step in a process. Whether it's three times, as Fred suggests, or 6 or 9 times, you have to make the connection on more than a "hi-how-are-you-can-I-sell-you-something" basis. As we've discussed earlier in this space, people do business with people who they like. And it akes time to get to know someone.

Lesson Learned: take the time to get to know your prospects and be patient.

TTSG

Road warrior

I was fortunate last evening to sit on the plane next to a meeting planner/trade show manager. Jen is the event marketing specialist for a California-based software provider. She was headed to Orlando for Educause.

It was a brief conversation, but reminded me of some things that experienced event people have in their "collections." Things like:

Put a map of a convention center or airport in front of us and we'll probably be able to tell you from city each is from.
Each show is like a reunion: we meet up with other TSMs and vendor-suppliers that we only see in a given city or at a certain show.
Remembering where all of the good restaurants are in the show city.

These might seem like odd things, but as in any profession, there are things unique to the experience. They help you know what to do by instinct and be able to advise your client or staff with confidence.

Lesson Learned: have a good memory and use the information to save money and time.

TTSG