I am just returning from a dizzying week of trade shows. One of the most difficult things about attending a show or having a booth at a trade show is not the registration, setup or tear-down. It is not the chatting or the times you are having fun and making deals but you really just need to get some food in you. The most difficult part of trade shows is the most difficult part with being great at just about any sport.
Follow through.
If you have ever shot, thrown, hit, kicked or whacked a ball, you know the importance of follow through. Funny that in sales, follow through will help you close the deals. You see, with some sports, close is good enough. In sales, you either close the deal, chase the deal or walk away. It would be like getting your own rebound in a basketball game. Repeatedly. And continuing to miss until you finally sink the basket. This is not very entertaining to watch as a spectator, but very effective when it comes to participation.
Close does not count in sales. Because of this, you need follow through.
Before you went to the trade show you probably had some dreams of grandeur. Some visions about people you may meet and things you will need prepared. Did you think of what you would be doing after the show was done? Spoiler alert: you aren’t done yet.
It may not be too late.
Your job now is to reach out to everyone that stopped to see you. A simple email, phone call or even a real tangible Thank You card. Whatever you do for follow up, you need to follow through with. Not doing so almost guarantees that you will miss most of the clients you had a shot at. It also makes all of the time, preparation and activities that you have done for this trade show essentially wasted, or worth a fraction of what they could be.
Did you have any competitors at the trade show you went to? Are they following up with people that you would like to do business with?
The time to commit to follow through is now. You already took the shot, now do everything you can to make sure you win. Get a follow up system in place. Any system, refine it later. Reaching out in the wrong way will beat not reaching out at all.
James Kademan is a Business Coach for Draw In Customers Business Coaching in Madison, Wisconsin. When he isn’t following up with awesome business owners he has met he is busy designing systems for business owners to help them achieve success in business and beyond. He blogs successfully to the world at www.drawincustomers.com. If you are considering hiring a business coach, take a moment to call James at (608)210-2221. Smile, you have follow through!
