IT’S SHOW TIME!

How To Profit From

The NPGA Southeastern Convention

by Dave Donelson

Today, you’re going to walk miles and miles of aisles and aisles, shake hands with 4,000 people, and listen to 350 sales presentations. This is not your typical day at the office—unless you’re heading for Atlanta and the 53^rd annual NPGA Southeastern Convention and International Exposition.

A day at the Southeastern show can be exhausting, chaotic, and mind-boggling. Or it can be exhilarating, profitable, and informative. Like any other day at work, the results depend largely on your attitude and actions. The producers of the show think you’ll find it worthwhile.

“This is a family reunion that’s been going on for over fifty years,” according to Chuck Brandon, Director of Field Services for the Southeastern District NPGA. “It started with 1200 attendees visiting 90 booths on a 40,000 square-foot show floor. This year there will be 3500 to 4000 people, 350 exhibitors, and a 280,000 square foot hall. Even with all this growth, we hope we’ve been able to keep the “family reunion” feel.”

Why Are You Going?

Seeing vendors and their product lines is almost always the number one reason to attend any trade show, but your goal should be a little more specific than just “seeing suppliers.” Decide whom you’re going to see and whether you will do any actual buying at the show or just gather information for future orders.

“About 85% of our exhibitors have been showing here for more than ten years,” says Brandon. “We get great attendance because we have super exhibitors and we have super exhibitors because we have great attendance.”

Another reason to attend is to keep up with industry developments and market trends. Specificity is the key to maximum productivity. You shouldn’t go just to “see what’s happening.” Is there a new product category emerging? Are companies in other parts of the country doing things differently? You’ll have your own ideas about which areas to pursue, but also ask your staff if there’s something they want you to look into while you’re there.

You can gather information from product demonstrations, chatting with vendors and suppliers, or setting aside some time to improve your business or technical skills at one of the three educational seminars being offered. Some of the other goals you may want to set include finding potential employees, strengthening vendor or customer relationships, or exploring partnerships, investment opportunities, or even the sale of your business.

Choosing your specific goals will lead naturally into a list of questions to ask at the show. Write them down! It may seem unnecessary, but having a written list will be invaluable in the hubbub on the show floor.

What Are Your Priorities?

Once your goals are determined, draw up a plan of attack. Budgeting your time like this in advance may seem like overkill, but keep in mind that there are a tremendous number of things to see and people to talk to. Brandon points out, for example, “We will have more than forty trucks on display this year. Everything from eighteen-wheelers to cranes to bob-tails.” And that’s just one product category. The show floor is open fifteen and one-half hours. If you tried to visit every exhibit, you’d have to stop at one every 2.7 minutes. So, with the show schedule and exhibitor list in hand, make a list of “Must See” and “Like To See” exhibits.

Then allot some time to each one. A visit to a supplier to negotiate a deal could probably take twenty minutes. If you are going to comparison shop that vendor’s competition, allow the same for each one. For information-only visits, count on half that amount depending on how many questions you have on your list. You also need to set aside some time (about 35%) for unexpected opportunities, travel between your hotel and the Georgia World Congress Center, as well as lunch and other breaks.

Make Appointments

The final time-management step before leaving for the show is the one most trade show attendees ignore—making appointments. Call every “Must Have” exhibitor and set a specific time to meet for the appropriate ten or twenty minutes. Set these meetings so you leave the first and last exhibit hours open each day (see below). Since the show covers more than six acres, you’ll probably want to group your meetings geographically so have the exhibit hall maps in hand when you make the calls.

Why should you go to this trouble? Because it puts you in control of your time. Assuming you spend three nights in Atlanta, your investment in hotels, airfare, and other travel expenses can total more than $1,000. That means every one of the fifteen and one-half hours on the floor costs $65—not including the value of your time. How much time—at a dollar a minute—do you want to spend waiting around a booth for a sales rep? Having a schedule to follow also keeps you more focused on the business at hand.

Show Time

Your badge is pinned on and through the doors you go, ears and eyes open, notepad at the ready.

When you made your appointments, you kept the first and last hours of the exhibit day open. Those hours are the ones when traffic is lightest, so you can get to more exhibits and receive more attention when you get there. It’s a good time to see people you couldn’t get appointments with or to explore some of the “Like To See” exhibits.

When you enter an exhibit, it’s important to manage the conversation. You don’t have to be rude, but minimize the small talk in the interests of time. If the sales rep starts a pitch about something unrelated to your needs, cut it off with one of your questions. What if the person you want to see is talking to someone else? Use a polite elbow (figuratively speaking) by standing near enough to overhear them. At an appropriate opening, tell them that you’re interested in the same thing they’re discussing and ask a question. Most of the time, the first person will wrap up their business quickly and leave the exhibitor to you. If someone tries to cut in on you, by the way, just keep focused and make sure your questions get answered first.

Your overriding goal is to get information, but that doesn’t mean you need to carry tons of it around with you. Every exhibitor will try to press literature into your hands. Don’t take it unless it’s really important to you now. Instead, ask the rep to send it to you after the show. Keep that tactic in mind while you’re standing in line to get that logo-imprinted combination screwdriver-bolt-cutter-juice-squeezer, too. Do you want to carry that around with you all day?

Many times, you’ll ask a question the exhibitor can’t answer and they’ll promise to get back to you with the information after the show. To make sure they do, write your question on your business card and give it to them. Do the same with their card when they give it to you. Now there’s no excuse for either one of you to forget to follow up later. You can also get the name of the engineer or technician the exhibitor is going to ask—then call them yourself.

Workshops And Networking

Some of the most productive time you’ll spend in Atlanta will be in the seminar area. That’s where the crucial issues facing the propane industry will be addressed and discussed. This year, one of the key sessions will deal with the problems of insurance rates and availability. A special seminar, "Insurance Today - Where Will It Be Tomorrow?" is scheduled for Monday, March 31. Paul Lindsey, Jr., NPGA Vice Chairman and President of All-Star Gas in Lebanon, Mo., chaired a special task force that will discuss the issue.

If you attend a workshop, take a checklist of questions—then ask them at the first opportunity. Assuming you have time at the end of the presentation, move to the speaker’s vicinity and listen to others’ questions—or ask your own.

Seminar leaders don’t have a monopoly on useful information. Your peers (the other 3,999 attendees) face the same issues you do. John Taylor, President of Taylor Gas, says “You might have dinner with someone from the other side of the globe that has the same problem you do, but he’s already figured out how to solve it—that’s invaluable.” Networking opportunities include everything from scheduled social events to shuttle bus rides. “My advice is to take notes, shake hands, look people in the eye and remember them,” Taylor continues. “The people in this business stay in this business and you need to get to know them. Don’t talk—listen.”

At the end of the day you should have a pocket bulging with business cards and a pad full of notes. Take a few moments to review them to see if there’s anything that needs follow-up while you’re at the show. You might want to highlight items you need to address when you get home. It’s easier to decipher your notes while they’re fresh in your mind. Some people also code the business cards they’ve picked up, marking them as vendors, prospects, or competitors.

The show doesn’t end when you head for Hartsfield International Airport or Interstate 75/85. There are four things you should do as soon as you get back. First, confirm in writing any deals that you made during the show. The rep may have a fantastic memory, but details tend to get lost. Second, brief your staff on what you learned at the show. Third, update your contact files with all those business cards. Finally, do an honest post mortem to determine whether the time, effort, and money you just invested will give you an adequate return. Did you accomplish your goals? Is there anything you’ll do differently next year?

Then start packing for the 2004 show.

Dave Donelson is President of Sales Development Associates, Inc. and the author of Creative Selling: Boost Your B2B Sales. He’s a frequent speaker on marketing and management.