Is It Worth Sending Your Sales Team to Trade Shows as Visitors?
You don't need a stand to get value from a show. When visiting pays off, when it doesn't, and how to tell afterwards.
Most trade show advice assumes you are exhibiting. But plenty of the value at a show goes to the people walking the floor: every exhibitor is a business that has turned up, paid to be there and is ready to talk.
Why visiting can work well for sales teams
- The prospects come to one place. A single hall can hold more of your target market than a month of cold outreach reaches.
- Exhibitors expect conversations. They are there to talk, which makes a first conversation far easier than a cold call.
- It costs far less than exhibiting. No stand, no build, no stand staff. Tickets, travel and time are the main costs.
- You learn the market. Who is new, who has changed their pitch, which competitors are pushing hard.
When it doesn't pay off
Visiting works when the exhibitors are your customers, partners or suppliers. It works less well when your buyers are the other visitors, because they are harder to find in a crowd. Check the exhibitor list first. If you can't pick out twenty companies you would want to speak to, the show probably isn't for you.
It also fails when the team goes without a plan. A day of wandering produces a pocket of cards and very little else.
How to make a visit worth it
- Build a target list from the published exhibitor list, with an owner for each company. The show directory is a good place to start.
- Brief the team on the goal and who covers which halls. See how to plan a team visit.
- Capture every conversation before walking to the next stand.
- Follow up within 48 hours and put a value on what came back.
How to tell whether it was worth it
Work out the cost per lead, including staff time, with the cost per lead calculator. Then compare it with what the same leads would cost through other channels. Do the same for every show and within a year you'll know which ones deserve a return visit.
Beagle for sales teams is built for exactly this: target lists from the directory, capture on the floor and a manager view of what came back.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you sell to exhibitors at a trade show?
- Yes, but be respectful. Exhibitors are there to meet their own customers, so keep it short, ask when is a good time and avoid their busiest periods.
- Is visiting cheaper than exhibiting?
- Usually much cheaper. There is no stand or build cost, so the main costs are tickets, travel and staff time.
- How do I know if a show is right for visiting?
- Go through the exhibitor list. If you can find a good number of companies you would want to speak to, it is worth considering.
Never lose the trail.
Beagle is trade show lead capture that never loses the trail. Try the demo: no sign-up needed.
Read next
- Managing teams at showsGetting the Whole Team's Leads Into the CRM Within 48 Hours
A simple process for getting every rep's show leads into your CRM quickly and completely.
- Managing teams at showsTrade Show Staffing Plan for Exhibitors
How to staff a stand properly: how many people, shift patterns, roles and what each person should capture.
- Managing teams at showsThe Manager's Guide to Sending a Team to a Trade Show
How to decide who goes, brief them, split the floor and know what came back, without chasing anyone for business cards on Monday.