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TRADE SHOW SALES IMPROVEMENT

Industry: Training and Executive Education

Client: The American Management Association, $300 million professional services firm.

Challenge: The sales organization needed to increase and measure the results it gained from attending an average of six conferences, expositions, and trade shows each year. From a cost perspective, they knew they were wasting money on 50% of their efforts, but they did not know how to pinpoint and implement improvements.

From a revenue perspective, management was also sure they were leaving money on the table, but needed help to identify how much, where, and what to do about it.

Intervention:    Wellesley Hills Group's consultant engaged a detailed analysis of the organization's:
  • Trade show exhibiting history

  • Target markets 

  • Exhibit booth staff assignments 

  • Training and performance

  • Show choice strategy

  • Pre and post-show marketing and sales activities

  • Overall goals and objectives for the organization's exhibit marketing

In addition, the consultant:

  • Observed the sales force in action before and after our exhibit enhancement intervention

  • Coached both the sales team and sales management in pre-show marketing and sales planning, trade show sales techniques, and effective post-show selling and marketing
Results: After working with Wellesley Hills Group's consultant, the organization experienced:
  • An increase in attendance at shows, with revenues rising from an average of $6,000 of signed business per show, to an average of $35,000 per show for at least the next 10 conferences in a row

  • $290,000 in total revenue gain for the 10 shows, not including revenue from the increase in leads gathered at the conferences

  • A 500% increase in the acquisition of qualified leads––from 100 to 600 leads, on average

  • A marked increase in sales force morale and excitement in attending each event

  • Improved client perception of the organization's brand