Shot Show Tips

I have been attending the Shot show for more than a decade, and after the first day of the show I am still amazed by some of the ways people in the industry approach the show. In honor of the 2016 Shot Show, here are several (needed) common sense tips we tell our clients who attend the Shot Show.

1. Set Shot Show Goals: You need to set realistic goals for your Show. The main point is to be intentional about Shot Show. If you are looking for a new supplier, your goal can be as simple as find three new supplier options. If you are selling, you can set the goal as find five new leads for sales. The important thing is that your goals be realistic and that they are measurable.

2. Make a Plan BEFORE the Show: While each business has different goals for the show and have different responsibilities if they are exhibitors or attendees, but it is important for everyone to have a plan before they go into the Show. The Show is so large that you cannot get your business done by simply wondering through the show. While for many of us the Show may be fun and seem like a vacation, this is a business and the successful businesses make sure to treat it like a business. Have a plan.

3. Schedule Meetings Strategically: There is simply not enough time to get everything done that most of us want to get done at the show. Therefore, for the meetings you have scheduled you have to think strategically about planning them. If you have meetings all over the hall, make sure to schedule your meetings in the sequence that you will be coming down the hall. If you have a customer that routinely runs late to meetings or holds you over talking about irrelevant information, schedule the meeting last or later in the week when the show has dwindled.

4. Carry Plenty of Business Cards and Literature: If you have a booth at the Show chances are you have the literature, but be sure to carry some with you when you walk the show floor. Also, if you do not have a booth, be sure to carry business cards. You never know who you will meet and where. I’ve had several clients who encountered their biggest deals of the show at a random booth or on the show floor. It is best to follow the Boy Scout motto and be prepared.

5. Review your Progress: After each day review the contacts you have made and the progress you have made on your goals. This will allow you to make any adjustments on your next day’s plan. Also, make a list of who you need to follow up with and who should be following up with you. Then email those lists to yourself. That way when you get back you will have a short summary of each day’s activities and you are not relying on your own memory the weeks following the show.