Buyers

How to Avoid Tradeshows

how to avoid tradeshowsI’m going to teach you my trick to avoid Tradeshows.
Do you wonder when your buyers are buying?
I can pretty much guarantee (99% at least) that most of  your buyers are following Tradeshow dates, and attending when possible, and that they buy on the same cycles as the Tradeshows.  And the good news is that they want to see what you have to offer too, even if you are not going to a Tradeshow.
To be successful in your business, and be selling the correct season when buyers are buying, you need to be ready to roll out your collection a bit ahead of the Tradeshow dates.  If you are not sure when they are, google Tradeshows in your category and you will see when they are going on and what season they are showing.  Usually gift shows are in July/August and January and accessory and clothing shows are in January, May and August.
You essentially need to get your new collection to buyers at least 2 weeks prior to the show start date. Many buyers will ask to see your catalog (or line sheet) as soon as possible and will weigh your stuff against all other things they see at the Tradeshow.
Your job is to try to get the order before they go to the show, and if not, then to stay on top of them during and after the Tradeshow.
When I was first selling my Handy Hold All® and not attending any tradeshows, I used this technique and sold $500,000 in my first two years in business!  I always had my linesheet ready and had lists of stores that I wanted to get into and started emailing them about a month before the show letting them know I would not be attending and that I’d love to send them samples to review before they go to any shows.
I quickly realized that it was a lot less expensive to send free samples to a few hundred stores than to attend a Tradeshow where I was hoping on a wing and a prayer that the right buyers would stop into my booth.  When you are one in 3000 vendors, it is very easy to get lost.  When you are  1 vendor calling a store asking if you can send them a sample you get instant attention and often an order out of it.
Love to know if you try this and how it works for you.
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Written by Sarah Shaw

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