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The annual trek to Anaheim beckons; are you ready to maximize your time there?
It’s a musical instrument and pro audio industry ritual, and for many of us on the east coast a welcome getaway from cold weather. Ah yes, the splendid sunshine of Southern California, rekindling longstanding relationships, visiting with vendors and dealers, and in general setting the table for the first part of 2020. Over the years NAMM has changed with the times; gone are the days where most dealers would place orders at the booth. But one thing you can always count on is the opportunity to use your time wisely and get the most out of the show…or not.
Preparation is fundamental to success
Like many aspects of professional selling, it’s imperative to have a defined plan and a well thought out timetable for your days and evenings. Time is limited, and if you’re a rep managing multiple vendors, you know how important it is to get the most out of the available booth meeting slots. By now, your NAMM calendar should be nearly full, and this week it’s time to review meeting topics and gather 2018–2019 comparative sales data. While many times a trade show encounter concentrates on new products, it’s expected that you as the sales rep understand how and why things turned out like they did last year
What can we do to help you grow in 2020?
Having an agenda to guide a NAMM meeting is crucial and demonstrates to your customers and suppliers that you as the salesperson are on top of your game. Have several topics on tap to discuss, centering on the forward-thinking question of “how can we help?” If there are any sticky subjects to cover, review them in advance with vendor management so there are no surprises, and that proposed solutions are already in place for any problematic issues. The triangle concept puts forth the simple wisdom that vendors, dealers and rep firms need to work together to solve problems and create an environment conducive to sales growth. The NAMM show is a platform for everyone being on the same page, so take this moment to bring people together, finding common ground and solidifying shared desires for success.
Shoes make the man…
Comfortable shoes that is. After many years of attending trade shows, it’s worth mentioning the obvious that there’s a lot of walking, especially with the ACC North hall being detached from the rest of the sprawling convention center. Hopefully you’ve organized your meetings in clusters, avoiding back-and-forth treks to faraway halls – your feet will thank you, and you’ll be arriving on time for all your meetings. Get the cell phone number of your customers so that you can both text in case of any delays that may come up and be prepared for a few exhausting but productive days. NAMM is the penultimate event for the musical instrument and pro audio trade, and with any luck I’ll bump into you at the show!
UDaMAN Doug! Glad to see you’re keeping it flowing!…..MUCH CONTINUED SUCCESS!