Sales promotion, exhibitions, and trade fairs

Sales promotions occupy a small but useful role in B2B marketing by smoothing and facilitating the decision-making process. Although exhibitions and trade fairs are often considered a form of sales promotion, they do in fact have totally separate features and advantages. Exhibitions offer a wide range of communication possibilities between all levels of the organizations that exhibit and those that attend. Like an old-fashioned marketplace, exhibitions allow all interested parties to meet if they so wish, but this opportunity is often squandered by an overemphasis on making immediate sales. The key points from this chapter are as follows: Sales promotions can be useful as deal sweeteners or facilitators. Sales promotions can be used for the salesforce, for intermediaries, for customers, or for the customers of customers. Buyers are very much in the minority at most – if not all – exhibitions. Most visitors are on an information search, not on a purchasing trip. Most exhibitors are focused strongly on selling, whereas they should be focused on making useful contacts. Exhibitions and trade fairs offer an unrivaled opportunity in key-account management. The dissonance between the aims of exhibitors and visitors often results in disappointment for both parties. Exhibitors should establish objectives for their activities, but rarely do so.