If you are a direct sales vendor there are several opportunities and ways on how to make money with trade shows and conventions. Usually events of this nature can bring a rather large crowd and you are sure to be seen. This is a great time to showcase your products and advise consumers on why they would want to make purchases from you.
If you have products on hand you can set them up at your table to be purchased directly. You will want to let the public know that they can buy them and take them home with them right away. You will want to make sure you have a adequate stock of the items you sell. The day could be long and you will want to use this as your chance to make extra money.
You can also use this as a way of building your email or mailing lists as well. You can have customers fill out their contact information on a slip of paper. You can offer a prize and hold a drawing. You will want to also include a space to have them indicate how they prefer to be contacted.
Home parties are a common practice in the direct sales industry. If this is how you do a majority of your business you can offer specials to people willing to host a party. A way of doing this would be offering them special discounts on items they purchase the night of their party. You can also give them a small item as a thank you for hosting the party to take home after they book with you.
You can also use this as a chance to network with other vendors. You can exchange business cards and offer to refer them to your customers and they will most likely be willing to do the same for you. You can also get information on when other trade shows are coming up and make plans to attend them as well.
Some conventions may have a theme. A popular them would be a wedding fair. This will give you the opportunity to showcase your product in a unique way. You can inform potential brides on how your products can be used and how it can benefit them on their wedding day.
You can also place orders for customers from your catalog. This is a great option if you do not carry a inventory or stock. You will want to collect the money in advance to avoid problems with orders arriving and not being paid for.
You can also set up appointments for individual sales consultations. In many trade shows there may be several vendors that the customers will want to see. If you set up a later date and time to meet, you will have their attention and can highlight your products without interruptions. You will want to have a calender to show them the times you are available for meetings.
A significant cost of your trade show business is traveling, so remember to look for a Travelocity promotion code to cut the cost down.
