I was s
canning the internet looking for inspiration for this week’s blog article and I came across one that Sage posted in January of 2015. As I read it I couldn’t help but thinking did I take advantage of all of these when I attended the PPAI Expo this year? I feel like I did take advantage of these four freebies from trade shows. Probably not to the extent that I could have.
With this being my first real trade show experience I wasn’t sure what to go in expecting. I came out the other end feeling a bit overwhelmed. I really think that these four freebies are a great starting point for any one attending a trade show in any industry!
By: Jansen Manfredini
Having just returned from Sin City, where I was for The PPAI Expo last week, I’m feeling like a bit of a rule breaker. So – just this one time – I’m not going to let what happened in Vegas stay in Vegas. Here are four free things I bring back from every trade show (and you should, too!).
Four Freebies from Trade Shows
- Feedback. Keep your ears and mind open during trade shows. You might be surprised by how much others’ two cents is worth. We all tend to be biased toward our own ideas, but you can’t make a living off selling to yourself (if you’ve figured out a way to do this, please contact me.) Outsiders give excellent advice! So don’t be resistant to their constructive criticism, it will only help you improve. At The PPAI Expo, I was overwhelmed by the number of people who stopped by the SAGE booth simply to say hello or rave about SAGE. Who wouldn’t love hearing that? But the people we love just as much are the ones who took the time to let us know what features we should add to make our products better. They’re the reason we continue to grow and improve.
- Knowledge. It seemed around every corner was another opportunity to learn. All of the education at these trade shows is geared toward helping companies in the promotional products industry flourish. So why wouldn’t you take advantage of it? And the best part? They’re all FREE! Take it from someone with student loan debt, free education is something you cannot afford to pass up! The education available at The PPAI Expo was kicked off with a SAGE Conference on Monday. We had record-breaking attendance! If you missed this exciting day of free knowledge, videos from the sessions are available on the SAGE Conference website. SAGE also provided one-on-one training as well as education sessions during the expo. We will be providing these opportunities again at Expo East in March.
- Connections. One of the most beneficial aspects of trade shows is the opportunity to meet with people face to face. With actual human interaction becoming less common as technology evolves, it’s important that we’re still making these vital personal connections we need to succeed. However, it’s not merely about meeting people. It’s about forming relationships, which requires staying in touch. To keep in touch most effectively, I recommend using a mobile CRM tool, such as the one available in SAGE Mobile.
- Freebies! It’s what we do. Besides, who doesn’t love coming home with all of the latest and greatest promotional products?
Source: http://www.sageworld.com/blog/index.php/2015/01/22/4-freebies-you-should-be-getting-at-tradeshows/
2017 has been a good year for us. Scratch that, it has been a great year! One of the things that we are most proud of is that we’ve increased sales. All while becoming more efficient in our work flow process. We are always looking to make ourselves better for our customers experience and for us as well. That is exactly what we will continue to do in 2018.