Speech Before a Sales and Marketing Exhibition
It is expensive and time consuming to attend a sales and marketing exhibition so it is important to make sure that your employees are ready to maximise the opportunity. Giving a speech before you attend a sales and marketing exhibition is a great way to get your team enthused and to guarantee that you have made your goals and expectations clear.
If the exhibition is held in another country or a city a long way from your office, you must remember that employees need to know about the cost and time implications in advance. It is unfair to expect your team to spend a few days away from home without knowing if there are subsistence allowance/days off in lieu/ additional payment.
Template for a Successful Speech before a Sales and Marketing Exhibition
To ensure your pre-exhibition speech is successful, you need to get the balance right between your expectations and demands and what you are offering in return. Of course, this is probably in the job description of at least some of the attendees, but even so, it is better to clarify your goals before you go.
1. Give Plenty of Notice
Start by informing the relevant people of the dates and location of the sales and marketing exhibition. Most sales and marketing teams will have regular meetings, so this is a good time to make your speech, rather than calling an additional meeting. If you do not have regular sales meetings, send an email to arrange a meeting as soon as possible.
- Inform your team as soon as possible
- Be clear who is expected to attend
Example: Hello everyone. I’d like to bring your attention to the trade exhibition that will be held at the NEC at the end of September. It is an important bi-annual event for the hospitality industry and I am keen to maximise opportunity by having an excellent stand that highlights our recent product launch. I will need to have at least three of you available on each of the three days of the conference, so I am asking for volunteers before I start making demands!
2. Make Your Requirements and Expectations Clear
Explain the benefits of the sales and marketing exhibition and illustrate how such events can build your brand awareness. Now is the time to say what time/money/bonuses are available and be clear what you expect in return.
- Be clear about what you want/need to gain from the exhibition
- If necessary, explain that hotels/transport/meals etc will be paid for
Example: It is imperative that we bring our new product launch to the attention of the decision makers at the three star and above hotels, so all of the marketing literature and stand decoration will be geared up towards this aim. I expect all of you to be totally clear on the features and benefits of the product as I want the stand to be inviting and interactive. I'll be analysing the results of the exhibition in terms of new leads and business, so there will be bonus payments and prizes in place. We will all go up to Birmingham on the Monday before the exhibition to set everything up, with all train tickets, hotel rooms and meals booked and paid for in advance by Kelly. I am sure that we can create some buzz as long as we focus on this exciting opportunity!
You will need to keep your team motivated by having regular project meetings before the exhibition and be open to new ideas as they arise.
