When it comes to growing your network and reeling in new opportunities for business, trade shows are quite literally the land of milk and honey for company leaders and their marketing teams. After all, trade shows are the fundamental meet-and-greet events of nearly every industry — the place where we can make those essential connections with vendors, partners and clients. Connections that ultimately shape the evolution of our products and services. To put it simply: they’re a big deal!
Each booth highlights the latest innovations, and they naturally draw competitive business people with shared interests together. The number of like-minded professionals and enterprising start-ups boost the energy in a hall, offering a whole new level of enthusiasm and connectivity.
Making new friends face-to-face is easy enough for the seasoned salesperson. The problem becomes how to sustain those new business relationships after the trade show ends and communication turns digital or increasingly difficult with geographic distance. This is where corporate gifting shines. Sending a well-timed follow-up gift offers a cost-effective and professional way to keep you front and center, reminding your connections that you are indeed the person they want to work with.
The Who’s Who at Trade Shows
Understanding the value of the connections you can make at tradeshows is illustrated easily by the demographics of people who frequent each event. These aren’t everyday lay people passing through. In fact, the majority of people passing by each booth every hour could more than likely be the exact kind of people your business needs as a partner or client. Typically, attendees fall into three categories:
Relationship Strengtheners
They want to continue, refresh or deepen current business partnerships with one-on-one activities associated with the trade show and surrounding environs.
Opportunists
They may be dissatisfied with their current vendors or suppliers and are screening for a business partner who offers a better fit for their expectations.
Exhibitionists
They have made advancements or improvements that they want to showcase and introduce to existing and potential new clients as a selling point. This includes both start-ups eager to make a splash in the industry as well as experienced business people who want to expand or solidify their serious client base.
Because of the potential value waiting in the crowd, businesses are expected to up their game. Simply put, trade shows are such an essential part of business-to-business relationships, and having a poor networking strategy does your business no favors. Plus, with so much competition on the floor for the attention of attendees, having a tactic like follow-up gifting can truly separate you from the pack.
The Benefits of Follow-Up Gifting
Most companies will reach out following a trade show. However, they often fall back on impersonal mail-merged emails or boilerplate direct mailers. These gestures take little effort and are easily deleted or discarded with little regard for the sender. In fact, following a busy trade show, companies or clients may receive a flurry of these follow-ups, most of them indistinguishable from the others. The real question is how to stand out as a serious contender who will deliver what is promised.
Corporate gifting is the giving of a small token of respect and gratitude. Amounts of worth are typically nominal, but ideally, the gift shows a bit of thought. The focus is on professional courtesy and a willingness to invest time and effort to make a business partnership work for both of you. Ultimately, the idea is to set you and your company apart from the rest of the competition. Here are a few ways follow-up gifting can give you the edge:
Memorability
A well-timed gift from the friendly face they recently met is a great way to jog the memory and place you top of mind. Plus, if you really want to be remembered, food takes advantage of a thing called sensory memory. Food gifts involve all five senses—taste, touch, smell, sight and even sound. From the crinkle of a wrapper or the texture of an item in the hand to the aroma, and the savory or sweet taste, food is powerful in its ability to create memories. This, of course, can help make you more memorable. After all, you never know. Your food gift may prove to be the only thing they actually have time to eat on a busy day.
Brand Awareness
Choosing tasteful, appropriate yet somewhat personalized corporate gifts reflects upon your own brand and reputation by association. Do you give out the same mug or pen to everyone to add to their collection, or do you give something a bit different, something that they can enjoy and perhaps share—something that shows you enjoy something small but of quality in common?
Indication of Work Ethic
Extending your hand with a professional yet personal gesture demonstrates that you’re not only willing to do the work you need to do but also invest in your partners. A corporate gift should be small, but it should also be indicative of the kind of business relationship you want to establish or maintain. It also conveys the comforting sense of plenty, generosity and a well-managed enterprise versus the unsettling impression of scarcity.
Get an Edge with Gifting
Staying relevant in today’s business world takes solid networking tactics. Follow-up gifting after trade shows — and even gifting just for staying in touch — are simple ways to enhance your networking success and boost your industry partnerships for the long term.
If you would like to know more about ways you can tastefully enrich your business-to-business relationships, reach out to the gifting experts at Cane River Pecan Company. We can help you find the perfect memorable gourmet pecan gift to keep you at the top of every contact’s list.
Ready to Get Started?
Our team is experienced in corporate gifting and can help you select and send the perfect gifts for everyone on your list this season. Contact our Gifting Specialist today at 1.800.293.8710!