How To Make Sure Your Clients Remember Meeting Their Sales Rep at Your Hospitality Event
How to make sure your clients remember meeting their sales rep at your hospitality event
If the ultimate goal at a hospitality event is to build relationships with our clients, we need to make sure our clients remember their company contact after the event.
A client is much more likely to answer a phone call, open an email, and set an appointment with someone they already know, like, and trust. If they’ve had a meaningful conversation with a sales person during your event, the client is much more likely to answer the call, open the email, or even schedule an appointment.
In fact, a sales representative is also more likely to call, email, or visit a client they feel like they already know, like, and trust themselves. They know that a person who recognizes their name and knows what value they bring is much more likely to answer the phone, answer their questions, and have a productive sales conversation. Events are a great way to prevent “call reluctance.”
So how do you connect your sales representative with the client in a memorable way?
A hospitality event is much different from a trade show booth, and it’s important that both your sales team and your clients understand that this is not a time for selling. There should be no tension between the client and the sales people - it’s a time to have a drink, dinner, and some fun.
Before the Event
Assign each client or prospect at your event to one of your sales reps. The rep should do some quick online searching to find out what he can about their business and their interests. This is good for conversation starters at the event.
During the Event
During the event, your sales team should introduce themselves to their assigned prospects and visit with their current clients. Name badges will help a lot, and listing both the client’s name and his company will make sure your sales team recognizes their key people (not everybody looks like their picture on social media).
Connecting a new client with a sales person can be awkward. The last thing a client wants is to hear a pitch. If your sales representative feels uncomfortable or nervous, the client will feel cornered at your event and want to leave.
The best thing a sales representative can do is simply ask if the client is having fun, and if there’s anything the client needs. The sales relationship is built on service and the hospitality event is framed as a “thank you” to your clients. This kind of question is a logical way to open the conversation, and it drives home the “we want to make you happy” message.
One successful vice president of sales has built multimillion dollar relationships by simply refreshing drinks and introducing his prospects to people at the party. He would ask, “have you seen Mike, our magician, tonight?” If they said no, he would escort me to the table and introduce me to “our valued clients” and ask me to do something special for them. Personalized service goes a long way to making a powerful impression.
The number of tactics and techniques that your salespeople can use to connect with your clients is enough to fill a short book. I know. I wrote one. For more ideas and examples, message me, and I’ll send you a copy.
At the End of the Event
At the end of the evening, parting gifts and “thank you” are an important part of making the connection memorable. Remember, we give gifts to our guests because people feel connected to people who give them things, and that makes the people who gave them those things very memorable.
How we give the gift is critical. Rather than simply having each guest take a gift bag or water bottle from a table on their way out, have the sales representatives present their client with the gift as part of the event. When the guest simply “takes one,” the gift is meaningless. It’s just stuff they take. When someone says, “We wanted you to have this as a token of our appreciation,” the gift has meaning.
If possible, put a “bonus” gift (like a white paper, a free sample of your product, a percentage off on their next order, etc) inside the gift. Have the sales representative say, “there’s something special in there for you, too.” The bonus is a second surprise, which makes the gift even more memorable.
After the Event
Each sales rep should make notes about the time they spent with the client, anything interesting that happened, and anything they learned about the client during the event. Then, do some quick follow up - email is fine, handwritten may be appropriate - to carry the conversation forward. Tell them how and when you plan to call to discuss their business challenges.
Conclusion
You can plan a great memory for your guest. As you're planning your hospitality event, focus on what you want your guests to remember from the event, and what you want them to talk about after the event. Building these things into your event plan will help your sales representatives create the rapport they need to close more sales.
PS: Don’t forget to download a copy of the booklet on hospitality tactics here.
Just released: Mike Duseberg reveals all the “how to” steps to creating events that create sales referrals, and repeat business in his third booklet The Event ROI Revolution: A Planners Guide to Hospitality Events that Create Connections, Build Rapport, and Schedule Sales Appointments. Download your complimentary copy here.