Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
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16 will have the most interest in. He says a fl eet manager isn't interested in an auto- motive or marine product, for example, so there's no reason for Lite-Check to focus on that when attending a fl eet- centric event. That brings up another important aspect of trade show planning: customer expectations. Customer inquiries drive most trade show conversations, so identifying what prospective trade show attendees will want to see and discuss is an absolute necessity for vendors. Baker says the myriad of questions he's received from customers at trade shows is staggering. Just as one company may provide different messages depending on a particular customer segment, two customer groups also can have entirely different requests of the same supplier. At aftermarket events, this means be- ing prepared for sales strategy and order fulfi llment questions. Baker says Automann employees are empowered to respond to all show fl oor questions as they see fi t, but unusual requests and inquiries will be forwarded to management for further discussion. And solutions found in such discus- sions can eventually lead to improved customer interactions at future events, adds Donnelly. "We're trying to shift the focus for our sales people on fi nding the right questions to ask," he says. "Obviously we want to sell more products. Every vendor in the room — including the distributor attendees — want to sell more products. It's really about connecting the dots from show to show about what each customer group really needs and then making everyone aware of that." Donnelly says this can take some time. "Sometimes we'll be at a show and a fl eet [representative] will come by and say 'I use that, I use that, I use that all the time,' then a distributor will come by at the next show and say, 'I never get any calls for that.' "So there's a disconnect in that relationship," he says. "You really have to repeat your message a few times for both sides to get it." And suppliers really, really want their distributors to get it. Says Sage: "A customer will stop by and say, 'We buy those,' and I'll have to tell them if they're still purchasing through our old channels, they're not actually getting our product anymore. They don't realize that distributor is selling them a different part." Show planning is benefi cial to attend- ees as well. For aftermarket distributors and service providers, trade shows provide the unique opportunity to meet with multiple vendors in an incredibly short amount of time. They allow face-to-face time with existing and potential vendors, and can help turn weeks of phone tag and email chains into incredibly valuable fi ve-minute conversations. The biggest key to preparation is sim- ply determining which vendors an attend- ee wants to see, says Paul Wendelberger T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | J u n e 2 0 1 5 Vendors can benefi t from tailoring their product display at a trade show to prospective attendee interest. Sometimes we'll be at a show and a fl eet will come by and say 'I use that, I use that' ... then a distributor will come by at the next show and say, 'I never get any calls for that.' – Scott Donnelly, director of sales at Dorman HD Solutions Both attendees and exhibitors can take advantage of networking at a trade show. This allows the two parties to better know each other, or other parties at the event. Cover Story