Most sales people will have attended a stand at an exhibition before, they will have conducted these events within their own industry and therefore many will know the benefits of an exhibition as a place to actively do business. So why has there never been an exhibition for our own profession?
This year the first UK exhibition for sales professionals across industry verticals will take place at the Ricoh Arena Coventry on the 20th October. Successful Selling Expo will take place on the back of the ISMM’s (Institute of Sales & Marketing Management) annual conference ‘Successful Selling’.
An Exhibition for Sales People
Sales seems to be one of the last profession’s that, until now, has not had an exhibition where key buyers can meet with key suppliers. HR professionals have CIPD / HRD at Olympia London or CONFEX at ExCel London for Event Managers, Sales is more than just a profession, it’s an industry as well. The launch of the first exhibition for sales professionals is therefore a big deal and a project that has been tried before with little success.
The reason for previous difficulties may have been as much to do with the nature of our profession as much as anything, we are still new to the concept of a sales profession, so being able to harness this outlook to bring together an industry event has always been tough.
Exhibition and Event Company
Lincoln West will be running this year’s event and Exhibition Director Steve Lindsey is not daunted,
“the modern sales person is very different from sales people in the past, the poorly prepared, gift of the gab sales person is dying out quickly, with intelligent, knowledge driven sales professionals taking their place. Therefore there may not have been a need for this kind of event in the past, but as sales is becoming more recognised as a profession and an industry, combined with a challenging economic climate and a greater emphasis on new business, the timing for
Successful Selling Expo couldn’t be better”
These comments reflect the activity coming from the market place, Sales Directors are investing in sales academies, new solutions that make the jobs of sales professionals are constantly being developed, and through a tough period over the last few years, the importance of a well equipped sales team has never been more apparent.
A Home for the Profession
The concept of a Sales Exhibition provides a win-win for all concerned, where sales management can speak actively and efficiently with product and service providers, where service providers can launch and display product offerings and where the whole profession can begin to create a place or even a home for itself.
It is even possible that
Successful Selling Expo could represent a huge step forward for the profession, a single place to share best practice, to develop products and services that raise the effectiveness of a sales force; perhaps
Successful Selling Expo could represent more than just the formation of a marketplace?
Sales Directors and Managers spend a lot of time on the road, with clients and with their teams, so taking a day out to speak to suppliers in one place helps save time and gives them a chance to view the market quickly. An exhibition offers an ideal environment to take a productive day out of the office to evaluate the market in one place, rather than trying to squeeze meetings in with suppliers between everyday activities.
”the sales professional is a unique individual within business, for years sales professionals have had to be experts in their own field, a sales professional selling food and drink may attend IFE (Exhibition), those selling machines may go to MACH at the NEC, but there has never been a place for sales professionals across these verticals – until now” says Jennie Harnaman, Events Manager for the ISMM.
“
Successful Selling Expo will allow sales managers to view the latest developments in CRM, Training, Lead Generation, Incentive programs, hospitality and many more products and services in one place. This will help save managers and directors valuable selling hours to quickly view products and services that could help improve their teams’ performance”.
“
Successful Selling Expo is not only a fantastic opportunity for sales managers and directors, but also a massive chance to enforce sales as a profession”.
Exhibition Proposition
Where previous companies have struggled with the concept of an exhibition for the sales person,
Successful Selling Expo already looks to be gaining momentum, the relationship between the Exhibition, the ISMM and Media Partners (including SalesPro!) cannot be underestimated.
“The relationship between the exhibition and the ISMM is essential” states Lindsey, “our media partners and the ISMM help bring visibility to the event, which in turn adds another dimension to the Successful Selling Conference. These relationships help promote the event and present an exhibition that Sales Managers and Directors want to attend”
The Annual Conference
Successful Selling will be going on at the same time, with headline speakers Michael Portillo and Alice Beer, as well as some fantastic sales trainers and thought leaders such as Gavin Ingham, Don Hutson, Guy Browning and Dr Graeme Coddrington. This gives the delegates the opportunity to see world class speakers, to liaise with suppliers and to network with fellow sales professionals all in one space.
“It will become a place for sales professionals to meet each year, helping to create a distinctive home for the sales profession and industry” states Lindsey.
To book tickets for Successful Selling Conference please call 01582 840001 or e-mail jkelly@ismm.co.uk, you can also book online at www.ismm.co.uk/events_successfulselling.php