Overview
"I go to a lot of events, sometimes as a sponsor and other times as an attendee.
Depending on the day I am the prospector or prospected; the hunter or the prey.
Maybe it's just me, but I'm finding that the number and quality of interactions between
sponsors and attendees is slowly getting worse over time. Whereas it used to be that
people who attended these events would approach sponsors' tables and now they
stay away from the vendors all together (myself included).
Why is this? One idea is that in this world of so many vendors and new technologies, many people are experiencing fatigue from too much vendor noise and static. Rather than learning about something new, many people would prefer to avoid more work to implement that new thing. Steering clear of sponsors' tables and booths ensures that they aren't tempted by window shopping.
Another idea is that more of the buying and selling process is shifting online. According to firms like SiriusDecisions and CEB's Sales Executive Council, buyers are able to get 70% of the way through their buying process before interacting with a salesperson. If buyers are more empowered online, they are less curious to see new products and services when they attend face-to-face events.
My personal theory is that it has nothing to do with the buyers, but everything to do with the sellers. Along with the theme of less traffic to booths, I'm also seeing more vendors hanging out behind their tables. A lot of these sellers sit there with their heads down checking out their smart phones and iPads. At times, event attendees have to work hard to get the attention of the sponsors. Sad but true.
Companies invest tons of marketing dollars in these events and then frequently send junior people who never learned the right way to work a table. Further exacerbating this problem is that a lot of these booth jockeys are inside sales people who are not used to meeting new people face to face. I see them manning tables by themselves with no mentor in sight. Research on Millennials tells us that this is the opposite of the coaching and mentoring that these inexperienced professionals crave.
The rest of this article is a "˜how to' guide for vendors and sponsors at events. Give this link to anyone who works a table or prospects at events." ~Steve Richard, Co-Founder, VorsightBP
Why is this? One idea is that in this world of so many vendors and new technologies, many people are experiencing fatigue from too much vendor noise and static. Rather than learning about something new, many people would prefer to avoid more work to implement that new thing. Steering clear of sponsors' tables and booths ensures that they aren't tempted by window shopping.
Another idea is that more of the buying and selling process is shifting online. According to firms like SiriusDecisions and CEB's Sales Executive Council, buyers are able to get 70% of the way through their buying process before interacting with a salesperson. If buyers are more empowered online, they are less curious to see new products and services when they attend face-to-face events.
My personal theory is that it has nothing to do with the buyers, but everything to do with the sellers. Along with the theme of less traffic to booths, I'm also seeing more vendors hanging out behind their tables. A lot of these sellers sit there with their heads down checking out their smart phones and iPads. At times, event attendees have to work hard to get the attention of the sponsors. Sad but true.
Companies invest tons of marketing dollars in these events and then frequently send junior people who never learned the right way to work a table. Further exacerbating this problem is that a lot of these booth jockeys are inside sales people who are not used to meeting new people face to face. I see them manning tables by themselves with no mentor in sight. Research on Millennials tells us that this is the opposite of the coaching and mentoring that these inexperienced professionals crave.
The rest of this article is a "˜how to' guide for vendors and sponsors at events. Give this link to anyone who works a table or prospects at events." ~Steve Richard, Co-Founder, VorsightBP
