I really enjoyed Stoneleigh this year, maybe because I stayed dry or maybe because I am looking for a new project?! However at the end of the day and on my way home I got to thinking about the day and something was bothering me.

I have to attend exhibitions and conferences more regularly then I would like in my real world job and therefore I know the drill and why it is like it is.

Let me explain, exhibitions are not a jolly for companies to group together for a weekend (or whenever) they are an opportunity to generate leads and new business by gathering potential customers on one location and entice them into parting with the hard earned!

To this end it is the norm to be bombarded with ever more sophisticated sales techniques.

Now to my point, Detling and two weeks later Stoneleigh. Not once was I captured on someones database, I wasn't scanned (didn't have a tag), cards were not passed out.... nothing. AND I was saying to companies that I was looking for a new project and I was discussing budgets with them.

I know we are in a cottage industry world but please these companies are selling circa between £5k and £60k products to a limited market why are they not maximising every lead?

I know some of you are glad that they don't pester you but think of it from there viewpoint its a business and they need to sell.

So come on Kit companies I don't expect The London Motor Show but get some sales savy or risk the alternitive.

Rant over

..........Neil

Its never been a hard sell industry as far as i can remember. The only ones that push (mildly) the sell are usually the non kit stands. I would gladly enter every prize draw if it where from a kit manufacturer.

Just one person (from just one stand) pushed the friend I was with into telling him some information and then offering us a pamphlet on what his company did.

It wasn't an overly pushy technique, he wasn't abrupt or assumptive, to be honest, what he said, I have said a hundred thousand times in my job!

And the reason I remember it - was simply as you stated above - it was very removed from the "norm" of the show!

I prefer it that way, because every single thing we do nowadays is almost thrust upon us, whether we like it or not. But I do agree with you - some gentle probing () and recording of information, if done in the right way, would be more than acceptable. I think the main reason that it doesn't happen is that the majority of the exhibitors, are men (and women!) like you and I, who know what it's like to be pestered and therefore don't bother!

I also know one exhibitor that stated very clearly that even though he knows that he needs to keep his website up-to-date, he isn't that bothered about it because he has enough work to be going on with and doesn't want the additional stress that comes with multiple bookings and work overload... Pretty fair enough really!

ATB

i did notice a few companies handing out flyers etc, but to be honest im with you, none of them were really trying hard to make you want to buy their kit, were they.

i had a chat with a lad from northampton motorsport, and the first thing i asked him was, "do you do rolling road sessions for Megasquirt applications" and his response was "errrrrr" (well thats a NO then! i was thinking, i even told him that my car was up and running and it just needed fine tuning but he was still very hesitant, surely they should be biting your hand off for business at the moment!

the only company that came over to me and spoke was that propshaft company with the huge UJ.

i dont know about you guys but i knew what i wanted to build and pushy people would have put me off parting with my money.

for many kit car companies product and customer service are key!!

look at gts. have the product lack the service = low sales

now look at MK. have the product and customer service = busy busy busy

word of mouth is everything in the kitcar business. these days the forum is king if companies cock up everyone knows about it in less than 30seconds.

[Edited on 7/5/09 by ashg]

I wrote all my details down for a free classic type mag.
They promised they wouldnt sell my details on or pester me, which is good.
And very practical too as I dont really live at 29 Acacia Avenue and my name is not Mr Benn.

prop company - Dunning and Fairbank?

Mate was speaking to them, i was loitering and the other bloke made eye contact and came over. I said i was with him - to give him a chance to walk off and he still chatted to me.

Very professional, none pushy, perfect in my eyes.

I was mooching at the Aries stand. (i've got the GRP). Steve(?) came over, i explained i've got the GRP and was just stealing mounting ideas. He happily talked to me.

Again - great, no sales push although I think both should have handed out a business card (or offered it) at the end so i could easily contact them.

I went and as i walked around i wasnt looking for anything in particular, my car is on the road and working well. what i liked was the fact that if i wanted information i could ask for it without any hard sell, I think the beauty of shows like Stoneleigh is that the visitors actually know what they want and will find the correct people to supply their needs, hence no hard sell.

Regards

Bob

I know exactly what Neil means. It's not about being poshy, its about showing some interest in establishing a relationship with a potential customer

I assume that many exhibitors have become so fed up spending time with people who have no intentin pf buying that now they hang back and only deal with peope who approach them directly.

So in fact its both side's fault, the firm's for not trying hard enough and the punter's for including far too many time wasters

John

There does seem to be a large element of resignation to the fact that the customer will buy from whoever he buys from. Certainly in my business, if you approached me and indicated that you had money to spend and were interested in my offering then I would make sure I stayed in touch (not mithering) until you made your choice. I know that there are a lot of time wasting bullsh*tters out there in punterland that probably cause the suppliers to shy away but they should really be approaching everyone. I know that my choice of kit was swayed by the approach of individuals at the suppliers and two potentials were knocked off the list after the first phone call!
In these small businesses where it is the same guy who makes the stuff, answers the phone, makes the brews, does the accounts etc, being good at making the stuff doesn't mean he's good at the rest of it.

I don't know about actively pushing their product, but how many stands had piles of brochures, leaflets, etc for people to take away? Not just listing their products, but stuff like "How can we help you to complete your kit car successfully?". Most sales people expect 99% of that stuff to go to waste, but the 1% is considered a good return.

I think that exhibitors do suffer badly from tyre kickers and time wasters. I remember getting some quite cold stares from people on stands in the past (Hawk Cars is one that I remember).

On the other hand, last year I went onto the MNR stand to do no more than look at their strange nose cone and ended up having a 10 minute chat with one of them! (and I don't think the nose is so bad when seen in real life!).

On Nash's OP comments...

I have to attend trade shows as a visitor and exhibitor several times a year in my work life and they're usually very well organised and exectued events - as you say maximising time invested and leads generated.

I wonder though if the kit car shows are seen more as a social event? It's a weekend event for a start and the audience is enthusiasts indulging in their hobby (+tyre kickers).

If I were there as an exhibitor though I would be handing out cards and literature left right and centre and making every effort to capture peoples details for follow up after the show

as long as theyre nice and acknowledge me when i go in, then give me lots of info when i ask about things, im happy. a sales pitch never really makes me more likely to buy something.

I guess most kit car suppliers are small outfits and don't / can't afford to employ professional sales people. I usually have to ask for contact details but that's ok, because I'm interested, and they're not handing out stuff that's going to be dropped round the next corner.

The only thing approaching a hard sell is the sponsoring magazine trying to sell subscriptions.

An important reason why sellers should appear keen is that if they appear not to be then that sends a signal to a potential purchaser that their money is not particularly welcome. If that is the case, then a buyer has no leverage.

I prefer to deal with people who let me know, one way or another, that they want my money, and are prepared to make a real effort to get it.

I think, as Richard says, that a lot of these firms are run by people who are good at building cars but not good at business. Fortunately for them, their customers are forgiving enough, and enthusiastic enough, to let them get away with it. I doubt such firms would last very long in a tougher business environment

John

Sorry, i disagree, I really don't like sales persons trying to push me into buying stuff they don't know anything about theirselfs. They'll just make the product more expencive and have no added value.
If you want to know something, just ask, it's not that hard!

quote:

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Originally posted by lococost
Sorry, i disagree, I really don't like sales persons trying to push me into buying stuff they don't know anything about theirselfs. They'll just make the product more expencive and have no added value.
If you want to know something, just ask, it's not that hard!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Paul TigerB6
I think most kit car companies know they wont sell a car / kit by pestering people at a show..... but what they will do is get people interested enough to go to their premeses to have a proper look. Tiger Sportscars for years have had an open day a week after Stoneleigh and Donnington... and thats where they take their orders. I'm sure its the same with loads of companies - taking more orders after a show

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