What's Actually Going On
Exhibiting is often the first step many factories take going global, but a lot of people sign up for a show without actually having decided which type of channel buyer they're trying to reach through it. Without a clear channel decision, the on-site prep, talking points, and materials all struggle to be targeted, and the result is a large budget spent collecting a pile of contacts that don't really fit.
Different shows attract different types of buyers, and even the same show often has a mix of buyer types from different channels. If you haven't decided in advance which type you actually want, it's easy to burn limited on-site energy on mismatched conversations and miss the buyers who genuinely matter.
A Real Example
A jewelry factory attended a general trade show and welcomed any type of buyer to the booth. After the show, they'd collected dozens of contacts, but on closer sorting, most turned out to be traders from a completely mismatched channel type — fewer than ten actually fit the target channel profile.
So What Should You Actually Do
- Finish your channel decision before the show, and be clear on which type of buyer this particular show is meant to reach.
- Prepare targeted talking points and materials based on that target buyer profile, rather than one generic set for everyone.
- On the show floor, prioritize your energy toward conversations that match your target channel profile, and learn to politely screen out the rest quickly.