ORLANDO– MAY 14-16, 2013 GSA is hosting its annual Expo in Orlando Florida this coming May and they have modified the name to “GSA Training and Expo 2013.”
Federal Sales Sherpa, Eileen Kent says, “Yes, they are underlining the emphasis on training so that they can attract government attendees to take advantage of this event to learn as much about buying through GSA schedules as possible. This was always an emphasis and if you look at the training matrix, there is a lot for everyone, vendors and contracting professionals alike.” (LINK).
The talk on the street is that there won’t be as many people in attendance as there have been in the past.
But, says Eileen Kent, “The essential federal employees will get approval to attend, so your quality of leads will probably be higher although the number of leads will probably be lower.”
So, do you exhibit, attend or pass on the event altogether? Eileen says, “Well that depends on your business, your need to show GSA itself that you support them, and your budget.”
Here are some ways Kent believes that you can make the most of the GSA show:
Exhibitors:
A. Create a booth that is exciting to the eye and staff it with a team that is fun and engaging.
B. You cannot offer give-a-ways, but sponsoring beverages seems to be okay. “One booth last year had a cappuccino machine with a barista offering specialty coffees. People were drawn to the booth by the coffee and while they stood in line, sales executives from the booth visited with show attendees. It was a simple solution to making a booth hospitable,” said Kent.
C. Network, says Kent. “Go through the exhibitor list and plan out who you are going to visit at the show. The only way you will win in 2013 is by teaming.”
D. Attend training sessions that have been created for your potential customers.
E. Twitter your booth location and tell everyone you know — partners and government customers where they can find you at the show.
F. Have a plan to follow-up right after the show. Book appointments, webinar demonstrations and capabilities briefings. Ask them, “Who else would you call on if you were me?”
Attendees:
A. Bring Capabilities Statements, Business Cards and Comfortable Shoes!
Most importantly, Kent advises, “Don’t wait for the GSA Training and Expo 2013 to start selling to the federal government. You can get started right now! If you spend all of your time building a booth, building a message and flyers for the show, and then your clients end up not attending, you’ll waste four months waiting for the show to happen.”
This post was written by Eileen Kent, “The Federal Sales Sherpa”, Eileen specializes in customizing your federal sales action plan and has personally sold to FEMA, DHS, DoD, GSA, FBI, Department of Agriculture, USDA, GSA, PBS and many more. Call her at 312-636-5381 or www.customkeynotes.com for your competitive analysis and federal sales action plan for 2013-2014