Here in Wisconsin we're blessed with having four distinct seasons, and fall happens to be my favorite. By the time October rolls around, we're in the thick of the quintissential elements of autumn: leaves change colors, temperatures drop significantly with the threat of overnight frost warnings, Daylight Savings provides us an extra hour of sleep, Sundays are spent watching football while chili sits in the crock pot.
But one other thought always comes to mind around this time, every year: the Automotive Aftermarket Product Expo, also known as AAPEX.
The biggest show of the year
AAPEX 2014, held in conjunction with the SEMA Show each year, allows manufacturers to show off all of their new products to eager attendees. On the cusp of the largest automotive aftermarket show each year, we've already been hard at work preparing for this show for a few months.
Trade shows offer you the opportunity to see all the brand new tools and technologies all in one place. We'll be hitting the AAPEX and SEMA show floors this November to check out and report on all the brand new tools and equipment available for you to stock on the truck. And we'll also be attending training seminars and talking with industry experts to understand new technologies on the horizon. But with all of that information, it's also important to think ahead with a game plan of how to approach the show. We've already spent months preparing for this show, and it's never too early to start thinking about your next show either.
Get a game plan together
Mobile tool shows are no different -- regardless of your flag (or lack thereof), many distributors take a similar approach to getting ready for their respective shows. It's never too early to think about different strategies for approaching your next show. I've heard a number of great suggestions from different conversations. Here are a few highlights:
-Sell down your current inventory. About two to three months before your show, cut back on your weekly orders to make room on the truck and save funds for purchasing additional products at the show. As a general rule, you'll receive larger discounts for larger orders from vendors.
-Take orders from customers. Have a customer that's mentioned he's not quite ready to buy, but he's in the market for a new tool cart? Put a bug in your customers' ears advising you'll have access to all the newest products from your brand. Have your customers make a wishlist of the different items they've been thinking of buying.
-Contact customers while you're at the show. Keep loyal customers on speed dial to give them great deals on products you find.
-Ask questions. Never seen something quite like this product? Not sure how this tool works? That product manager does, and I'm sure he or she would be more than happy to show and tell you. If you want to sell this product, you need to know what it does.
-Give customers a visual aid. Do you text or post to social media? Send a photo via text message, or post a photo of a hot product you plan to order, and send the image to customers. A picture is worth a thousand words, and potentially a few extra orders.
-Go in with a budget, and plan your show strategy. Figure out how to efficiently walk the show floor and talk to your priority vendors. To make the most of your time, consider walking and browsing the entire show floor on the first day (bring a notepad and your smartphone to snap photos of things you liked to jog your memory). Take the evening to hash out a plan on what you'd like to order and the amount you have budgeted to spend. Then, go to each booth in order of priority to place orders the last day.
It may seem early, but now is the time to start thinking about your plan of attack for the upcoming year and your 2015 tool show. Do you have a useful tactic you employ before, during or after your show? Email me at [email protected] with your thoughts.
