Although we are interacting more online, a recent report (Buyersphere Report 2013) has shown that face-to-face contact is still key when making a B2B purchase.
Whilst it’s important to engage potential clients online through social media channels, the opportunity to build rapport via live interaction should not be overlooked.
The survey, which was conducted with over 500 buyers from the UK, France and Germany who had made a single business purchase of over £20k, also revealed that 1 in 3 B2B buyers attend live exhibitions – which they rated as the single most influential information source to make their purchase decision.
A quarter of buyers in the Buyersphere Report also said that their chosen supplier exhibited at more events or exhibitions than its competitors, which had an impact on their buying decision. So if your company is not exhibiting and your competitors are, you could be missing out on important sales opportunities.
GROWING YOUR BRAND
As well as generating leads and sales, exhibitions can also help to increase brand awareness to secure future sales.