 We all can agree our year has started in turmoil, with the effects of both the bush fire season and the coronavirus, which continues to dramatically affect business growth.
These events, particularly the impact of the coronavirus, has seen hoteliers, venues, suppliers of the business events world see both cancellation and postponement of incentive groups, leisure travellers and events in general. We only have to revert back to 2008 with the global financial crisis, to find such a significant wave of cancellations. The main two reasons that event professionals are cancelling events are;
So how do you handle these cancellations and what do you do to replace the revenue loss? Here are our top tips on how to handle;
How do you now replace the revenue loss? Given the advice of cancellation comes without much notice, replacing revenue loss can be quite challenging. Below are our top tips on how to recover.
Whilst this is a challenging time, events still need to happen and there are domestic industry sectors that still require venues, products, hotels rooms and services. For example, the medical industry, the IT and communications industry, the association and NFP sectors are all industries that will in some capacity, continue to hold annual events.
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 We can all appreciate that industry tradeshows can be an excessively costly exercise. Therefore, it’s imperative to ensure a return from investment (ROI) from all your efforts.
To capitalise on the opportunities, it’s critical to have a strategy in place as part of your sales process that you can easily follow post a tradeshow. Here are our 4 top sales strategies to include: 1. Prior to the event day, look ahead on your calendar and block out two hours of follow-up time for the next four days post event. 2. Any new prospects you have met, connect with them via LinkedIn, and start to engage with them through both their business and personal pages. 3. Ensure you have entered your new client’s contact and event details into your CRM and set forward traces to ensure regular follow up. 4. Lastly, stand out from the crowd and personalise your follow up. Send a video or hand-written card, with a personal message. Happy Converting!  Top tips to conducting the perfect sales appointment!
You don’t get many second chances in this world and that’s why it’s important to optimise the opportunity of a sales call, especially given your client’s time is often limited. Here are our top tips to nail your sales appointment. Plan your meeting in advance Why do you want to meet with this client? What's your purpose? Depending if they are a new or existing client, you will have different objectives. It may be because you want to establish an idea of the types of events they run, or purely to establish a great relationship. Whatever your objective, ensure this is your focus during the call. Research the company Do your homework and understand the business and the client you are meeting with. Go through their website, their social, understand their team, business objectives, their competitors and have some idea about what types of events they run. Refer to this knowledge during your meeting. Pre-plan your questions Have a list of questions you want to ask and ensure you don’t leave the meeting without having these answered. Keep to time If you’ve promised a 30 minute meeting, check in at the 25 minute mark and let them know that the 30 minute time frame is approaching and check they are happy to proceed or would they want to wrap up the meeting. This will ensure you remain respectful of their time. Establish Rapport If you’re meeting this client for the very first time, it’s important not to launch straight into ways you can help them. Start by asking questions about them, about their business and listen to them when they speak. Make sure you don’t interrupt them, keep it friendly, casual, but professional. Pitch your business Positioning your pitch is an art form, it should feel like a natural conversation, touching on all the ways that your product/service is a great match for your client, it should give them the impression it was personally curated for them. Thank you and follow up On conclusion of the meeting, ensure you leave them a gift or some type of “leave behind” which will keep you top of mind and leave a lasting memory for them in the future. Ensure, once you’re back in the office, send a follow up note that afternoon or the next day, logging all communications into your CRM with forward reminders to ensure communication is consistent. If they’ve given you the task to prepare a proposal, ensure timelines are adhered and you put your best foot forward! Happy selling and remember, sales is just a conversation.  Given how fully immersed in digital connectivity, you can’t underestimate the power of face-to-face meetings, especially when needing to get a client over the line. Whilst clients may be pressed for time, it’s highly valuable to both you and your client to set up face-to-face appointments.
Here are our top tips to planning the perfect sales trip; 1. Plan in advance Give yourself enough time to plan your trip, if you’re heading interstate, start planning your trip at least 6-8 weeks before, this will ensure costs are kept low and client’s a more available. 2. Hit List Depending on how many days you’ve allocated, start listing your preferred clients in order of preference. Include in your list; client name, company, address, key objective of the meeting and potential spend. Your Manager will want to see this list before approving your trip. 3. Short-list Once your list is approved, start contacting clients to set up your appointments, be very clear to your clients about the objective of your meeting and how long you plan on being with them. Start by contacting your most preferred client. You should aim to see at least 5 clients in one day, depending on the accessibility/flight times etc. 4. Timing When scheduling your appointments, always allow travel time to/from airport, and travel and meal times between appointments. If you have a client located outside of the CBD, try and have this appointment first or last to ensure you have enough time to get back in the CBD or straight to the airport. If there are other potential client’s in the outer suburbs, it’s a good idea to have a few in mind to visit whilst you are there. 5. Meal times If you are not having lunch with a client, ensure you allocate yourself a 30 min lunch break between appointments and stay hydrated. 6. Keep costs down If you have been given the opportunity to conduct a sales trip, it’s important to try and keep expenses minimised. Try and walk to/from appointments if you’re in the CBD or take public transport. If there’s a direct train link or skybus, it’s more affordable to take these over an uber or taxi. At the conclusion of your trip, it’s important to follow up and follow through with your clients, log all your notes and activities in your CRM plus provide a rundown in the form of a report (excel is great for this) to your manager. In this report, include outcomes from meetings, follow up points and next steps. This will ensure your Manager can see the return on investment of your trip and will solidify the importance of face to face meetings.  In its' second year, Conversion Plus was held on the 28th August at The Glasshouse, Melbourne. With content curated specifically for the meeting and events industry, the 100 strong attendees learned insights from industry leaders and experts on subjects such as LinkedIn, Leadership Skills, Effective Communication and more.
Here's a quick snapshot of our speakers from this year's event; AND THEN A LEADER COMES ALONG Damian K. ten Bohmer, World Coach Performance There are 5 traits of a leader – authenticity, awareness, honesty, decisiveness, optimism! DREAM, COLLABORATE + INVENT - USING VIRTUAL REALITY IN NON-TRADITIONAL SPACES Murphy Dungo – Pixel Space See your venue through a different lens! Dream, collaborate and invent together. STRATEGIC PLANNING ON THE WORLD STAGE Enda Cunningham – Tennis Australia Stop rolling out the same event year on year, ensure your event appeals to the broader audience, ensure there’s something for everyone. LINKEDIN - HARNESSING THE POWER OF YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE Bonnie Power – Perfect Boom Thought leadership is the best way to engage your audience. Aim to write 4-5 articles per year on a topic you feel passionate about. THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE - FIND YOUR IDEAL WEDDING AUDIENCE Kirsten MacKelden – Real Weddings Follow up your wedding client with a personal 10 second video, thanking them for their time – keep it authentic and personal. Rod Micallef – Zonzo Estate Be the pioneers of the event industry, move ahead with your ideas, even if some people think it’s too crazy to reach. SELLING MELBOURNE AS A GLOBAL DESTINATION Julia Swanson – Melbourne Convention Bureau Be sure to get ready for World Rotary Conference 2023, bringing 20,000 to Melbourne. MELBOURNE FOODIE LEGENDS - THINKING OUTSIDE YOUR FOUR WALLS Frank Camorra - MoVida Be authentic and maintain your brand. Extra hot tip! Be sure to visit Gerald’s Bar in Rathdowne St for true Melbourne hospitality. Jimmy Hurlston - Easey's Burgers Be brave and think outside the box Extra hot tip! Leonardo’s Pizza in Grattan Street - delicious authentic pizza! CONFIDENCE, COMMUNICATION & BUILDING GREAT CONNECTIONS Carol Fox – Carol Fox & Co. Left hand holding right wrist with a relaxed stance is the sure way demonstrate total confidence and conviction! CRACKING THE ASIAN INCENTIVE MARKET Damian k. Ten Bohmer - World Coach Performance You need to work tirelessly at building relationships with our friends in Asia and the Middle East, they need to trust you entirely before entering into any business conversation. Maggie Diasinos – Hyatt Sales Force - Pacific Incentive groups continue to visit Australia, but instead of one large group, they are now breaking down their travel with smaller groups across multiple days. WHERE ARE THOSE NEW CLIENTS HIDING? Nicole Bates - Conversion Management The 4 Ps! Planning, Process, Prospecting, Persistence – the key focus areas to securing new business. THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF SUCCESSFUL CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS Nerina Papanastasiou - Conversion Management Understand your client’s business intimately – who’s who in the business and how do they work together. PITCH PERFECT - A CLIENT'S PERSPECTIVE Kate Smith – WALDRONSMITH Peter Jack - EMG Events Agency Liliana Sanelli - Perfect Events Read the brief! And if you think you’ve read it, read it again. Only give them what they’ve asked for, sometimes, a simple word doc is enough! If you missed out on attending in 2019, be sure to budget and plan for late August 2020.  When it comes to doing business with the Asian market, the road to success need not be as challenging as you first thought. It may just mean tweaking the way you operate to appreciate the cultural nuances.
According to the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), over the last five years 91% of corporate, meeting and incentive (CMI) travellers to Melbourne have come from Asia. “The Asian market is already exceptionally well-travelled”, says MCB General Manager Business Development and Bids, Beverley Williamson. “Asian travellers have evolved from a ‘tick the box’ trip and are wanting experiences that money can’t buy which enables them to develop professionally and personally as individuals and aligns with their values.” With that in mind, MCB suggests three must haves for success when doing business in the Asian market. Embrace and respect cultural difference Trust and relationships are important in Asia, with a high priority placed on relationships that go beyond the transaction. Asian clients must see the value of the business as not just a “one-off” deal. This means ensuring a perception of a long-term partnership for fostering opportunities for more business in future. Showing respect and an awareness of cultural differences will be key to establishing these productive business relationships. Start out with a good understanding of the demographics of the country or region you are wanting to do business in, as each may have their own cultural values and ways. “Having a deep understanding of cultural values will lead to mutual respect and effectively handling sensitive issues should they arise,” says Ms Williamson. It’s also worth considering currency exchange differences. Not all countries’ currencies are at par with the Australian dollar, so plan around this when working to your client’s budgets. Beyond servicing the immediate need Going above and beyond expectations will be much appreciated by your Asian clients. It’s all in the details, like a quick response and turn-around time, to flexibility with accommodating last-minute inquiries. Continuous support and customer service throughout the entire bid journey are essential for clients in the Asia market to feel valued. “Just because you’ve won the business doesn’t mean the relationship ends there. Follow-up is crucial. Being available, offering assistance and showing support throughout the entire event journey is a must to engendering trust and positive outcomes, particularly for repeat business and referrals,” says Ms. Williamson. Effective and efficient communication channels Communication plays a big role in developing relationships and catering to your Asian clients’ business requirements. Availability of in-language marketing resources and local in-market representatives will make a difference in strengthening business relationships. “With MCB offices in China and Malaysia with representatives on ground who are native speakers certainly helps breakdown any language barriers. Our representatives work tirelessly to service new and existing clients in the Asian Market and ensure that the relationships the build are long lasting,” said Ms Williamson. MCB produce many assets in-language for the Asian market. Their latest Melbourne Incentives Planners’ Guide developed in Chinese, provides inspiration and assists meeting planners and corporations looking to host memorable incentive programs in Melbourne and regional Victoria. “This is the type of in-language marketing initiative that enables more successful business in the Asian market, adds Ms Williamson.  So you may not be a “natural” connector, but you want to be!
Here are just a few simple yet effective tips to tackle those times you need to stretch yourself a little, meet a few strangers and connect with new people at a networking event!
Breaking into conversations can be challenging, especially if you don’t know anyone at the event, here are some further tips for this;
Happy networking!  Technology resolves a number of issues around meetings, allowing logistics and travel to no longer be barriers. It also enables you to have more flexibility within your calendar with issues like travel times no longer needing to be considered.
Online meetings can also support sales professionals to deliver a more professional experience, gone are the days when we had to “dial in Perth” and wait for them to answer, then put them on speaker phone, it’s all very instant with the likes of Zoom, Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp. As flexible working arrangements are becoming more common, offering an online meeting can at times be more approachable for your prospect also. We believe that a face-to-face meeting always trumps. However; an online meeting may mean the difference between securing a meeting and not having a meeting at all. Some of the greatest benefits of online/virtual meetings;
Here at Conversion Management, we heavily rely on technology to support our efficiencies and also reach our target audience for different activities. We host regular free monthly webinars via Zoom where we have attendees log in for our sessions, it’s a great platform to reach our audience instantly. We also rely on Zoom for our weekly internal meetings given our staff are all in different locations, this cuts down travel time and costs. More recently, we’ve been using UberConference, with one of our global clients, which allows you to call into a meeting from your phone, without needing to download software to your computer. Digital solutions and technologies are always evolving and if we don’t embrace the movement, we will be left behind.  Think S M A R T E R
Some key components of effective KPIs can be summarised by the following acronym. Specific - clearly defined Measurable - easily quantifiable Attainable - are the KPIs reachable Realistic - are they practical goals Timely - reviewed monthly/quarterly etc Explainable - clearly understood by all stakeholders Relative - to your business and flexible with change What should be included in KPIs? Some elements that should be present within most KPIs include; Acquiring new business - with a focus on quality clients Research - elements through qualifying prospects Face to face sales - appointments & networking events Retention - of your client customer base through account management processes Conversion rate - number of enquiries made vs actual conversions Customer focus - quantifiable data through feedback and post event surveys Processes - eg. proposal follow ups Marketing activities - eg. social media, promotions Personal growth - development through attending training courses, workshops etc Financial targets - monthly dollar figures for the business to meet KPIs are an important element of every sales professional's job so ensure that care is taken when creating them. Happy Converting!  Before picking up the phone ensure you have researched your prospect and qualified them against your selection criteria.
Are they your ideal client? Are they aligned with your brand? Are you the solution to their problem? If the answer is yes. Arm yourself with the following strategy before picking up the phone. During your sales call, transform the conversation from "unwilling" to "engaged" by opening with something about them; about who they are or what they do. Grab their attention with something very specific that is memorable and relates to their business. Source this from quality research. An example of this could be "Its Nicole Bates from Conversion Management, I saw a photo of your event last year with the two gorgeous BMWs. I had to pick up the phone and talk to you as our venue would be ideal for your next event." Happy Converting! "Quality research = Quality Conversations" - Nicole Bates |
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