In simplistic terms the act of marketing is letting people know about the products or services you have to sell.
It leads to sales. But sales and marketing aren’t one and the same thing.
David Lomas, CEO of M3 Media Publishing, has been probing the difference between sales and marketing with businesses exhibiting at the Business Revival Series taking place at Excel London, on 9th & 10th March 2022.
M3 Media Publishing is the media partner for the show. As part of this deal, David and his team are working with 350 exhibitors who are participating in his established Thought Club online events for senior influencers and opinion formers.
A key question that keeps cropping up is whether businesses have signed up to the show to market or to sell.
The collective answer from the exhibitors is they resoundingly intend to sell.
But, David, a highly successful and seasoned salesperson himself, suggests a more subtle approach to exhibitors than turning up with the intention to sell, sell, sell.
“Let’s face it, visitors have many different reasons for attending exhibitions, and they aren’t necessarily there to buy, buy, buy,” sats David.
So, what’s he advising exhibitors with challenging sales targets to meet?
Clever Marketing Gets the Sales Ball Rolling
M3 Media is home to 10 well-read business sector-specific publications.
As part of the Business Revival Series media partnership, exhibitors are being offered the opportunity to provide their commentary and opinions about hot topics in their fields. The thought-provoking editorial produced around their interviews is included in the most relevant publications.
This isn’t advertising to batter prospects around head with sales messages.
It’s more subtle. But, it’s also more powerful at stimulating interest in their products or services.
It isn’t so much about leading a horse to water, it’s about making it thirsty in the first place. Great content makes your prospects thirsty.
David Lomas
It’s the Content that Gets the Conversation that Gets the Customer
It’s this authoritative content that gets the conversations with prospects that probably wouldn’t happen as a result of advertising or selling.
Even better still that the professionally written thought leadership content doesn’t reach the end of its shelf life when the exhibition closes its doors to the last visitors.
On the contrary, exhibitors can use it again and again to start conversations with –
- Other prospects external to the exhibition
- Business leaders met at the Thought Club
- Fellow exhibitors for collaborating and cross-referring
“I want people to understand that we’re offering a thought leadership programme to exhibitors which will help them in their approach to get business not only at an exhibition, but in many other ways.” David iterates.
Conclusion
“Ultimately, clever content primes your prospects ready for a detailed conversation about their particular situation. They’ll recognise you can help them when they see from your content you really understand their issues and their sector. So, it will be easier to get the conversation and for the conversation to progress to conversion from prospect to customer,” he concludes.
M3 Media’s Thought Club will be exhibiting at the Business Revival Series. But you can contact David Lomas via linkedin.com or by email at david@m3publishing.co.uk in advance about leveraging content to get conversations that convert.
