| An excellent opportunity to intensify your contact | | | | speakers you have lined up. Your role is more of |
| with customers is customer conferences. You can | | | | presenter - keeping an eye on timing and audience |
| use them to find out how your customers are using | | | | participation. Good organisation is imperative as |
| your products and services and what problems have | | | | taught on any good management course. |
| arisen. These are covered on any good sales | | | | You are in charge of the press reception |
| management course. Usually held once or twice a | | | | A client conference is a good event to gain publicity |
| year these can also used to reach occasional clients | | | | in the specialist press. Editors would no doubt be |
| and link them more closely to your company. | | | | interested in a report of the conference and any |
| Include your sales team | | | | interesting photographs, which accompany it (black |
| Include your sales department in the planning of client | | | | white). |
| conferences. It will motivate your salespeople if they | | | | Consider arranging for a group photograph of all the |
| are allowed to have a say. In the run-up to the | | | | attendees taken. Perhaps at the welcome ceremony? |
| conference inform them of the main goals of holding | | | | Take a look at publications in the specialist press |
| the conference. Make a written note of what tasks | | | | covering other similar events. How is the competition |
| need to be carried out and to whom you are | | | | looking? The presentation and length of contributions |
| assigning these. | | | | can give you ideas. If any members of the press |
| The welcome is important | | | | attend at the conference, meet them personally. The |
| Plan to have sufficient staff to be there at the | | | | people from the press are just as important as your |
| welcome reception and register the names of the | | | | clients. |
| participating clients. A welcome cocktail will round the | | | | You could send your clients a copy of any articles |
| reception off nicely. The entire sales department | | | | published, particularly including those who did not |
| should be there - every client will automatically search | | | | attend the conference. |
| out the face of salespeople they know. Introduce | | | | The post-mortem |
| clients to other clients. Who should be introduced to | | | | At the end of the conference do not plunge straight |
| whom naturally takes a great deal of tact. Do not | | | | away into the paperwork that's been waiting to be |
| spend too long talking to regular or favourite clients. | | | | done. First of all, sit down with the salespeople who |
| The opening of the conference | | | | took part in the conference and carry out a |
| You can wait fifteen minutes. Then carry out the | | | | post-mortem. You will need certain data in order to |
| official opening. Naturally, you should speak without | | | | assess the conference. The best thing to do is to |
| the aid of notes. Any important personalities from | | | | take notes during the conference. |
| your branch or related associations should be | | | | On the one hand you need to ensure that client |
| welcomed and mentioned by name, but not all | | | | wishes are fulfilled, orders placed, visits planned and |
| customers need to be individually mentioned. | | | | contacts intensified. On the other hand, you need to |
| It is advisable that the opening speech be kept to | | | | find out as soon as possible if the whole event has |
| between five and seven minutes. Guests will stand | | | | paid off for you, or whether it has turned out to be |
| throughout this and will only be seated for the | | | | a costly failure. What went wrong? What corrections |
| subsequent speeches. The opening speech should | | | | are to be made? When doing this, do not look for |
| include an announcement of the programme and the | | | | people to blame - instead look for solutions to the |
| agenda for the day. | | | | problems which occurred. |
| It is your personal task to select the different | | | | About a week after the conference a letter or email |
| speakers. | | | | of thanks, to acknowledge all those who took part |
| A public relations exercise | | | | should be sent. This is just one element of being a |
| Although you as the sales manager carry out the | | | | successful sales manager. For other hints and tips or |
| opening speech, this does not mean that you hog | | | | to develop your skills further, attend a good |
| the limelight. Leave the limelight to the specialist | | | | management course. |