Top 10 Wholesale Tips for Attending Trade Shows and Opening New Accounts With Suppliers

In this blog post, you are going to learn 10 top tips for preparing yourself and your business going to trade shows, with the ultimate aim that you want to open brand new wholesale accounts and start to build relationships with your suppliers for long-term sustainability in your business, whether this is in Amazon or not.

Having relationships with wholesalers is going to be a great stepping stone for you. So, these top tips are going to be something you are definitely going to want to absorb in.

Know the Entry Requirements to Your Trade Show

Go on their website and make sure that you have all the requirements to attend the trade show. The last thing you are going to want to do is turn up and not have a ticket or have the right type of requirements. 

Start Preparing Your Business

To prepare your business, you are going to want to be professional, and turn up professional. So, for this, you are most likely going to want to turn up with some sort of business card. You are going to be talking to professional people who are there to do business, and you are going to want to represent your business. So, at the very minimum, you are going to want a business card, and just by doing that exchange - you giving them your business card and vice versa, this could later on, build to some sort of relationship.

Create Your Business Landing Page Website

On your business card, you have your name, title, URL and a logo. Then, that URL, your landing page, goes and it directs the wholesalers to your website. Your website, you are going to want at minimum a landing page. That landing page is going to want to have a list of a number of elements - you are going to want a picture of yourself, the premises which you have; for example, a warehouse. This then shows that you are a business.Then, you are going to want an email address and some sort of contact information.

What is Your Business Strategy?

You want the trade show strategy. What is meant by this? It means, if you turn up at a trade trade, it is going to feel extremely overwhelming to you, because it is going to be a super huge place, with 5-10 different halls and there are going to be thousands upon thousands of people there. There are going to be different elements of the trade show, from toys and games, to kitchen and homes to electronics. So, you are going to want to think about what you are going there for. You need to choose possibly on just one thing, for example games, and stick with that plan. Going in there with the mindset that this is what you are going to get.

What is Your Business Story? 

This is really important. When you are approaching somebody and you want to have a conversation with a wholesaler, You are going to want some sort of business story, who are you? How long have you been trading? What do you do? Share a bit of a background story about yourself and focus on your goal to have a great conversation with the wholesaler and then to potentially open an account.

Have Your Business Details ready 

If you go to a trade show and you start building a relationship with a potential supplier, you may not know what the product catalogue is yet, but remember, the goal is to get through the door. If you are going to open an account there and then - which does happen, you are going to need your business details. Make sure that you have these details on either a piece of paper or on an email etc.

Research the Wholesaler

When you are walking around, make sure you have a little bit of an idea who people are. So, possibly go onto their website and learn a little about them. Do a little more than just turning up and saying you want their products. Have a look while you are looking around and see which brands or wholesalers look appealing to you. 

If you would like to learn more on wholesale, click here: https://www.systemisefulfilment.co.uk/wholesale-secrets

Dress Smartly and Professionally 

You need to be representing your business, wearing smart shoes and smart trousers on. Or, if for example, you are a woman, you may want to be wearing some professional-looking dress. You may want to be possibly wearing your branded uniform (If you have one). 

Decide Your Role in the Company

You are going to want a role in your company. For example, you may want to be the purchasing manager, or the purchasing director. Whatever it may be, you are going to want to be a purchasing manager, because you do not want to be there as the CEO or the business owner, because you are going to want to represent yourself and the business at a bigger level than what you may potentially be.

If you are currently working for yourself, yes you are the CEO and business owner, and you may be doing each role in the business. However, to them, they don’t know you. You could be a 100 million-pound business a year for all they are aware of. 

So, you show them and you represent to them the way which you ultimately want.

Meet Your Existing Suppliers

If you have some wholesalers already, go see them and build some rapport. If you have their phone number, give them a call before you turn up and let them know that you are going to be there, and see if they are going to be there. Doing this will build the relationship. 

Further Reading:

https://www.systemisefulfilment.co.uk/blog/at-least-6-online-business-models-to-build-alongside-amazon-fba-for-multiple-streams-of-income

https://www.systemisefulfilment.co.uk/blog/7-Hard-Truths-About-Amazon-After-Speaking-to-50+-Amazon-Sellers