The £20k trade show lesson I won’t forget

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a sales tactic that left you feeling cold? Do you wonder whether some of the more aggressive approaches you see competitors using actually work, or whether they’re destroying the very relationships they’re supposed to build? If you’ve ever been tempted to cut corners on your business development because you’re desperate for leads, this episode is for you.I share what I’ve learned from a fairly grim month of experiencing dodgy marketing tactics first-hand - including what happened when we spent nearly £20k exhibiting at a major trade show and spent most of it being sold to rather than selling.In this episode, I talk about the guerrilla tactics, the aggressive hustles and the inbox invasions I’ve been on the receiving end of, and why every single one of them failed. More importantly, I explain why we think this stuff is acceptable to do in the first place - and what actually works instead.What you’ll learn in the podcast episode:- Why aggressive sales tactics rarely work and why it doesn’t work- Why professional services is fundamentally a relationship business and what that means for your business development plans- What it felt like to pay to exhibit at a big trade show and spent much of your time turning away people that wanted to sell to you or to your clients.- When unsolicited marketing does work - and the specific conditions that make it feel like good timing rather than an intrusionRelated episodesThe estate agent who won my business didn't do anything special (and what you can learn from them)https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/2-things-to-check-in-your-sales-process3 decisions that turned my empty pipeline into a waiting list to work with mehttps://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/3-decisions-that-turned-my-emptyHow to win clients without feeling like you’ve turned into a salespersonhttps://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/how-to-win-clients-without-feelingWhy your ideal clients have already shortlisted someone else (Before you knew they were looking)https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/why-your-ideal-clients-have-alreadyWhy your best referral sources aren’t sending you work (and it’s not what you think)https://startuptogrownup.substack.com/p/why-your-best-referral-sources-arentUseful links:- sign up as a paid subscriber and use this link to get 20% off an annual membership of Start Up To Grown UpWelcome to a free podcast episode of Start Up To Grown Up: Your source for ideas, insights and tactics to take back control of your business and scale it sustainably and profitably by Heather Townsend, award-winning author of The Accountants’ Millionaires’ Club and Founder of The Accountants’ Growth ClubEach episode of the Start Up To Growth Up Podcast is based on my weekly Substack Article on the same topic. Head over to my substack to subscribe https://substack.com/@startuptogrownup so you never miss an article or episode again. Get full access to Start Up To Grown Up at startuptogrownup.substack.com/subscribe