02
Jul
HOW TO: 5 Dealer Tips to Get the Most Out of the Expo Hall
The GIADA expo floor is sold out of booths this year, which means nearly every vendor worth talking to will be in one room. The risk is that you walk it for two hours, collect a bag of koozies, and leave without doing anything that changes your business. Here’s how to avoid that:
- Go in with two or three real questions. Not “what do you do” — you can read the booth. Tie it to a problem you have now: “How fast does your system clear an ETR resubmission?” or “What’s your recon turnaround and cost per unit?” Specific questions tell you fast which vendors know their product and which are running a script.
- Talk to the competitor of whoever you already use. That’s the booth most dealers walk past, and it’s the one worth your time. You’ll find out what your current provider isn’t telling you — and whether the grass is actually greener or you’ve already got the better deal.
- Get pricing on the floor, in writing. Vendors are there to close, so the show offer often beats a cold-call quote in September. Even if you’re not ready to sign, write down the number and who gave it. “Your guy quoted me X at the convention” is a handy sentence to have later.
- Photograph the card, not just pocket it. Cards disappear into the bag. Snap a picture with a one-line note in your phone so in two weeks you remember why you saved a warranty rep’s number.
- Talk to the dealer next to you in the coffee line. Some of the best intel on the floor isn’t at a booth — it’s another operator who already tried the thing you’re considering and will tell you the truth a salesperson won’t.
The vendors paid to be in that room because these conversations are worth money to them. They’re worth money to you too — but only if you show up with something to ask.
