With face-to-face events back in full force and companies throwing more money than ever before at networking events, elaborate exhibit booths and conference swag how do you ensure your marketing and sales strategy and tactics have changed such that these investments, will at long last, generate positive ROI?

Despite advice to the contrary, most organizations rely heavily on in person events to drive sales activity, which has left many adrift in a sea of cancelled events and online event pivots. How do sales teams, accustomed to in person sales, network and drive lead generation in an event with no opportunity to interact with prospective buyers face to face?

Trade shows and events are typically one of the largest marketing expenses for B2B firms. They can be magical from a brand awareness and PR perspective or, on the downside, a total boondoggle for sales and marketing teams. I often hear sales folk enthusiastically evangelize an event without being able to quantify the number of sales qualified leads generated or demonstrate conversions to sales after their return to an office.

Scaling sales is the number one challenge most businesses face. Whether you’re struggling to drive lead generation, responding to incoming leads, staffing a sales team, or modeling sales compensation, sales likely takes up more headspace than you may like to admit. In truth though, we often make sales much harder than it has to be.

I went on my first true sales call in 2000. It was after the advent of the internet, a year after the launch of SalesForce, but before business networking and prospecting tools like LinkedIn and Data.com existed. Prospecting was hard work. My potential client was in a new product group at Proctor & Gamble. As a byproduct of being a researcher by trade, I spent a LOT of time researching him before I asked for the meeting and even more time digging into everything I could find about new product development at P&G once the meeting was set. I didn’t get an immediate “yes” during my meeting, but I stuck with it. I followed up over and over again and when I finally landed P&G as an account, they were a $1M client within the first six months.

You’re struggling with sales. It’s ok to admit it….you’re not alone. Scaling sales is the number one challenge most businesses face, and the least discussed. Whether you face challenges driving lead generation, responding to incoming leads, staffing a sales team, or determining sales compensation, sales likely takes up a lot of your head space. In truth, we make sales much harder than it has to be.