Where B2B sales teams go wrong with corporate entertainment
Receiving an invite to a corporate hospitality event can be quite special. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of attending many corporate events such as the Melbourne Cup, the Grand Prix, cruises on the harbour and the theatre. Each time, I closely observe the experience at every touchpoint and the treatment I receive in the lead-up to these events. Naturally, I pay closer attention than most since this is my work, but there is a true appreciation when these events are executed well from start to finish.
When done right, these events foster brand affinity and strengthen relationships with key contacts, like sales managers, who genuinely understand their guests and what matters to them.
I’ve also witnessed significant oversights that can impact the overall success of the event and harm existing or potential customer relationships. Therefore, it’s crucial to measure the effectiveness of these activities.
Here are some common mistakes sales teams make with corporate hospitality:
Inviting the wrong customers: Inviting customers who are not the right decision makers can be a wasted effort. Sales teams need to ensure they invite the appropriate contacts.
Not considering customer interests and preferences: Sales teams should ensure the hospitality event caters to the interests and preferences of the specific customers they are inviting.
Lack of clear communication: Not providing clear and timely communication to invited customers about event details such as date, time, location, agenda etc. can result in confusion and frustration.
Not personalising the invitation: Using generic, impersonal invitations instead of tailoring them to each specific customer can make the invite feel like spam and get ignored.
Going too heavy on the sales pitch: Going too hard with your sales pitch at a hospitality event can make customers feel really uncomfortable and turn them off.
No customer follow up after the event: Failing to promptly follow up with customers after the event to continue building the relationship and move prospects through the sales funnel.
When corporate entertainment is done well it can be a memorable experience for your customers and one they remember forever. It can also be a key reason why they continue to work with you.
Given the cost of these events to host there are usually only a limited number of tickets. Therefore, it's important that the right customers are invited and not ‘friends’ of the sales team’. While most sales team have the right intentions the decision makers are busy people and quite possibly invited to many events, so it's critical to get into their diaries early so that the right people are in attendance.
Here are some tips if you are currently planning your next event:
Plan ahead with a good lead time and have a clear plan from the outset.
Make sure all key stakeholders agree on the customer list including an executive sponsor.
Agree on who will invite your customer. A generic invite to a senior executive from someone they don't even have a relationship with just doesn't work.
Send out a save the date three months out if you can. Make sure this also falls into your customers online diary.
Inviting a plus one especially if over the weekend is always received well.
Need help with planning your next corporate hospitality event - Book here.