The IAM RoadSmart Summer Trade Show Circuit!

Since the start of the summer, the IAM RoadSmart sales team has been busy, attending a number of trade shows. We’ve been everywhere in May and June, from the Company Car in Action 2016 at Millbrook, to the Safety & Health Expo 2016 at ExCeL London.  Taking the time out from a busy sales team, with many clients to service and training to arrange, is always a challenge. It needs to justify us being there, it needs to be worth it.

Here are a couple of reasons for having a stand at these events:

1. We get out there to showcase our products, and new brand information.
2. Highly sought after opportunities to meet potential IAM members
3. Plus we love a good customer back story and we love to get to know our audience better.

I’ve experienced both ends of the scale in the last month. One or two were events aimed at fleet managers.  All the motor manufacturers attend, and  fleet managers get to test drive as many vehicles as they like. What a mouth-watering prospect for them.  Indeed the tracks are busy with cars in and out of the paddock. Indoors however, was reserved for grabbing a bite to eat, or discussing business with the manufacturers of the cars they’ve just test driven. Driver safety was not at the forefront of their mind.

Last week we attended The Driver Safety Zone of the Safety & Health Expo 2016 (H&S). Our stand was alongside several competitors (a sure sign we’re in the right place), and whilst it may not have had the level of freebies and old-fashioned attractions that we saw on other stands, I’m certain that the advice and networking we offered was from the top drawer. I’m also certain that we have started some new business relationships that will allow us to support more companies and potentially make their drivers safer for the future.

Both events were very rewarding but the response from the H&S arena blew us away. Driver risk management is firmly in their objectives - for fleet managers it’s just another process that stops them dealing with and sorting out the vehicles. One of the difficulties with our industry is that there is no one department who deals with it. Driver risk management can sometimes fall in the remit of the HR team, the fleet team, the health & safety team, or even the facilities team.

The reality is that the more we get out there, the more we’ll understand where the best place to spread our message is.

Ben Stables, IAM RoadSmart Sales team manager.