Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1493443
10 PCB007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2023 Feature Interview by Andy Shaughnessy I-CONNECT007 If you've come home from IPC APEX EXPO with a bag chock-full of business cards and a scanner full of leads who stopped by your booth, now what do you do? How do you keep the ball rolling and turn it all into new orders? I asked I-Connect007 columnist Dan Beau- lieu to weigh in on this topic. If you've read Dan's columns, you already know that he offers straight talk, aka "common sense," about sales. It's safe to say that few of us in the PCB com- munity study marketing and sales techniques as avidly as he does. I had a feeling that Dan plans for a trade show the way Eisenhower planned for D-Day, and I wasn't far off. Whether you're exhibiting, attending the conference, or just walking the show floor, there's advice for you here. Dan, you're pretty well known for your marketing savvy, so I imagine you probably have a checklist of goals and objectives on hand when attending a show like IPC APEX EXPO. Absolutely. As a consultant to possibly every- one and every company in the room, I am more like an insurance salesman at a Christmas party. Just about everyone there is a potential customer. A few months before the show, I start set- ting up meeting dates. While some are current customers, others are potential customers, while yet more are prospective customers with deals that we've decided to finalize at IPC APEX EXPO. Of course, there are several old friends that I meet up with once a year at the show as well. Post-show Plans Depend on Solid Pre-show Strategies