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Inspiration

Research before hitting the road

hrough the years, expert contributors to our ample, you could learn about certain expressions that are
magazine have pointed out the importance of common only in the region, so when you hear the expres-
researching a merchant before reaching out to sions, you'll know exactly what the words mean.
T connect by phone, email or in person. Several
potential areas to explore include company mission and Develop relationships
guiding principles; history, including financial and sales And while you're away, befriend people, like Uber or Lyft
highlights; market niche; products and/or services offered; drivers, who serve you. They may offer key information
current payment acceptance setup; distinct challenges the about a place you won't be able to get anywhere else. You
individual merchant likely faces. may think such research isn't necessary since a tradeshow
you plan to attend will take place in a huge convention
Having this information on hand enables you to assess center where you'll spend almost all your time. But re-
which products and services you could tailor for their spe- search can pay off.
cific needs before you meet, realizing you will learn more
during your meeting and reassess accordingly. You might, for instance, learn of a highly rated food truck
or cafe that's a short walk from the convention center, and
It's not possible, of course, to find all relevant information you could invite a potential new partner to lunch there
about every merchant prospect, but with the internet re- to experience the local cuisine. Or you could end up get-
sources at our fingertips, much of it can be discerned with, ting a job offer from a company based in the town you're
for example, a review of the merchant's website, googling visiting, and if you've done preliminary research, you'll
them and studying their social media activity. It's also already have an idea of some of the pros and cons of living
helpful, when possible, to visit the merchant's location to there.
browse and observe.
Research locales, too Another thing to consider is that absorbing too much new
information at one time can be exhausting. If you already
Just as researching your prospects before you reach out know some of the basics of navigating the city and its cul-
is invaluable, so is researching a destination where you ture, you'll be less likely to experience information over-
may be headed for a tradeshow or business meeting. If it's load during a conference. So take a little time to dig into
a meeting in a town near your home base, you can review the places you'll be visiting. You'll be better prepared to
the town's website to see if there are local developments interact with the locals, ask intelligent questions of pro-
a merchant might be concerned about. This is not neces- spective clients or partners, and enjoy your travels.
sarily so you can bring those issues up, but more so you
can have knowledge of them should the merchant men-
tion them.

If you're traveling to a region of the country you've nev-
er seen before or visiting a foreign land for a tradeshow,
learning about the locale beforehand will provide essen-
tial context for things you observe while there. For ex- Kate Gillespie, President and CEO

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