Automation List:

The latest JimPinto.com - Connections for Growth & Success
No. 183 - 31 May 2005, is on the web at:
http://www.jimpinto.com/enews/may31-2005.html

Contents:
* The NEW GE corporate culture
* The decline of the big automation exhibitions
* New George Gilder Book: The Silicon Eye
* The re-birth of television
* Euro-English is coming
* eFeedback:
- Practical solutions for spam
- Cellevision is advancing faster in Europe than the US
- The advent of portable BS

I'll appreciate your comments and feedback.

Cheers:
jim
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Jim Pinto
San Diego, California
USA
email: [email protected]
web: www.JimPinto.com
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RE: The decline of the big automation exhibitions

Hi Jim,

I wanted to expand on your discussion regarding the decline of big automation exhibitions.

About 9 months ago my Sales team reviewed our marketing mix and was busy formulating a budget for 2005. Over the last ten years, we've made a point of attending the major tradeshows in our industry (factory automation). We finally took a step back and looked at the costs associated with exhibition attendance/participation - it is expensive!

Over the years, we've realized that the majority of our "new customer" sales leads was the Internet. Fortunately, our president is a forward thinking man who realized years ago that our company could leverage the Internet to sell product and solicit new customers.

Since the birth of our website in the late 1990's, we've hired on a full time web designer and contracted an Internet Marketing Agency that specializes in Industrial Internet advertising - Industrialclicks.com http://www.industrialclicks.com .

Over the last couple of years the website has produced countless leads, RFQs, and new opportunities for business. Furthermore, our tech staff has leveraged the company site as a support tool, posting all of our product manuals and software programs for download.

In a nutshell, I think you hit the nail on the head when you explained that the Internet has made it easier for customers to find what they need...by the same token, it has made selling easier too!

Tradeshows will never be replaced by the Internet; they provide a face-to-face networking opportunity for companies big and small. However, today's industrial business climate is shifting towards a multi-channel advertising model where manufacturers who embrace the Internet are rewarded with a healthy ROI on their marketing dollars.

Thanks for the great work on JimPinto.com!!