Maximizing Vendor Connections at Payroll Congress

Its Congress time, and time to hit up the vendor hall for new sponsors.  You might be saying "But the vendor hall is HUGE, and I don’t like 'cold calling' vendors." Well, here are some tips for approaching vendors at this year's Payroll Congress. 

1. Divide and Conquer – How many people are attending from your chapter?  In the first edition of Congress Today, there will be a listing of the vendor hall and map.  Divide the list of vendors between the members of your chapter to visit them.  I have found it easiest to split the vendor hall by row to keep it straight on which ones you have talked to. 
   
   
   
2. Have a Script Ready - Have a script for the discussion:
   “Hi, I am Steph Ernsting and I am the President of XYZ Chapter.  We are holding our Annual Statewide Conference on September 21 and 22 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  We are looking for additional sponsors for our event, it will be a great way to meet 100 prospective clients and local payroll chapter members.  Would you like to hear more?” 
   
   Know what you are looking for from the sponsors such as topics for the next Chapter event, sponsorship of a statewide or hosting the year end celebration at their location. 
   
   
3. Leave-Behind Materials - Create a postcard with the information and leave it with the booth if you do not get a commitment before you leave.   
   
   
4. Bring the Essentials - Bring your business card, your postcard with your script, and a brochure or promotional piece for your Chapter or Statewide.  
   
   
5. Follow Up Promptly - And the most important, follow up after Congress with the vendors you met.  Have the original request documented on why you would want the vendor to attend.  Know the dollar amount of the items you wish for them to cover.  And thank them for their time, even if they do not sponsor an event in the near future.
    
6. Timing Is Everything - And remember, the best time to ask for sponsorship is BEFORE the budgeting season.  Congress is a great time to remind vendors of adding your sponsorship to their next year budget. 
   
   
7. Show Gratitude - Finally, thank the vendor for sponsoring the event with an email greeting or shout out in a team event. 

Will your chapter be at Payroll Congress this year? If so, comment and share your tips below! 

Stephanie (Steph) Ernsting, CPP is Senior Director of HR Operations for Amcor. She is also Outgoing Region 9 Advisor. She is an active PAYO member and serves on various PAYO committees including the National Speakers Bureau, Strategic Payroll Leaders Task Force (SPLTF) Shared Services, SPLTF Best Practices Subcommittee, and the Government Relations Task Force (GRTF) Federal Issues Subcommittee.