2024 is well underway and the coffee event circuit is a crucial time to build relationships especially for anyone in B2B sales. Needless to say, the worst feeling around this time is making the investment to be present at key events and not utilizing the opportunity well. Perhaps what’s worse is thinking you are prepared, then getting to an event and realizing you need something that you don’t have and can’t run down to Walgreens to pick up. Who among us hasn’t felt that sinking feeling of regret, when a prospect asks you for your business card and you don’t forgot to get some cards printed in time. Lucky for you, we compiled a list of key things that you need to make sure you maximize your investment and make the most of the time.

A few years back, I was working at a coffee roaster doing education…which meant I did account management, inside sales, events, and a whole bunch of other things. One of the “other things” I was involved in, was communicating to our current clients about the new coffees that we were about to launch. Sounds simple, right? Wrong! Every single time a coffee was released, I remember it being an intense, grueling, and cumbersome month(s) long process. Once, I remember, we received a coffee early in the summer and didn't release it till we were well into the fall.

It’s a big question but one that you and your team should be able to answer. If you can’t clearly articulate who your brand is, neither can your team and your audience wont be able to either.

What happens when you create something “bad” intentionally and then use that leverage to your advantage? This year, we saw Oatly (who full disclosure, I’m a huge fan of and so is my tummy) create a “bad” commercial and then begin pushing shirts out on the streets that say “I Totally Hated That Oatly Commercial.” Don’t believe me that it wasn’t bad? Check it out for yourself here. They also made it on to the list of worst super bowl commercials of 2021.

If a team is fused together the limits to what they are able to accomplish is seemingly boundless.