Sticking to traditional sales tactics is not enough in the current B2B landscape. Incorporating events into B2B sales has become an essential focus for businesses looking to drive real, long-term growth. Events are more than a place to exchange business cards—they’re a space for building genuine human connections that move prospects through the sales funnel in ways that digital interactions can’t replicate.
At Street, we pride ourselves on taking a human-first approach to our marketing. For us, that means hosting events that provide a unique, human element that turns prospects into long-term partners. From sparking awareness to deepening engagement and closing deals, understanding how events fuel B2B sales is crucial for business growth in today’s market.
Here’s how events play a pivotal role at every stage of the B2B sales journey:
Sparking Awareness and Thought Leadership
At the awareness stage, events are where you can get on the radar of people who may not even know your brand exists. Instead of sticking to stats and features, events offer you a chance to lead with thought leadership and start building trust.
Key Strategies:
- Use events to let potential clients know who you are beyond your products or services. It’s your chance to establish a human connection.
- Attendees come to events ready to engage, giving you a unique opportunity to nurture connections from the start.
- Being present at industry events shows prospects you understand their challenges and are ready to solve them.
Deepening Engagement
Once people are aware of your brand, events will nurture that relationship by diving into the specifics. Here, it’s all about building trust and showing that your solution is worth considering when fuelling B2B sales.
Our top tips on deepening engagement:
- Roundtables, workshops, or networking dinners provide a space for direct conversations, helping you get to the heart of your prospects’ problems.
Note: When it comes to events, bigger doesn’t mean better. Smaller guest lists foster deeper conversations and a more meaningful experience for everyone involved.
- The key is to offer content that’s relevant, practical, and valuable. Share practical advice and insights to build credibility and trust.
- Two-way conversations are what build lasting relationships. Listen to your prospects’ pain points and show you’re invested in solving them, rather than just pushing your product.
Closing Deals
At the final stage of the funnel, it’s crunch time—and events can be the push your prospects need to make that buying decision.
Methods to close deals:
- Host exclusive VIP dinners or events where your team can address key decision-makers’ concerns in a relaxed, trust-building environment.
- Present case studies and live demos that address your prospects’ specific challenges, building the confidence they need to close the deal.
- Bringing in existing clients to share their success stories adds that final layer of trust and transparency.
Keeping the Momentum
The connections you’ve built and the conversations you’ve had need immediate attention to keep the momentum going. Therefore, it’s crucial to nurture those relationships as quickly as possible, while the experience is still fresh and top of mind.
- After the event, follow up with tailored, personalised messages. Reference specific conversations from the event and share relevant content to show you were genuinely listening.
- Sharing event recaps, key takeaways, or follow-up materials helps keep the conversation alive and positions your brand as a helpful resource, not just a vendor.
Conclusion
How events fuel B2B sales is clear—they are a powerful way to humanise your brand and build real, meaningful relationships with prospects. Whether at the awareness, consideration, or decision stage, events provide key touch points that digital just can’t replicate. By focusing on human interactions and leading with empathy, events can take your B2B sales funnel from transactional to transformational.
Ready to discover more and find out how we can support you on your future events? Check out our other articles or our social channels and connect with us today to start the conversation.
Street Agency