Done right, trade shows can attract qualified prospects to your business
There are more than 5,700 trade shows, conventions and expositions in the US every year. Nearly every industry has a major trade show. And many local trade associations sponsor smaller, regional shows, too.
Sometimes it may seem like you’ve been to every one of them, slogging your way past booth after booth of blandly smiling men and women ready to tell you more than you ever wanted to know about their products or services.
Despite sore feet, drudgery and occasional boredom, trade shows can be extremely valuable promotional tools and sources of industry information. At a trade show, you can:
– See new products and industry innovations, and show off your own
– Meet and greet prospective customers face to face
– Secure leads you can follow up later
– Develop names for your mailing list
– Socialize with buyers on an informal basis
To maximize your firm’s trade-show experience, be sure your booth stands out amid the seemingly vast banality of like displays. What makes one booth more appealing than the next?
Here are a few suggestions that can help you draw more interest in your display and to make that display one which will foster sales.
Do put whatever’s new where everyone can see it. After "Where’s the bathroom?", the most frequent question at a trade show is "What’s new?" After all, that’s why most people go to trade shows – to see what’s new in the industry. Make sure your latest innovation is right out front where your prospects can find it quickly.
Don’t give away a free gift to everyone visiting your booth. Free gifts attract all the wrong people, the "booth beggars" who have no interest in your product or service. The aim of a promotion is to draw traffic, but selected traffic. What’s the point in giving a gift to someone who has already found your booth?
Do offer a gift redeemable with coupon. About a month before the show, mail a gift certificate to prospects: "Redeemable only at our booth." Then offer something of modest value, something related to your business, with your company logo on it. Ask each holder to sign the certificate before redeeming the gift. That holds the prospect in the booth a bit longer, giving you time for a little sales pitch.
Don’t distribute catalogs. People visiting a booth feel they should walk away with something. It gives them a sense of accomplishment, makes them feel they are gathering industry information, the reason for attending the show in the first place. They fully intend to read the catalog when they return to their rooms or offices.
But while intentions are strong, arms are weak. It’s tough enough dragging your body around a trade show all day without lugging 40 pounds of literature, too. So most catalogs hit the trash bin long before they are read.
Do distribute literature. Use single-sheet throwaway material, such as circulars, envelope stuffers or ad reprints. Have a batch of catalog return cards handy and offer to send catalogs to prospective customers. That gives you the addresses of hot prospects and it allows them time to look around your booth while you are writing down the information.
Don’t have too many "booth sitters" in your booth at once. If there are seven or eight sales people in your booth, and traffic is slow, send a few out on break. Too many people in the booth ready to pounce on a prospective customer can be intimidating.
Do use islands and counters in your booth. They add interest and help set off special items, and they allow you to make better use of your limited space.
Don’t use plush furniture in your booth. Sales people lounging around are a turn-off to prospective customers. Even browsers do not wish to break up a party, and may pass by your booth. Functional seating, yes. But not the kind that encourages lounging.
Do use carpeting in your booth. It’s useful for establishing boundaries and adds a touch of class. Also, it’s easy on the feet for your sales people and potential customers who have walked far on cold, hard floors.
Don’t eat or chew gum in your booth. It looks unattractive and makes it difficult to converse with prospective customers.
Do wear a uniform. It doesn’t have to be silly or uncomfortable. But everyone at your booth should share a similar look, whether it’s the same shirt and tie with matching slacks, or simply a cap with the company logo. Make it easy for your prospective customers to identify who’s who.
Following these few basic suggestions can ensure you of a crowd at your booth, and a successful trade show for your firm.
Robert Grede, author of Naked Marketing – The Bare Essentials (Prentice Hall), is an adjunct faculty member at Marquette University and founder of The Grede Company, marketing and strategic planning consultants, based in Wauwatosa; www.thegredecompany.com.
