Posted April 11th, 2010 by Karl
For a successful trade show you need the following:
- a great looking trade show booth display;
- qualified visitor traffic; and
- great staff to convert traffic into prospects and customers.
If you don’t have all three factors working in harmony then you will not maximize the sales potential from exhibiting at a trade show.
Of the three factors, getting qualified visitor traffic is probably the most important.
What do we mean by “qualified”?
It means we have a visitor to the booth who is interested in our products and services, has a need for the solution you offer and the means to buy them or at least, accelerate the purchasing decision within the company they represent.
Improving the level of qualification of booth traffic is done by designing a booth which appeals directly to the target market you are aiming at – there is no point using youth imagery for a booth selling zimmer frames! Promotional giveaways are always a great crowd pleaser, but you should ration them out – sure put plenty of coffee and candy out for freebies, but if an attendee wants to walk with a t-shirt or company mug, they need to talk business with you first.
Integrating promotional offers with a firm time period attached is also a great way of attracting traffic which is drawn by a desire to save on cost. There is also the added incentive of a call to action implied in the promotion – you do this deal by this time and you get this discount. Be firm and make sure it is imposed and that attendees know this too.
If the choice comes down to great booth or great staff, I’ll go for great staff – a well designed trade show booth is fantastic, but it is the people who man it who are going to make it all work. A great display is worthless if you have staff sitting on their butts all day, while a second-rate display can be made to work with hard-working, motivated and well-trained people.
The reason why I put people over the booth is because they determine the conversion ration of traffic to sales. Your booth and promotional work gets the traffic over the threshold, but it is the human touch which turns a stranger into a valued customer.
If you are new to tradeshows, focus on sourcing a clean and simple display – this will be cheaper and more effective (even look at renting one if you are an absolute beginner). Next pay attention to training your booth staff – engaging with attendees, maintaining eye contact, being welcoming and engaging, training in icebreaker and open questioning techniques to qualify visitors. Finally, look at the assets you have and think how best to deploy them to maximize the traffic to your booth.
Posted March 29th, 2010 by Karl
Trade show exhibitors are always looking for ways to bring in the big crowds and get their company name out into the community. Using promotional giveaways and contests are very effective marketing tools. Not only do they draw bigger crowds to your trade show display but they also can be used to get contact information to use for follow-ups.
There are many different types of things that you can do to attract a visitor’s attention. Prize wheels are a great way to get people interested in your products. Everyone likes a chance to win free gifts or prizes. Visitors will want to take a chance to spin the wheel and win something for free. You can use samples of your products or promotional gifts as prizes.
There are many different marketing activities that can be used during a trad eshow, including hands on activities, live entertainment, and product demonstrations. Product demonstrations are an ideal way to attract visitors to your area.
Not only does it allow people to see what your product does, it also reaches a larger audience. Instead of talking one on one with a person you can demonstrate to many people at the same time. This is a very cost effective way to get your message across to a lot of people at the same time.
Another ideal way to attract visitors is to have a prize giveaway or contest. This type of promotional marketing will benefit your company in more ways than one. The prize giveaway itself will draw visitors to your trade show exhibit. The visitor then fills out a form with their contact information for the prize drawing. The contact information can then be used later on to follow leads or to send more marketing material to the visitor.
Trade show exhibits are a great way to get your brand recognized and to attract new customers.
Posted February 4th, 2010 by Karl
Trade shows are still being successfully used as a marketing tool to showcase your company and to increase your customer base. Some trade show exhibitors are finding a way to combine a traditional trade show display with a virtual one. There are many ways to incorporate technology into your exhibit. There are companies who specialize at incorporating the digital world into your trade show display.
Trade shows are still the best venue to meet people that you probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. Most experienced trade show exhibitors know that nothing beats the personal interaction with potential suppliers and customers. It adds the personal touch that many people are still looking for.
People still want to interact and see for themselves what your company is all about. The personal touch that you can have during a trade show builds confidence in people about your company and its image. A trade show allows people to see that you are more than just a web page on the Internet.
A trade show is also a place to meet people who otherwise might have not known your company existed. It gives you the chance to tell your story about your product and company in a personal way. Trade shows are still the best way to interact personally with your target audience.
There will always be different methods and ways to reach out to others in the new Digital Age. However, a trade show exhibit is still a very powerful marketing tool and gives your company an edge over virtual trade shows.
Posted January 9th, 2010 by Karl
Trade shows are an excellent way to get you business recognized and to build a bigger customer base. They are also very intense and you have to be on your feet for hours. During the entire time the trade show is on you have to appear to be enthusiastic and full of energy. This is easy to do the first couple of hours until the newness wears off and it can quickly turn into as chore if you are not prepared. Below you will find some tips to help you stay comfortable during the time you are at the trade show.
You have to stay attentive at all times and a person working a trade show exhibit has to have plenty of physical and mental stamina. The clothes you wear should be appropriate but also comfortable to move around in. Your shoes should be very comfortable and it is never a good idea to wear new shoes when you are doing a trade show exhibit.
To keep your energy level up it is a good idea to arrange it so your staff gets to take a break every couple of hours. You should make sure you eat something throughout the day to keep a high energy level. Short breaks throughout the event will keep you and your staff on their toes.
It is also important to stay hydrated during a show. Make sure plenty of water is available to you and your staff. Plan ahead and be prepared by bring along a survival kit. You should include items like, eye drops, Band-Aids, antacids, and safety pins.
Trade shows can be rewarding, on the other hand, they can also be grueling if you are not prepared. The key to success it to plan ahead and to make sure you are ready to spend hours working the trade show floor.
Posted November 4th, 2009 by Karl
There are more and more businesses finding out that doing a trade show is a good medium for bringing in new customers and also attracting media attention. The downside is that exhibiting at a trade show can be expensive due to the cost of space, marketing materials and displays costs. Not to mention, airfare, hotel costs and meals which could all take a toll on a small businesses budget.
There isn’t one particular item or thing that will guarantee a successful trade show. It is a combination of things that will give you the advantage over others who did not plan ahead. The first thing is to check out the trade show you are interested in attending and making sure it is one that your target market would attend.
You don’t have to have a big flashy display to attract potential customers. You will want to have a display that depicts your products and services in an attractive and professional manner. You also want to make sure that you have plenty of marketing materials to take to the trade show. To get the most out of the trade show you should send out mailings and fliers to customers and vendors before the show inviting them to come see you there. You should also make sure you promote the trade show on your website.
You can use promotional gifts or giveaways to attract people to your exhibit. You can also use drawings or prizes to lure in potential customers. One of the main keys to a successful show is to have informed and professional looking staff on the floor in your exhibit. You want people who are friendly and knowledgeable about your products to be able to close the deal. After the show is over you want to make sure you are following up on leads as soon as possible while the person is still interested.
As you can see there are many things that have to be done to help you have a successful trade show exhibit.
Posted October 2nd, 2009 by Karl
To have a successful trade show you need to stay up with the trends in your industry. Your trade show exhibit should have an effective combination of display, presentation and marketing materials to get maximum impact for your money.
You can help save costs by using, used displays and items from last year’s exhibit if you update them for your current shows. To get the most out of your display you want to create an impact using your message and product. It is best to keep your trade show exhibit simple. Another benefit of keeping your exhibit simple it is easier to alter to give you different looks at different trade shows.
To design an exhibit that will grab your target audience’s attention you need to have an effective way to get your message seen. First you need to decide what is the main message or theme of your trade show exhibit. Once you have the theme you incorporate it into every aspect of your exhibit and marketing efforts.
You want your concept to grab the trade show visitor’s attention. A good choice is one that stirs an emotional response in the trade show visitor, such as patriotism or nostalgia. You don’t have to have an extreme concept or a flashy exhibit to attract potential prospects. Some of the most successful trade show exhibits are subtle, pleasantly surprising or clever.
You want to stand out from the rest of the exhibitors and have your message shown loud and clear. Trade shows can be a way to successfully get your product or services recognized and build your customer base. You can have an attractive exhibit if you plan ahead and follow a theme or concept in all parts of your trade show exhibit. Just remember when it comes to your exhibit sometimes less is more.
Posted August 15th, 2009 by Karl
Two important things can determine whether you have a successful trade show or not. Those things are your products and your personnel. You have to have a good products and services and talented people to represent them. Today in the business world people are impatient; they don’t have all day to find what they are looking for.
This means that understanding your buyer is crucial. If you know what your target audience needs, wants and expects; then it is easier for you to be prepare and ready to meet their needs. When you offer special incentives or a discount this will make your prospects even more willing to do business with you.
When you offer special show promotions or deals make sure they are user friendly. A buyer might be willing to pay more to avoid having to do extra work to get the savings. If you make a buyer have to fill out a questionnaire, or go to your website and enter a promotional code they might consider going elsewhere instead of spending extra time.
Another thing that is important to remember is reach out to your clients before the trade show through email and direct mail marketing. That way it will give them incentive to come visit you at the show for special deals. Also remember to keep it simple when promoting discounts. People want to know exactly what the final price will be; they don’t want to spend time doing the math.
You can give your trade show personnel printed sheets that they can use to highlight appropriate discounted prices and write in the total savings. Also make sure that your staff reminds the person of the deadline for the discount prices to give them a push to buy your product quickly before time runs out on the promotion.
All of the things mentioned above will help you to have a more successful trade show and will help to turn prospects into buyers.
Posted June 6th, 2009 by Karl
A big mistake is to believe the trade show management are going to drive a ton of customers to your trade show display when you set up on the day.
This will never happen – you may have a ton of attendees clamoring to get to your booth but it is not as a result of the trade show advertising and marketing – it is because you have done your promotional and marketing work yourself!
Many companies just do not get it when it comes to promoting themselves but it is basic and essential – just to ram the point home, here are some media resources you can use to get your name and trade show attendance broadcast to the world.
Email and Mailshot Your Clients and Prospects and the Trade Shpow Attendee Listing
The first step you can take is to mail everyone you are doing business with that you are exhibiting at the trade show. This includes your customers, prospects and suppliers (don’t forget them either) but you can also request from the trade show management for the attendee list and the other exhibitors too – contact them.
Email or snail mail it’s your choice but email is fast and cheap plus it lends itself to some of the other things we are going to cover here when you are promoting yourself at any trade show.
Press Release
The idea of a press release being issued for many businesses is usually greeted with a smile and a shaking of the head.
Forget that attitude – your business is exhibiting at a trade show – that is NEWS!
If you don’t think it’s a big deal don’t bother exhibiting because you attending a trade show is big news and how you get that out is using a press release.
They are short but not so simple documents to prepare so you may need some help from a professional but don’t expect to pay much for the work – $100-$200 will easily cover it. The press release will get your “news” out to the media at large and you should fax it straight to your local press (and your Chamber of Commerce can help with contacts too).
Social Media
Social media means the web and the Web 2.0 sites – not sure what these are? You’re going to learn fast!
These sites are free and should form part of a consistent and regular exercise as part of your promotional activities:
Twitter – announce what you are doing to the world as it happens
LinkedIn – the professionals online social networking site and an excellent professional resource
Zimbio – write articles and features on your business and publish them for the world to see
eZine Articles – another article site with millions of eyeballs using it but you may need a professional to help
PRLeap – submit your press releases here and gain access to every major media outlet in the world
Posted June 5th, 2009 by Karl
The key to success at any of trade show is careful strategic planning. If you want to maximize your return on your investment you have to be prepared and plan ahead. The first step is to know what events or conferences are happening in your area. You want to look for the type of events that your specific target market would attend.
You can talk to your current customers about which events they attend. You can ask other people in your network which trade shows have been successful for them. There are also trade show directories available. Another good source of information is your local chamber of commerce or other business organizations.
Once you have found the trade shows you are interested in you can request to see a past list of vendors or attendees if they are available from the show sponsor. Most of these shows have websites where you should be able to gain the information. You can use this information to see if the lists of past vendors are in the same industry as you are. This information will tell you if this is the right show that your potential buyers would be attending.
By looking at trade shows past events you will be able to determine if this show would draw in the type and number of prospects you want. Other key considerations include where the show is located, cost, and the sponsor’s reputation. Once you have determined which shows are right for your product you then sit down and write a detailed plan and checklist. If you are organized from the get go you can make sure the trade show is a success and brings in many prospects and new customers.
Posted May 14th, 2009 by Karl
I can’t help myself – I know this blog is about practical hints and advice on product promotion and matters trade show but there comes a time when you just have to let your hair down and say, “To Hell With It! I’m gonna have some FUN!!”
Do you really want to know what the best way is to get attendees to loiter around your booth – a BOOTH BABE!
Obviously it doesn’t work so well with female attendees, but then sometimes it does, but a class 1 method of grabbing attendee attention is a hot looking woman wearing very little:
Sex does not sell!
What sells is conversation leading to an agreeable deal and signatures on paper with a check in the mail.
That said, sex starts a lot of the conversations leading to a deal so who’s splitting hairs – perhaps it’s time for another babe pic 
Before the femi-nazis start mailing in with demands for my head on a stick think about this – the Booth babes I come across and have hired are smart cookies – they know what they are there for and they are great at working the crowd and guests. A good looking booth babe maybe what you are thinking when you hire them but in truth, sacrifice some of the looks for those that can hold a good conversation and are prepared to learn about your business so they can relate this to stunned attendees standing with a jaw on the floow and staring at some cleavage.
What the heck – here’s another babe pic and if you want more, check out Booth Babes – enjoy!
