• 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.

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.

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.

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.

You want your exhibit to stand out above the rest. You want people attending the show to come into your area to see what you have to offer. Your tradeshow displays have to be eye-catching and draw people into your space. Contests, giveaways and promotional gifts are all good ways to get your name recognized and to get contact information from your target audience.

Use contests to lure people in and to get useful contact information. You can set up a grand prize that draws people into your trade show exhibit. You can also give secondary prizes that will cost less but will show your appreciation to your tradeshow guests. If you use secondary prizes such as t-shirts or ball caps, your company name will continue to be seen after the tradeshow is finished.

Your tradeshow display should stand out above the rest too – it has to! Try to make the best of your location on the trade show floor. Hanging display banners are a good way to get your company’s name seen across a trade show floor. Your displays and marketing materials should be of high quality to give your company a professional look. One of the best ways to get people interested in your product is to have demonstrations and hands on interactive displays.

You can have the best display and promotional gifts at the trade show, however, if you do not get out there and interact with the potential customers you will not be successful. Interacting, holding meaningful business conversations and giving out informative answers about your product will go a long way in helping to build customer relationships.

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.

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.

You have to plan way ahead of time for a major trade show. Preparations can take up to a year to complete. Since this is a time consuming endeavor you want to research the trade show to make sure it is the right one for your product or services. You are going to spend a lot of time and effort so you want to make sure you will be reaching a large number of people who fit into your target market.

You want to make sure all of your team members including management are involved in the planning and preparing process. You want to make sure everyone is on the same page and know what the goals and objectives for the trade show are. You should make sure that you have adequate staff that will be on the trade show floor.

You also will want to make sure that each person is given specific roles or duties and the requirements are clearly known. The last thing you need on the opening day of the trade show is your staff being unprepared and confused about their specific roles.

Your staff is the key to having a successful show. Your trade show booth is important to draw in your prospective customers. However, it is the people on the floor who will have to actually convince a visitor why they need your product or service. To have a successful show you have to have staff that offer friendly greetings, have polite manners, and are knowledgeable about your products. Preparation and your team members are the keying to have a successful exhibit at a trade show.

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.

The first group is the people who came to buy and are ready to order. These are the type of people you want to spend quality time with. The second group is people who are interested but need more information. By knowing this type you can give them the information they are looking for instead of just handing them some marketing material, hoping they will look at it.

The last group is the not qualified or not interested people. If they seem like they don’t need or want your product, you should move on to other prospects. You shouldn’t spend needless time trying to convince them, just be polite and move on.

Now that you are aware of the different groups of people it is important to draw the first two groups into your booth. Your display should be the key factor to getting the right people into your booth. You want signs and displays to clearly and effectively tell what your company is all about. So people walk into your trade show booth knowing what it is you are selling. It is a waste of time to stand in the aisle dragging people in that are not really interested.

Besides having an appealing signs and displays, product presentations can draw in large crowds. During your presentations sprinkle in trivia about your industry to make people interested in what you do. By the end of your presentation you should be able to tell who genuine prospects are and the people who are not. Keeping the above information in mind will help you to offer your products to people who want to know more about your product and not waste time with the others.