Saturday, July 6, 2013

7 Tips For Trade Show Success


It’s that time of year again! Trade Shows can be one of the best ways to get face-to-face meetings with a large number of influencers and decision-makers in a short period of time. With proper planning, this can make for a very effective lead generation campaign.
So, in the spirit of “Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves”, here are a few things to consider when planning your next trade show:

1. Establish Clear Goals - Set goals for what you want to accomplish – number of leads, number of meetings after the show, number new customers and amount of new business. Then, measure the results on a 3, 6 and 12-month basis. This will help you determine your return on investment. You should also compare these results against other trade shows that you participate in.
2. Fill Your Calendar – Everyone knows it takes more than just showing up. Make sure to let all your clients and prospects know that you’ll be exhibiting at the show and what your involvement is; i.e. speaker on panel, new product introductions, and educational seminars. Set-up ½ hour meeting in advance of the trade show –schedule early morning breakfast or dinner meetings if that’s more convenient for your customers.
3. Read the Manual – this may seem obvious, but be sure to carefully go through the entire exhibitor manual. Most of the time, there are ways to save money – such as getting service forms in early. There are also often low cost and free opportunities promote your firm to attendees. Most important, if the attendee list available – get it! It’s a great way to follow-up with those you meet …and those you miss.
4. Dust Off Your Display…or Not – Consider all the costs associated with your display – refurbishing, shipping, storage, labor, etc. It may be cheaper to get a new display than to bring your old one out from storage. Retractable banner stands are a fantastic option for the do-it-yourselfer. They’re also easy to set-up and easy to update with new graphics for the next show.
5. Listen and Learn – Trade Shows are a great forum for conducting a customer survey. Whether you use self-service computer touch screens or an in-person questionnaire, be respectfully of individual’s time. Also, if the survey findings are useful to attendees, give them the option to provide their email address to get the final report. This is another great way to keep the lines of communication open with your customers.
6. It’s Show Time! – Remember, it’s called a trade “SHOW” for a reason. Make sure that everyone at your booth has his or her trade show “game face” on. Everyone representing your firm should be well trained, prepared and eager to welcome attendees and make visiting your booth the high point of their trade show experience.
7. Keep the Momentum Going –Trade Shows are hectic and confusing, everyone comes back with a lot of work and good leads can sometimes fall through the cracks. Begin your follow-up within a week after the show -- in order of urgency and opportunity. You might even consider developing a targeted direct mail campaign. Find something that’s unique, fits your budget and achieves your results.

Common-Sense Marketing Advice – For  practical, no nonsense approach to effective marketing contact bill@wmmcguire.com | 973-216-4152

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