There is business to be had at trade shows.
No matter what product or service you are selling, you can create brand awareness, meet prospects and generate revenue. This point was proven again this July when American Business Media released a new study that highlights the power of trade shows and events. Its study found seven out of 10 executives surveyed said they purchased or recommend the purchase of a produce or service directly as a result of advertising and promotions at trade shows.
Beyond the obvious value of a purchase, trade show exhibits also drove these executives to seek additional information from either a company?s Web site, talk to a sales rep or call a toll-free number.
That?s real impact from your investment in creating an exhibit experience.
The findings are particularly exciting as exhibitors and attendees start gearing up for the fall trade show season. In New Jersey alone, people can participate in dozens of trade shows, conferences and events this fall alone.
The challenge becomes one of rising above the mediocre and doing more than popping up a 10-foot booth.
We call this creating an exhibit experience, or establishing the totality of what a prospect would experience through your trade show participation. After all, it?s about more than the booth. The total experience you create for someone involves your pre-show promotions ? using direct mail and public relations ? as well as your booth graphics, handouts, advertising premiums and the follow up process you employ to turn all those prospects into actual sales.
That makes the trade show ROI something special.
Beyond all the obvious marketing elements and beyond the glitzy brochures and cool imagery, you?ve got another crucial concern that impacts your results: Booth Behavior.
All the brilliant strategies and marketing tools won?t help if your booth behavior is off the mark. With that in mind, here are a few tips to use when you?re working the booth this fall.
It?s Introductions That Matter. Remember that your goal is to meet and qualify people. Do not engage them in long conversations or involve them in every detail of your product. Complete the introduction, ask key qualifying questions and secure their contact information so you can follow up after the event. This is important because when you are engaged in a deep conversation with one prospect ? others will be walking past your booth, unwilling to interrupt.
Bring A Team. Anyone who has worked a booth knows that standing on a cement floor for 8 hours by yourself, always having your game face on, can be grueling. Simply put, one person can?t do it great all day long. So bring relief. Make sure each person is well versed in your sales pitch, knows how to qualify attendees and captures the contact information. This gives you time to refresh so you?ll be at your best in the booth; it also lets you scope out competitors by walking the trade show floor yourself.
Avoid Your Own Team. I?ve walked the floor at countless trade shows during the past three decades. And at every show, you can count on seeing one or more exhibits where the sales team is clumped together, chatting about work, family or other issues. No prospect will walk into your exhibit experience and interrupt you. Make sure your team understands that they are there to meet new people, not to conduct business amongst themselves.
Step Over The Lines. There?s no rule that says you must stay within the borders of your floor space. Step into the isle. Your goal is to pull people into your exhibit space. If they are hesitant, help them by engaging them in the walk space. This effort makes them stop and talk to you. If you qualify the person as a viable candidate, gently bring her or him into the booth for a better introduction. The point is, engage people in conversation even if they are hesitant to step into your dedicated space.
Live Your Brand. Many people forget that a brand is much more than a logo. It?s your people and how they represent themselves. Make sure nothing you do in the booth space contradicts what your business stands for or your positioning in the marketplace. For example, embrace your logo on your clothing as part of your uniform of the day. If you position your business as being environmentally friendly, eliminate jokes or conversations that touch upon anything that takes an opposite position.
Be Memorable. Make everything about your interaction with a prospect memorable. Shake hands. Make eye contact. Be engaging. Your goal is to establish enough of a connection so that when you follow up (you do have a follow-up strategy, don?t you?) the prospect will remember meeting you and recall some of the conversation. You can cheat a little by making your follow up include something memorable. Jar your memory by quickly jotting brief notes about each encounter soon after a prospect leaves your booth.
The bottom line is quite exciting. You can use your exhibit experience to boost a real ROI. Your trade show can produce leads that you can follow up for weeks following the show. And you can use the event opportunity to fortify your brand in a most powerful, memorable way.
Naturally, it requires attention to detail, a strategic approach and the right behavior within the confines of your booth. As you exhibit ? or attend ? shows this fall, keep these tips in mind. And measure your results.
Roger A. Shapiro is the president/creative director of Mitchell Rose, LLC. He founded the full-service creative consultancy in 1997 to help clients improve the results they get from their marketing budgets. During the ensuing decade, Mitchell Rose has helped many clients achieve business goals through the strategic use of concepts, copy and design. In addition, Roger has authored a book on copywriting, "Write Right, 26 Tips To Improve Your Writing. Dramatically," and speaks often on marketing strategy and creative approaches that achieve results. To learn more about Mitchell Rose?s results-based creative, please contact Roger by e-mail at RogerShapiro@MitchellRose.net or by phone at 609-434-0030.
