Trade shows are expensive. Add it up:
Trade Show Signup +
Booth Setup (carpet, tables, etc.) +
Booth Design (your company’s) +
Travel / Lodging Costs +
Salary Costs +
Literature / Giveaway Costs
A Whole Bunch of $$$$$
Trade shows can (and should!) bring in more than enough profit, over time, to more than cover their expenses but for many companies they don’t.
If you are considering participating in a trade show, these 17 tips will help you maximize your return on investment:
Choosing the Show
1. Only participate in shows where a large number of your targeted prospects will be present.
Be very critical here – trade shows cost a lot of money – only choose those that not only target the companies you are trying to sell to but also the appropriate function / title within the company. As a business owner recently told me: ‘We sell to medical offices but trade shows where nurses wander around and gather giveaways don’t work for us. We’ve learned to only participate in medical trade shows that target the concerns of the office manager because that’s who we sell to.’
An alternate: your targeted prospects can also be potential employees you are trying to recruit. If this is the situation, you may want to look at setting up a booth in unusual locations. For example, if you require your employees to have mechanical skills then a booth at the local car racetrack may be a creative way to get in front of them. See Using Marketing for More Effective Recruiting for more details.
Your Booth
2. You want to be seen – sign up early so you can get a corner booth, or one by an event or stage where lots of people will come by.
3. Have something that moves at the outside edge of your booth to draw attendees’ attention – ideally something that is relevant to the value you bring to your prospects but even a rotating fan with streamers can be helpful.
4. Invest in the extra thick carpet padding – not only will it make you more comfortable but it will encourage anyone who stops by to stay and talk for a couple of minutes.
5. Don’t have chairs in your booth. If you are standing, you are much more likely to take the initiative to start a conversation with someone who pauses at your booth.
6. Try to use your table setup to draw people into your booth rather than keep them out (as tables on the outside perimeter of a booth tend to do).
7. Create easy to read signage that quickly tells your prospects why they want to learn more about you. This is about the value that you bring to them – not a list of what you sell.
Targeted Pre-Show Communications
8. Invite specific prospects that you’ve been trying to get a meeting with to come see you at your booth (via e-mail, direct mail, phone call, or, ideally, all the above) – it’s a less threatening method of meeting and having that initial conversation. You may even want to send them a show pass.
9. Invite your customers to stop by if they are at the show – this is especially beneficial for you if the show is out of town because it’s a less expensive way to stay in contact with a group of customers.
10. Take advantage of the list of early attendee signups that some trade shows offer but be prudent – don’t send out bulk communications to all of them – they will be inundated with them – write specific notes to those that fit your targeted prospect profile. A way to stand out in the mail is to hand address the envelope and, ideally, hand write the note.
Working the Show
11. Have enough people working the booth that each person can take frequent breaks. This way the people working the booth will always be fresh and motivated.
12. Initiate conversations – talk about the attendee’s needs – you’re there to find solutions to their problems – not to hard sell your product / service.
13. Make your literature available but not necessarily to anyone and everyone. Literature costs money – you want to put it someplace that you can easily hand it to someone you have been talking with or where someone truly interested in your services can access it, but not available to your competitors or every college student who wanders through.
14. Scan their badges – if you’ve talked with them be sure to get their contact information so you can continue the conversation if you determine they fit your targeted customer profile. I recommend the systems that actually give you an immediate printout of the person’s information – that way you can make notes on the printout on specifically what you talked about so you can continue the conversation after the show.
15. Giveaways – another expensive item so use them intelligently. Maybe in your pre-show communications to your targeted prospects you include a coupon for a worthwhile giveaway that will help draw them to your booth. Maybe you have a “fish bowl” giveaway for a significant item but design it in a way so that only people you’ve talked with and screened are eligible. After the show, make sure you tell ALL the people who qualified and entered exactly who won the prize (it’s a good and fun reason to communicate after the show).
Remember: Make sure your company name, website, telephone number, and what you do is clearly printed on all your giveaways. It’s only marketing if it actually helps you get future business by keeping your name in front of your prospects.
Post Show Communications
THIS IS THE STEP THAT TURNS A TRADE SHOW INTO A PROFITABLE INVESTMENT OR A WASTED COST!
According to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research, 80 percent of exhibitors do not follow up on leads. Don’t be one of them!
16. Put a specific plan in place explaining how you are going to follow up with the prospects and customers you met. Screen the list of contacts you made – which are the best prospects for you? Start with them. How are you going to follow up with them about their problems and your solution? Make sure that specific employees are assigned to specific prospects and an accountability plan is in place.
17. Use the notes you made when you scanned their badges to create personal communications and phone calls. Realize that trade show attendees are overwhelmed with generic communications right after a trade show – how are you going to make your company stand out?
Idea: you may want to wait a couple of weeks before contacting your list just to remove yourself from the ‘post show clutter’. Don’t wait if the prospect indicated an immediate need.
Too much to do in addition to your other responsibilities? Contact Us to schedule your Free Consultation to learn if help from B2B Marketing Consultants is the right way to Maximize Your Trade Show ROI!
