|
|
Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! |  |
|
Exhibiting Successfully
Written by: Adrian MaguireArticle Overview: Exhibitions can be a great way to showcase your products, meet customers, find agents and build trade relationships. They are also a great way to burn money. Adrian Maguire of online PR specialist, www.CLICKintoPR.com outlines ten things you should do and ten things not to do.
 |
Free Download - B2B PR – Planning for Success By Adrian Maguire |
Exhibiting Successfully
Exhibitions can be a great way to showcase your products, meet customers, find agents and build trade relationships. They are also a great way to burn money. Adrian Maguire of online PR specialist, www.CLICKintoPR.com outlines ten things you should do and ten things not to do.
Ten Things You Should Do
1. Set out clear objectives and goals for the exhibition. How many customers do you want to see? How many leads do you expect to generate? If selling product at the show, what numbers do you expect to sell, revenue to generate and so on?
2. Crunch the numbers. Exhibitions vary over time. Look at the visitor numbers from previous shows - is the exhibition growing or contracting, how is the visitor profile changing, what are the peak days for attendance?
3. Don't forget the invisibles. Add into your cost benefit analysis all the invisibles of taking part such as accommodation cost, costs of staff training, promotional gifts, literature, having sales people off the road and so on.
4. Seek feedback from other exhibitors. Ask if they judged the show to be a success.
5. Read the exhibitor manual. These often have forms for inclusion in the show catalogue, web site and visitor product guide, pre-show publicity pack, newsletter and so on. Exploit all 'no cost' or 'low cost' opportunities. Where an additional fee is involved weigh this more carefully.
6. Plan well ahead. Many annual shows have web sites and quarterly newsletters that review the show that has gone and signpost the next. Keep the publicity flowing.
7. Emphasise what's new. Regular visitors may pass you by at a show unless they have a genuine reason to visit.
8. Inject some life. Live demonstrations, rolling seminars, competitions, overseas visitors, celebrities - a bit of creative showmanship can generate a bit more buzz.
9. Rotate staff. The sales person who has been three days on his feet at the show and three nights propping up the hotel bar is not the best person to greet your customers on day four. If you rotate the staff, you can present a fresh and lively face each day.
10. Gather leads and follow-up promptly. Ensure everyone has lead pads, knows to collect business cards and take detailed notes of what visitors want. Real pro's have a back-up in the office to send out samples, price lists and literature daily so that the enquirer receives relevant information while they are still keen.
Five Things You Should Not Do
1. Don't exhibit for the wrong reasons. Exhibitors often say they must be at this or that exhibition, "Because the industry expects us to be there!" - "Because our competitors are there!" - "Because people will say we are going bust if we don't attend!" Given that there are many other channels for cost effective communication, none of these statements on their own are valid reasons to exhibit.
2. Don't be too competitive. Many large companies compete to see who can create the most lavish stand. Stand size is less important than position, content and staff motivation. How much you spend is less important than how cost effectively you use the budget.
3. Don't dismiss the alternatives. If you wish to meet customers in large groups to demonstrate new products, consider regional seminars or roadshows as an alternative to national exhibitions. This way you are not competing for time and attention of visitors.
4. Don't forget to follow-up. The real work starts when the show is over following up the leads and contacts made.
5. Don't go on holiday after the show. See 4!
© Ainsworth Maguire
Score Big At Your Next Trade Show
Recession Proof Tradeshows: Seven Strategies To Stay Strong in Tough Times
Tradeshow Marketing
Exhibiting Magic
Exhibiting at a Franchise or Trade Show
Article Tags:
|
About the Author: Adrian Maguire RSS for Adrian's articles - Visit Adrian's website   View Adrian Maguire's profile on LinkedIn
Click here to visit Adrian's website   PR Evaluation A Practical Approach Making the Most of AV Presentation for PR Better Brainstorming for PR Making the Most of PR Events Internal Communications Dont PR Spin your Workforce |
Related Forum Posts
Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.
Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
by: Dave Kurlan, Sales Assessment Expert
Please Stop Calling it Coaching!
Measuring the Quality of Your Hires
January 2012 Top 100 Young Entrepreneur Experts to Follow on Twitter
The fine line 
Project Managers and Project Management Software
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.