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How to Make the Most of Your Next Trade Show Opportunity

Written by: Chip Eichelberger

Article Overview: Exhibiting at a Trade Show can be a major investment of money and time. Here are proven suggestions to maximize your opportunity.

How to Make the Most of Your Next Trade Show Opportunity

Early in my business career I exhibited the Jantzen clothing line at many shows. In my speaking business I have attend countless trade shows for my clients: huge pharmaceutical events, building supplies, financial services, public utilities, technology…
It is common to see a boring display, ineffective offer/story and switched off people in the “booth”. Let me share some ideas that may be helpful the next time you draw the short straw and are asked to represent your company at a trade show. An easy way to evaluate any marketing plan is what you will do before, during and after.


Before the Show
- Pre-show promotion can make the difference between a good show and a great one. You should notify all of your best customers and prospects that you will be at the show and invite them to your booth. Research has shown that, on average, an invitation to prospects sent before the show can increase booth traffic by a third. Send something different to the prospects that do not know you – be unique, create a hook, reward them for coming to you.

Know your audience. Get a detailed breakdown of who attended the last years show. Are they senior level, mid-level, engineers, technology people etc. Staff your booth accordingly. Design different levels of promotional materials. Not everyone who comes to your booth will be a prospect and it makes no sense to give an expensive folder of materials and/or samples to someone whom you do not qualify as a prospect.

Determine your sales and marketing goals in advance. What specifically do you want to accomplish? Like all of your sales and marketing endeavors, you need to establish goals for each trade show you attend. Keep score at the end of each day.

Be creative with giveaways/refreshments/prizes/promotions to use. Are you going to give out samples, promotional items or have a contest to attract people to your booth? Be unique and do not do what you have seen everyone else do. I have seen stand-up massages, unique interactive games, magicians, hand writing analysis. Many companies make it easy to send video to prospects. Since most trade show attendees are visiting from another town, being able to send a quick video message home to family or coworkers is highly engaging. "We had a line of people at our booth, all waiting to provide us with their name, firm and e-mail address," states Susanne Murphy, Director of Membership of the International Interior Design Association. "We were the hit of the show."

Prepare a follow-up plan in advance. Create your post-show mailing before the show. Select and train your booth staff. The people in your booth need to be trained for product demonstrations. Practice and video tape if possible. You will quickly on the video if you are presenting an enticing offer. You need a solid plan to engage attendees.

Ask more questions and talk less! Ask about opportunities to speak at official show functions, such as seminars, luncheons, press conferences, press interviews, etc. A bigger public role at the trade show will lead to increased to visibility and credibility.
- Give something of value. Create a special report or “white paper” that is interesting, provocative, and people will want. The 10 biggest mistakes companies make, The 7 Strategies you must use when…

Prepare one or two page case studies that will help overcome objections you receive. “That is a legitimate concern. Debbie at XYZ company felt the same way. Let me share with you what the outcome they had when the implemented our solution.”

Get the right equipment. I often see ineffective presentations because the lighting is poor, computer monitors too small, microphone inadequate, no chairs for customers to sit down, no pads for you to stand on if it is appropriate etc.
Bonus Tip: wear very comfortable shoes and bring plenty of water and healthy snacks.
During the Trade Show
- Start your day right.

Do what it takes to get up early enough to do at least 20 minutes of a cardio workout, either in the gym, walk, bring a jump rope or do jumping jacks and run in place in your room. Do a fun huddle with your team to go over the game plan and create energy. Make it a fun day!
- Let your customers and prospects know how you are going to follow-up afterwards and ask for their agreement or find a procedure that works for them. If getting a business card, make notes as soon as possible on the back with personal/business information you got that will help you remember them at the end of a long day.

Debrief each day with your team. At the end of each day have your staff review how they did and how the next day will be even better. Qualify the leads right now. You can even send a quick email to your top prospects.
- Typically do not spend a long time in the booth with one person. If Bill Gates wanders in, make an exception! Schedule an appointment for the lunch break or the end of the day. Most shows provide a conference area for meetings.
- Ask effective questions first and then tell them what you're all about - quickly. Most studies show that you have only about 5 seconds to capture the interest of prospects at a trade show. That is why you need to be unique and have a way to make your presentation/demonstration/unique “come on” interactive that will draw people in.

Take the time to walk the show. See what other companies, including your competitors, are doing. See whom else your customers and prospects are visiting. Do not cherry pick clients up near another booth.
After the Show
- Have a debrief meeting with the team and analyze the show. Focus first on what went well and then on what you can improve for the next time. Now is the time to plan for the next show when your last show is fresh in everyone's mind.

Implement your follow-up plan you created before the show. The number one mistake after a trade show is to let the leads get cold. Your trade show leads are now field sales prospects and need to be seen and sold. Organize and prioritize your contacts. Set specific schedules. Who is going to do what and when are they going to do it. This goes for your follow-up and planning for your next show.

- Get a list of all attendees. The show organizer should also give you a list of everyone who attended or had a booth. (Don't forget others who had booths may be prospects or referral sources.)


A new technology by Yonkers-based Bartizan Co. allows trade show exhibitors to start following up on sales leads directly from the trade show floor.
Whenever an exhibitor scans a visitor's badge using the EXPOforw@rd lead retrieval system, an e-mail message can be sent automatically to the prospect. A message, informational and promotional material, even a link to the exhibitor's website, can be included. Images, video Or enhanced text can also be sent as attachments, eliminating the cost of printing and shipping literature.
With a click of the button, the exhibitor can also e-mail the leads to the home office, providing the sales force with a head start to studying the customer needs.


Lead Generation Solutions- Mike Drohan, president of LGS, three out of four business-to-business companies fail to call and qualify every trade show lead immediately after the show. And Drohan thinks that's a mistake. "Our team of experienced lead development sales reps will call every lead, qualify their needs, and identify the true prospects. Done immediately after the show, no opportunity gets lost and the company can leverage the time of their closers by following up on the best opportunities first. Our services will help beat the competition; remember, their booth isn't the only booth where a prospect creates a lead," says Drohan.


There are many ways to use social media with your Twitter followers in advance of the show to build excitement. Set up a special Facebook page just for the show. I am not an expert in that area. There are many great articles on this site to help you.

Next time you have a trade show, follow these ideas to make the most of your time and investment.

Related Articles
  Visiting a Franchise Show is a great way to investigate franchise opportunities.
  How to Sell Franchises at Trade Shows
  Increase Your Trade Show Sales without Renting a Booth
  Score Big At Your Next Trade Show
  Tricks of the Trade Show

Article Tags: lead conversion, money, tony robbins, trade show, trade show marketing



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