Trade Show Victory! by Wendy McClelland 2004 © wmcclelland@shaw.caSo you're going to have a booth at a trade show. How exciting - or how terrifying - depending on your state of mind!
First of all - remain calm - you're not
first person to do this. There's some easy to follow tips that will ensure success at show, and give you follow up business too.
Preparation ahead of time is important. Gather all supplies you'll need. Brochures, business cards, product samples, entry forms for a draw, professional signs and any audio visual equipment you'll need. Be sure to ask for electricity from show organizers well in advance if you will need it. Also, do not let any piece of marketing literature leave your booth without contact information on it - people MUST know how to get in touch with you after show.
Make your booth look GREAT! It doesn't have to cost a lot of money - ask a friend whose got a sense of style to help you create something that is eye catching but doesn't cost too much. Don't over crowd your display area because people get overwhelmed and pass by; but on other hand, don't have so little that people think there's nothing to see. Make sure your sign is professionally printed and hung straight!
Once you’ve set up your booth, stand back about 20 feet and objectively take a look at it. Is it welcoming? Is your sign easy to read? Can people tell what you do BEFORE they get to your booth? These are critical issues that you need to answer before show.
At show be friendly - wear a name tag and smile. When people come by your booth, you’ve a VERY short period of time to catch their attention. This is time you need to have something to say. Create a 15 – 20 second “speech” you can recite. For example, if you sell children’s wall murals, why not try this, “Hi there, I’m Julie Lewis and I use paint to create a magical room for your child or an experience that will take you anywhere in world with my wall murals.” Sounds more exciting that “I paint wall murals”, doesn’t it?
Let’s try another one, “Hello, I’m Alex Brown and I create marketing programs for my clients that really make them be unforgettable!”
By having something prepared in advance, you’re always ready to gain a new client! If you’re unprepared you will look very unprofessional.
Encourage everyone who walks by to take a brochure, sample your product or enter a free draw. ALWAYS have a free draw - give away a good prize - it doesn't have to be expensive. Use draw entry forms to follow up on with a sales letter, or put on a mailing list for future business.
I'm always amazed at number of business people at trade shows who don't have a draw, and then have no way to follow up with potential customers! Create your draw entry form so that it will provide you with more information than just name and address. Get standard contact information, but also ask questions specific to your products or service. Something like: "are you planning to buy our type of product in next six months?" or "have you heard of our product before?" - Things like that will give you a conversation starter when you call them after show. If you worry about "bothering people" by calling them, you can add following at bottom of entry: “I do not wish to be contacted.” – and be sure to leave a check box next to sentence. This allows those people who really only entered draw just to get a prize to be easily weeded out. This way you don’t waste your time isn’t wasted calling them, and you don’t bother people who don’t wish to be called. Most people do NOT check off box that says “I do not wish to be contacted – so don’t worry that you will not have anyone to call.
