Thanks to YOU, our Rock Your Next Tradeshow post received lots of positive attention and feedback around the web. Thank you! As we’re gearing up for our next tradeshow at Spot-On Branding, we found a ton of great ways to streamline the tradeshow process. Like you, we want to be ready to go and prepared for any and all upcoming tradeshow possibilities. Check out these tradeshow tips to make your next tradeshow run as smoothly as possible!
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Hook Them
Want a scrumptious lure to make your leads bite that hook? Offer a worthwhile promotion, and put a timeframe on it. For example, “Contact us by September 1st for a FREE initial consultation.” Newbie tip: be sure to describe exactly what ‘consultation’ (or whatever your promotion may be) entails. You’re not looking to give away your services here; you want to establish a promotion that results in real follow-up face-time. It’s a great way to showcase your talent and your business – plus, you’re much more likely to snag a future client.
Publicize
Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) to publicize pre-show and during-show promotions. To streamline, keep it simple, but specific. For Facebook, try something like, “Stop by our booth [booth number] at the [tradeshow name] tradeshow for your 10% off coupon!” Use Twitter throughout the tradeshow to draw more people to your booth in real time. Be sure to use those #hashtags! Here’s the catch: if your target market isn’t super keen on social media, there’s no need to waste your time frequenting a marketing platform that gets little attention.
Speak to THEM
Tradeshow booths are the perfect place for memorable one-liners. Come up with a tagline that directly speaks to the particular market of the tradeshow attendees. You don’t need to use your existing company slogan, but if your slogan works (and especially if your slogan is already a big part of your established brand) – then go for it. Stick it up in your booth where it’s most visible. You want your slogan to catch the eye of tradeshow attendees who might not otherwise notice your booth. Try asking a question that speaks to your target. They’ll come to your booth looking for answers!
Keep it Simple
Make it EASY to GET and to GIVE information. This process goes both ways. Your tradeshow booth guests need to know what you’re about, quickly and effectively. And let’s face it, sometimes no matter how many company representatives you have in your booth, sometimes guests flock to your booth all at once – and that means you could miss a lead. To combat this, provide information sheets and displays with relevant, targeted information about your business and your products and/or services. On the flipside, be sure it’s easy for you to take away important contact (and other) information from your booth visitors. To streamline the process, invest in a badge/business card scanner to quickly capture customer information. And remember: no one likes to fill out long forms, especially when there’s so much to see and do at a tradeshow!
Follow-up Plan
Establish a plan to address your tradeshow leads BEFORE the tradeshow even begins. If you know in advance exactly how you’re going to follow up with all those leads after the tradeshow event, you’ll better qualify and interact with your potential leads at the tradeshow. Establishing a follow-up plan allows you to determine what information you need to collect, and for what purpose – making your tradeshow interactions much less stressful and much more fruitful!
Planning ahead using these tradeshow tips will help you ROCK your next tradeshow! Streamlining your tradeshow processes and understanding your tradeshow expectations in advance will greatly reduce your tradeshow stresses and help you get the very most out of your tradeshow experience. Now go rock that tradeshow!
Do you have any tradeshow tips? Let us know by commenting below.
Here’s a few more Tradeshow Tips…
These are a few strategies I used when I owned a former company and sold products at over 350 different venues during seven years.
Go for a booth up front.
People will pass you on the way in and on the way out.
Go for a booth to the right.
Most people are right handed and typically go to their right when they enter a show.
Go for a booth near the restrooms. [no, it doesn’t stink]
People will pass your booth on the way in and on the way out.
Go for a booth near the refreshments.
People will pass your booth on the way in and on the way out.
When you buy a booth, if you can afford it, go for a corner.
People will pass your booth in two directions and you’ll have more visibility.
Make sure your set up takes less than a half-hour.
In the past, if the set up took more than a half-hour the union had to come in and set up your booth.
Be sure to order your electrical in advance.
Check it first thing when you arrive.
Be courteous to you neighbor and don’t block their space.
Stay within the guidelines of the exhibitor agreement.
Set up a booth within a booth.
If you can add an aisle down one side of your booth you gain an extra 8 to 10 feet of frontage.
Go for an isolated booth up front near the entrance.
A three-sided booth gives you 30 feet of frontage for the price of 10 feet.
Develop a Give-away
Like a Things to Do Today pad or a calendar to keep your company name
in front of the prospect.
Trade each giveaway for a business card and write down the answers to one or two, yes-no key-qualifying questions on the back of each card you receive.
This is a good site to find tradeshows and expos where you can exhibit:
http://www.expodatabase.com/
Wow, Ron…those tips were great! Thank you for sharing.