ecause trade shows are the only place many companies can meet their customers face to face, they are a key marketing tool. But without proper planning and preparation, they can also be a missed opportunity. Here’s how to make sure you answer the door when opportunity knocks at a trade show.
• Written objectives: The No. 1 mistake most exhibitors make is going to a show without a clear goal, says Steve Miller, best-selling author of How to Get the Most Out of Trade Shows. Miller says it’s not enough to simply say, for instance, you want to sell as many spas as possible. You must define how many, what kind and to whom. And always be as specific as possible. Objectives should be broken down to each individual salesperson.
• Materials: Take enough of everything. It’s far better to haul brochures, samples or freebies home after the show than to run out during it, according to Fred Showker, trade show expert and director of the Design and Publishing Center. As a rule: better safe than sorry. If you think you’ll need one box of brochures, pack two.
• Booth design: Be sure your booth is configured to make attendees want to stop. This includes providing easy entrance and exit from the booth. Design is also key, says Joel Caesar, Atlantic City Pool & Spa show manager and executive director of the Northeast Spa & Pool Association-National Spa & Pool Institute affiliate. “We do everything we can to keep traffic moving around the building,” says Caesar. “But we can’t be responsible for getting every person into every booth. There’s got to be some thought on the part of every exhibitor as to what the booth looks like, what they’re offering and what people see.”
• Identifying prospects: Design questions that qualify prospects quickly. There’s a finite amount of time at trade shows, so every minute you spend with someone who’s not a qualified lead is a waste of time and money. The definition of a lead depends on your goals, but there are simple questions you can ask to determine how interested a prospect is. Be sure to sit down with your staffers and determine what those questions are, Miller advises.
• Staff: The employees working your booth are the single most important tool of any company at a trade show, says Miller. Be sure the staff knows how to talk about the product intelligently and answer questions. Staff should remember the competition, and be able to explain why your product is superior without bad-mouthing anyone else’s. That tactic will only turn off visitors. Also make sure all staff members are good with the public, and values each person who walks into the booth.
Part of that value means keeping staff spread around the booth. To most folks, salespeople are intimidating enough one on one, but put them into groups — what Miller calls a street gang formation — and they’re downright unapproachable. Even if no one is in the booth, spread your staff around, and make sure they make each visitor feel welcome. And never let someone leave a booth unapproached, even if they’re just looking. Because you never know until you ask.
A spread-out staff will provide more one-on-one interaction, which is exactly what you want, Showker says. Each prospect comes with specific interests. If another prospect becomes involved in a presentation, the original prospect might feel less important and slighted. If someone tries to join in a presentation you’re making, politely direct them to another salesperson, or tell them you’ll be right with them when you’re finished.
• Follow-up: Miller recommends picking up some thank you cards at a stationery store and dropping a card in the mail the same day you have a conversation with a qualified lead. The card can simply say thank you for stopping by, or it can confirm what you’re going to do for the person. Miller says it’s a good way to set yourself apart, and doing it the same day helps ensure that you won’t forget.
