Trade shows and conventions are prime opportunities to connect with a large number of your key clients and prospects. Making the most of the limited time that you have is critical to getting the most from your trade show investment. Here are 5 tips for trade show success:
1. Know your objectives and know your audience: Determine what outcome you want from the show. Is it to gain new clients or to strengthen relationships with existing ones? Is it a lead generation or brand awareness? Know who you audience will be and what their “hot buttons” are. Do you have multiple objectives? Rank them so you know what is most important.
2. Determine a theme: May be a new product or service introduction, a new award you won, a new certification achieved, a new division opening to serve a new market, a new positioning statement, or a new bundle of services. Having a theme can help concentrate your message and help it stand out from all the others around you. It will also help with making the decision of what the trade show displays will look like. Having a theme that is highly relevant to your audience can really make the most of your investment. Does your booth have a “wow!” factor?
3. Communicate your theme/message in multiple ways: Evaluate your booth and messaging to look for opportunities to enhance it. Consider what other materials you will have at the booth like handouts, promotional items, and business cards. To get the most out of your time at a trade show or convention, you may want to think about displaying Personalized Pens in your booth as potential customers are more likely to remember your brand from an item that can be used on a regular basis. Having a consistent message across all media is essential, so if you’re looking at using personalized pens as a way to increase brand awareness, then you’ll want to make sure all the other promotional items you intend on using are consistent (as you have countless options such as mugs, phone cases, wristbands from somewhere such as www.sleekwristbands.com and many other item choices.) This can be the difference in someone seeing your business as professional and “ticking all the boxes”. Is your booth flexible enough to provide you with the ability to change up your messaging?
4. Market in advance: Mention the show and your booth number in your email signature line. Send out an email “Save The Date” to your customers and prospects, inviting them to visit you. Take advantage of things the show offers like being listed in the show directory, sponsoring a lunch or happy hour, or providing bag stuffers.
5. Have a follow up strategy: Plan what you’ll do after the show to follow up. Have a way to track that the follow ups occur and what the results are. Don’t leave this up to chance. After all the time and monetary investment, you want to ensure success by following up and tracking the results.
Call or email us today for a FREE consultation about your trade show booth and strategy. Call 972-915-6970 or email us at [email protected].
