Trade shows, fairs and exhibits are good places to promote your brand and showcase your products or services. If you are local and you rely on business from the community, participating in these events is great exposure that can generate plenty of repeat customers for you.
Here are some ways you can maximise the exposure and crowd to create more business.
Get Your Team All Set
Make sure that you have your executive and sales team ready for the trade show. Everyone should be on the same page and equipped with all the necessary plans, targets and quotas before the event. Prepare your booth and products long before the actual trade show. Map out your plans and do a dry run if you must. For first-timers, anticipate any questions customers may ask and rehearse ready answers for them.
Hold a Pre-Show Booth Meeting
Ensure that the sales and marketing teams have worked together to have a pre-show booth meeting with customers and prospective clients. Have a goal for the entire team and have a benchmark, say, to increase last year’s profits by 15%.
Additionally, make a calendar to share with the sales and marketing teams at the booth so they can see who will be on duty during specific dates and times. Have presentations and draft proposals ready just in case.
Stay Social
Create a social media page for the event. Share photos and information on various social media platforms before, during and after the trade show. Invite the attendees to come and check out your booth to join a contest, snag a giveaway or experience your products.
Include details of your booth, such as the number and exact location. Also, do not forget the hashtag to the event. Encourage guests to take selfies at your booth or with your mascot if you have one. This will be a source of valuable links and mentions.
Offer Giveaways
Fun giveaways often equal to more traffic. You can have participants play a quick game and give them a token for joining. In exchange, you can ask for their email or mobile number, and this will be a valuable source of leads.
Be creative with your offers to break the ice, invite prospects and engage them. Always be ready with your fold out business cards to give out. Some of the most favoured gifts include flash drives, caps, mugs, pens, fans and canvas bags.
Do a Post-Event Assessment
After the trade show, call the team for a quick briefing. Take stock of what worked well and what specific areas call for improvement. Did you have good traffic to your booth considering its location? Were you able to send your message across to the prospects and attendees of the show? These are worth noting down to help guide you in planning for upcoming trade shows.
It is vital that you do post-trade show follow-ups. Add the leads you have generated to your email list and send them updates and newsletters from time to time. The marketing data will offer a clear insight about your booth traffic, the success of your giveaways or offers, and other potential leads for your business. This will help you and your team come up with better ideas when the next trade show comes around.
