Trade Show Success
 For Email Marketing you can trust There are 4 key components to achieving trade show success - - Pre-show marketing Diligence in these 4 areas will bring in more customers and increase your business from your existing ones.
Pre-Show MarketingYou may be asking "Why do I need to market before the show? Isn't that what the show is for??".The simple answer is that your goal is to gain new business through your trade show booth. The best visitors to your booth are those that are already interested in what your business has to offer them. In order to drive that pre-qualified traffic to your booth you need to let your prospects and customers know that you will be exhibiting and what's in it for them if they come see you. You will be competing with hundreds of other exhibitors for the attention and business of show attendees.
Your competition will be pursuing your customers and Do you know your target audience for your trade show. Who are your most important customers, clients or prospects? Contact them ahead of the show through direct mail postcards, "lumpy mail", newsletters, emails or a personal call - preferably a combination of these methods. Always make sure to include an incentive to visit your booth in your pre-show marketing. This can include a promotional item in "lumpy mail", a discount coupon redeemable only at the show, 1/2 of a 2 part gift, or the enticement of some "show only" specials. Timing of your pre-show marketing is also important. You want it to be early enough so that your prospects save the date to attend, but not so early that they forget by the time the show rolls around. Ideally there should be at least 2 pre-show contacts - once several weeks before the show and a second time about a week before the show. Now you're ready to host your booth and WOW! your customers and prospects even more. Make Your Booth Work For YouOkay - you've done your pre-show marketing and now it's crunch time.Your exhibitor space needs to say a lot about your business in one quick glance. Is it neat and appealing? Do the prime attention points make it clear what your company is about? Are samples of your products displayed prominently and attractively? Is your booth staff neatly dressed, friendly, attentive and knowledgeable? Are they ready to invite people into your booth rather than just stand and wait for people to come in? Do you have promotional products and information to give out that will WOW! your customers and prospects and make them remember you? Look at your booth from the point of view of your prospect. When they approach your booth will they feel a welcoming atmosphere - or indifference? Will your displays attract their attention and make them want to see more? Will their questions be answered knowledgeably? Will there be information, catalogs, samples and/or a promotional product for them to take along? And - most importantly - when they walk away - will they remember you positively and want to do business with you? Or will that be the last you ever see of them....? As an exhibitor, you pay a lot of money to be a part of a trade show - make sure you take advantage of it through solid planning. A cheap looking booth or promotional product giveaway will tell your prospects a lot about your business. Staff that are not engaging and knowledgeable will reflect your standards of business. A classy booth with solid, friendly staff and great giveaways will reap you your desired results - solid leads and increased business!
Show's Over - Now What??Okay - your pre-show marketing brought lots of solid leads to your incredible show exhibit. Now what?There are 2 things that most companies fail to do effectively after exhibiting at a trade show - 1) They fail to follow through on the leads generated at the show, and/or 2) They fail to continue to market to these leads on a regular basis. It takes anywhere from 5-9 contacts with a prospect before you have established enough credibility for them to do business with you. Begin your post-show marketing with a call to your prospects as soon as possible. They have already shown their interest by stopping by your booth. Then begin marketing relentlessly. Your next step is contacting them on at least a monthly basis through a pre-determined marketing campaign of postcards, newsletters, calls, "lumpy mail" and all of the other marketing tools in your arsenal. Given time, your intense marketing will pay off by turning your trade show leads into loyal customers. Selecting The Right Promotional ProductsTrade shows are a great place to offer promotional products that advertise your company. We have thousands of items that would be great for giveaways. Customized pens, calendars, cups and magnets are very popular for these events. We also recommend the following, which may depend on your business focus - rulers, measuring tapes, pens, totes, bag clips, golf accessories, calendars, computer accessories, safety kits, first aid kits, auto accessories, caps, t-shirts, snacks, bottled water, pencil/pen shapes, sewing kits, toys, key rings, Post-its™, pocket flashlights, knives, mini sports balls, luggage tags, money clips, and much, much more. Check our online store for a wide variety of reasonably priced giveaways.Generally items given away at these events are inexpensive, but it is a good idea to have a selection of nicer gifts in reserve for your current top customers who stop by your booth, or to give to a very strong potential buyer. You can keep these gifts behind your display table and be selective about who you pass them out to.
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