Trade shows. I bet some of you wonder what would a sophisticated marketeer actually learn from trade shows. Well, I can tell you there is a lot to learn. I used to associate trade shows to western movies which gave the term a romantic John Wayne-ish scent.
Trade shows existed since forever, from livestock exchange days up till today's tech- fancy CES. They are far away from being a passe item. Moreover, according to CIER, attendance is blooming.
Whether you are in retail, e commerce or manufacturing, there is your place under trade show sun and yes- attendance is very important. It is a pit stop for building brand awareness and getting new leads at the same time.
Let's go over why this is important for your business.
Build your base
Visitors at the trade show are your prospects. These guys are motivated and they are not just taking a walk here. Their heart rate is run by good products they'd love to buy. Your job is to show them that they should buy your product, not someone else's. Establish your sales goals prior to booking your square of heaven and spending tons on pens and hats and make sure you follow up afterwards.
Give yourself a name, nameless
Try positioning yourself next to big players. Use their strength to develop yours. Customers will notice you much quicker and before you know it, you'll go from back office to stage. Also-make sure you share your contact information. By this, I don't mean your address only, but also your social media info. You want your prospects to connect with you online as well.
Close the sale. Easy as that.
It is easier to close the sale on the exhibition premises because people don't feel forced on buying your products. Trade shows provide you with stable grounds for stepping up from direct mail intruder status to smooth sales operator.
Know your enemy
Trade shows give you a unique opportunity to get to know your opponent. Easy as that. Walk around, grab some brochures, listen what the others have to say. Trade show is a cool marketing tool, if you use it wisely.
BUT FIRST-Don't jump right at it
Do your homework, calculate the costs, sketch the assumptions. Going to South Africa to present your snowblower on a beauty fair doesn't really sound like a good ROI calculation.Doing a prior research of where you are going, what is the core purpose of the fair, who the exhibitors are, what type of visitors will show up etc, greatly influences your (smart) decision.
Learn from others
Speak to people you appreciate from business. Ask them whether this is a good conference to participate in, what were their major takeaways etc.It is always good to get a first hand experience.
„Failing to prepare is preparing to fail“
This wisdom was the everyday breakfast thought coming from a sales director at my old job. If you want to do your exhibition well, you need to start preparing on time. Skipping steps or not doing work thoroughly might cost you money, time, nerves… you name it. This is the most important part, organization. Make sure you take full control over your project, because if you want to impress, sign contracts and do a memorable exhibition, you will monitor each step with your eyes wide open! Therefore;
- Do your market research
- Set up your meetings on time
- Organize the logistics wisely
- Use social media heavily
- Check out the events, make sure you show up at all that are of interest to you!
P.S. ?
Do your trade show analysis once done, see what came out of it. Contact the prospects you impressed at the fair. Scan their business cards, send presentations, see how their kids are, keep networking! Try this cool app, it will lighten your luggage since you won't have to carry a ton of paper with you : http://www.intsig.com/en/camcard.html
Re-evaluate in 2019
Think about the terms you proposed this year. Did you accomplish what you needed? Did you close any sales? Company prospered after your exhibition? These are all things that you need to consider when planning your next conference.
This post was written by Ana Milas.