This post was provided by Jason Dirkham
If you are familiar with trade shows, then you will also know how valuable they can be to your growing business. Trade shows are able to give you access to a wealth of opportunities, including more brand awareness and even the chance to network with prospective clients. Even though more and more business is being conducted online, it’s still vital that you are able to attend trade shows as this will give you access to a whole new level of publicity.
Find out Who is Going to be Attending
Do your research to find out if there is anyone who could be potentially interested in your business. Attendee lists are often made available in advance for a lot of trade shows, so take advantage of this. Reach out to anyone who you think could be a potential client and encourage them to stop by. You do however need to make sure that you don’t spam them. Selling your services right away is not the way to go. Keep your first engagement light and very personal. If you are able to do this then you will be able to connect with them properly without being too pushy.
Bring your Best Team
The team that you take with you to a trade show will really have a huge impact on how successful you are. You can either bring your own in-house team with you or you can hire an event staffing agency. Either way, it doesn’t matter which option you go with because you have to remember that the people who are working your booth are ultimately going to be the face of your business. For this reason, it’s important that you have a professional and motivated group. If you are bringing your own team then make sure that you are choosing people who have complementary skills. For example, you need to bring a PR expert as they can answer any questions from the press and you can also bring someone who is experienced in sales as they can convert leads. Having a tech specialist will also help if you have an app or software as they can answer any technical questions that might come from your potential clients.
Prepare your Staff
Your staff have to be prepared for questions. Every member on your team needs to be an expert on your product and you also need to make sure that they are up to date as well. A bit of role-playing before the big event won’t hurt and it gives you the chance to experiment by asking different questions in-advance. Remember that your goal isn’t just to sell your product, it is to establish a relationship that is mutually beneficial.
Product Demos
If you are displaying your product then you have to be prepared to give a demonstration. If you want to do this effectively then you need to tell your team what features they should be mentioning, while also helping them to understand how to give an effective run-through without being too pushy with the sale.
Include a Lounge Space
You have to remember that your attendees will be walking, all day. If you want to engage your customers, then you need to give them somewhere they can sit and relax. A lounge space will bring you more traffic and it will encourage potential customers to stay longer. It’s great to have an area where you can just sit and chat about your product offerings as well, so make sure that you keep this in mind as much as possible.
Give Stuff Away
You have to remember at the end of the day, that people love free stuff. You can entice a crowd with branded gifts, like the ones from Dynamic Gift or you can even hand out baked goods. Either way, it doesn’t matter which option you go with, as long as it is relevant to your brand. Don’t be shy about handing out free gifts either. A lot of business owners make the mistake of only handing out gifts to prospective clients. This is a mistake though because the more you get your brand out there, the more likely other people will be to seek out your stall.
Be Proactive
You don’t have to wait for someone else to ask you a question. Instead, try and strike up conversation yourself. Ask people if they are enjoying the trade show so far and also mention that you have been in the business for a number of years. The more you do this, the more you will connect with your customers and the more likely they will be to hang around. If you feel uncomfortable making conversation, then try not to overthink it if you can. Just be natural and take things in your own stride.
Become a Speaker
If you are able to contact the management team for the trade show in advance and tell them that you have something very valuable to offer, then you will be well on your way to becoming a true leader in the industry. If you do have the chance to speak then avoid promoting your company or your product if possible. The main reason for this is because it can cause you to lose out on credibility and this is the last thing that you need. In your speech, try and offer the audience something that is of real value to them as this will help you to stand out.
Create a Memorable Display
The average attention span for a human-being is only around 8 seconds. This doesn’t account for all of the distractions that you need to compete against either. Creating a quality trade show booth will help you to really attract potential customers as well. When it comes to your display, you need to try and use pictures instead of words. The main reason for this is because the human brain can process images much faster when compared to words.
These tips will help you to create the best trade show booth ever, and if you follow them then you will soon find that it is easier than ever for you to go the extra mile for everyone in attendance.
This post was provided by Jason Dirkham
