Looking for new ways to expand your business’s reach? Add a few trade shows to your annual marketing strategy. If selected with care and properly planned for, trade shows can be an effective way to connect with new audiences. Here’s a quick primer on how to implement a trade show strategy.
Choose Shows Strategically
An overwhelming number of trade shows are typically offered each year for most industries. Rather than breaking your budget by trying to attend most of them, choose trade shows strategically.
Choose the best shows for your business by researching audience numbers and demographics, the average number of vendors, the show’s meeting schedule and more. By learning these important details, you can determine which shows will provide the best exposure to your target market.
Conquer Your Pitch
No, conquering your sales pitch doesn’t mean you should recite the same series of canned sentences to each attendee who stops by your booth. That’s that best way to scare away business leads.
Rather, conquering your sales pitch means determining which key sales points you want to introduce to attendees. By having a list of key sales points, you can then naturally weave those points into your conversations with attendees and generate a stronger number of leads.
Perfect your Collateral
Every trade show booth should include marketing materials for attendees to take home. Some collateral pieces to consider developing for trade shows include brochures, business cards, one-sheet informational handouts and more. If possible, create a video slide presentation about your business and air that on a TV or computer screen behind your booth.
Also, a common tactic for driving attendees to trade show booths is offering a giveaway. Know the standards and rules regarding giveaways for each trade show you attend and select a giveaway that will peak the interests of your target demographic.
Consider your Representation
Which employees will attend the trade shows? While you may be the sole attendee at the first few trade shows, you likely won’t be able to attend them all. Choose the employees that represent the business at trade shows with care. The employees you select should have a solid understanding of the business’s products or services. When possible, select employees from different departments to attend each trade show.
Capture Contact Information
According to Use Home and Trade Shows to Bring in Customers, the main goal of your trade show plan should be to capture the contact information of attendees. The most effective way to do this is to ask attendees to fill out an entry form for your booth’s giveaway. The form should request the most basic details you need to know when trying to generate leads, such as a contact’s name, phone number, email address and a check box where they can request additional information from your business.
Create a standard of entering the contact information into your database soon after the trade show and always follow up with leads within a few days of the show. Any email addresses you capture should be entered into your business’s e-marketing database.
If approached strategically, trade shows can bring powerful results and can be well worth the cost. Use trade shows to get more clients by carefully selecting which shows you attend, by conquering your sales pitch, by promptly following up with leads and more.
