Marketing Articles

Trade Shows:  It’s more than just showing-up,
slapping-up, and standing-up
by Evan Milton

So you just signed up to have a booth at a trade show.  Good for you!  It was a lot of money, hugh?  Now how are you going to make that money work for you? 

Look at your client and prospect list.  Ask the company producing the trade show for a list of prospective attendees.  Which clients and prospects, from these lists, would you most like….no LOVE, to see attend the trade show?  Now you must give them a ‘reason’ to attend.  Why would they want to take time out of their busy day to stop work to drive to a venue, pay for parking (maybe), and then wade through the onslaught of other vendors to find YOU?  The point here is to drive your prospects and clients to the show and ultimately to your booth. 

Hummm…..do you have a new product or service you are introducing?  Or maybe one that tends to go unnoticed?  Now’s the time to let them know about this product or service.  INVITE them to the trade show and your booth.  You can do this a number of ways:  Post card, email, telephone.  Or all three.  You may want to include a ‘carrot’ in your invitation by offering them a gift when they visit your booth and bring the post card, or mention the post card, etc. that they received.  Ask for RSVP’s and make a gentle reminder call or email the day before the show.

Take time to set up your booth to invite prospects IN to your space.  You may have a form for prospects to fill out with basic information and questions that will help you weed out the tire-kickers.  Always ask for a business card and make notes on the back of it about the person.  What they were interested in etc.  If you don’t think they are a good prospect, make note of it.  If you think they are a good prospect, make note of that, too.  Do not trust your memory.  Write something down to help jog your memory when you are back in your office the next day or so going through the business cards.  Do not sit down in your booth.  This tells the prospects that you are not interested in them.  The chairs in the booth (if there are any) should be for your prospects.  Only sit with them if you have an arranged table and chairs to meet and discuss projects in your booth. 

Give them something to remember.  This should be something that they are interested in keeping and has your contact information on it.  They will probably not need your product or service that day, but may in the future.  Make it easy for them to know how to get in touch with you when that moment presents itself to them.  What you give them will vary depending on your target product or service that you are highlighting that day and your marketing message. 

Follow up is crucial after the show and unfortunately is rarely done.  Call, email, send a letter, or in the case of a “I RELALY want to do business with this prospect” send them a “It was nice to meet you” marketing item.  And then follow up, follow up, follow up.  Keep notes in your database or whatever system that you have set up and refer to it often.  It’s okay to ask them if they are interested in your product or service.  If they say ‘no’, thank them and MOVE ON.  They just saved you a ton of time following up with them when they aren’t even interested. 

In summary:  There are 3 steps:

1).  Before the Show:

Pick Topic/theme/product to highlight

eview Client/Prospect list

Craft marketing message and printed collateral (brochures & information sheets)

Decide how the marketing message & items will be delivered:  Mail, personal visit, at show

Order promotional marketing items (selected to support your marketing message and printed collateral)

Invite Clients/Prospects

2). At the Show

Ask for business cards and make notes on them. 

Be prepared to schedule appointments with prospects.  Bring your meeting planner/schedule

Give prospects something to remember (promotional marketing item)  You may have some for all to take and ‘better’ ones that you give out discretely to others or those that come with your postcard in hand.        

3).  After the Show

Follow up and record

Follow up and record

Follow up and record

Keep track of your results from this show.  That way, when it comes time to sign up for it next year, you will be able to determine the value you received from the prior year.  

Evan Milton, CAS, owns and operates Corporate Impressions, a custom branding promotional company.  She currently serves as the Immediate Past President of NWPMA (Northwest Promotional Marketing Association) for WA, OR, ID, AK, & MT.  Attained the CAS (Certified Advertising Specialist) designation in 2006, Is a member of PPAI (Promotional Products Association International) and SCHRA (Snohomish County Human Resource Association). She can be reached via email: Evan@CorporateImpress.com or
phone: 425-308-3045 and can be found on Facebook via www.CorporateImpressionsFacebook.com and twitter via www.EvanMilton.usww.EvanMilton.us