Trade Show Tips for Success & A Secret Industry Tip

Most companies exhibit at trade shows in order to gather new business leads and make sales. But do you know why your prospects are attending that event? The assumption is that they want to learn about new products, but is that the only reason you attend an event? Of course not, there is any number of reasons why people are there, and you need to present your brand in a way that aligns with the attendees.  When you understand your customers’ expectations helps, you build better relationships and close more sales. We have five trade show tips to improve success and one secret no one tells you.

 

Make a Great First Impression

 

1 of 5 Trade show Tips

Our first trade show tip is an industry must. As much as we want to deny it, appearance does matter. The first opinion of your brand will form in a tenth of a second. It all matters from the design of the booth, giveaways, and even how your team dresses. You wouldn’t stop at a booth that didn’t look enticing to visit. You can lure in potential clients when you use vibrant, attention-grabbing colors, provide giveaways, and have brand ambassadors will make them stand out. 

Be Prepared

Our next trade show tip is preparation. But what does that mean?

Make sure your team is well-informed. Know your product or the service’s ins and outs, all the way around, in great detail. Don’t risk losing a potential client because you only know the basic gist of what you’re selling. Your booth visitors are likely to have many questions, so prepare well in advance.

Ensure your team is on the same page. Plan a meeting and have a shared logistics document with your team clearly outlining your game plan and expectations. It’s a good idea to plan when you and your team are in or out of the booth. You never know when that ample opportunity will stop by.

Set a goal. Have a goal to reach to keep you motivated. What is your purpose at the show? Reach new customers? Are you launching a new product? Are you trying to establish your brand? How many potential clients are you trying to reach? How many sales are you hoping to accomplish? Make sure you ask yourself all of these questions.

Pre-show Marketing

Get ahead of the game with Pre-show marketing. Send emails to the trade show attendees about a month in advance to set up a meeting before the show starts. When you send out emails before the show starts, you build brand awareness by letting attendees know you’re there. Just showing up to the trade show won’t get you where you want to be; pre-show marketing is necessary if you want a successful booth. Some businesses don’t think of this trade show tip and wonder why there was a low turnout.

How do you execute pre-show marketing?

• Go after your intended audience.
• Focus on leads you already have to reel them in and close the deal or clients you already have to build a better relationship.
• Give them a reason to visit your booth.

• Go back to step 1 of enticing your client, be sure to make your giveaway something that will improve their lives and is related to your service.
• A cheap bracelet that will sit in their car cup holder before throwing it out two months later – isn’t going to work.

 More ways to invite your leads.

• Email marketing is a great tool, but you don’t want to rely on it as your only method. Try other tools, such as social media, postcards, and even phone calls.

Use the Power of Social Media

Social media lets us share information in seconds with multiple people all over the country and the world. Let your audience know where you are and how to get there, and highlight how much fun it is. No one enjoys missing out, so make your post is exciting and fun to get potential clients to your booth.

 If you have any interesting interactive displays at your booth, be sure to highlight that in your posts. Videos are a great way to effectively capture the magic of what your booth is all about.

Follow Up with Your Leads

5 OF 5 TRADE SHOW TIPS

Our last trade show tip is to be sure to take notes and scan booth visitors into your customer relationship management (CRM) during the show to track any leads you come across so that you have something to go off of when you circle back after the show. Once the show is over, get your leads to your sales team so they can do what they do best and turn those leads into customers.

Conclusion of trade show tips

At the end of each show, be sure to track what went right and what did not go to plan. This practice allows you to know what was beneficial so you can use it for the next show. Additionally, you will understand what practices didn’t benefit your business and try something new. Your booth could have missed one key element, or your staff didn’t engage with customers effectively. Every little detail helps find leads and drive business. What’s the secret? An effective trade show marketing strategy comprises a series of communications that reach the customer at every stage of their journey and work together to tell your story.

What’s the secret?

An effective trade show marketing strategy comprises a series of communications that reach the customer at every stage of their journey. They all work together successfully to tell your story. 

Ace Models has a variety of services including trade shows and we also have thousands of models to choose from for your next event. Take a look, fill out an inquiry form and we’ll get started right away to find the best fit for your business.