Trade Show Success – How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market

When setting trade show marketing goals, setting measurable marketing goals will enable you to track and demonstrate return on investment.

Select booth staff who possess an in-depth knowledge of your products and services offerings, and are adept at selling at your booth – this will significantly boost sales effectiveness.

Focus on the Right Audience

Understanding your audience at any trade show is the cornerstone of successful engagement and sales growth. By understanding their business needs and objectives as well as any challenges they might be experiencing, this information will allow you to craft marketing campaigns tailored directly towards them which could result in deeper interactions that enhance sales growth or brand recognition.

Consider conducting preliminary research before attending an event by reviewing its website and attendee list (if available), social media channels, industry forums, or any other online mediums. Paid social media may also help broaden your reach while targeting attendees whom you wish to interact with during the show.

Before the show starts, it is also essential that you train your team. Have them practice conversations and role-play scenarios until they feel more at ease and confident when conducting them at the show. Your team members are your greatest resource when it comes to turning attendees into leads and closing deals at events; therefore it pays dividends to take time preparing them now.

Create a Unique Experience

At a trade show, having an appearance can do more than simply attract new customers; it can also serve to reaffirm your business as a viable option when prospective clients search for answers to their issues. Make sure your employees are well trained so they make an impressionful debut; conversant staffers can draw people into your booth while more knowledgeable personnel can step in when difficult questions are asked of them.

Consider using photo and video technology in your booth to increase attendance, creating an immersive experience without incurring significant extra costs beyond that of renting floor space.

Depending on how large your list was from the trade show, follow up with them via social media and email. Establishing these connections may have happened at the show itself but will prove crucial in your long-term success. Show them you care by engaging them online – showing customers you appreciate their business may make the difference between retaining or losing a customer to competitors.

Make Sure You’re Prepared

Preparing for trade show events is often hectic, so creating a schedule and setting reminders will help ensure that last-minute responsibilities or emergency supplier rates don’t catch you off guard.

Make sure that you have enough promotional materials on hand, such as brochures, order forms, price sheets and business cards, for customers to take with them when asking for more information. Nothing will turn customers off faster.

Bring along a team ready to represent and answer questions on behalf of your company. This should include both a salesperson who can outline your product/service and convert potential prospects into customers, as well as an IT person for any tech support that might be necessary onsite.

Mike suggests asking your sales team what their goals for an event are; for instance, scheduling appointments with potential attendees and signing deals. This will focus their energy and attention on what truly matters.

Don’t Forget About Post-Show Follow-Up

No matter your goal for attending trade shows, it is crucial to establish clear metrics of success. Your chosen metrics may include things such as attendance and exhibitors count, social media engagements, referral traffic from online catalogs or content and number of industry publications that covered your event.

Implement a follow-up process for all of your potential leads. Based on their purchasing stage and overall reaction to your products/services, segment them as MQL or SQL so the appropriate person can contact them. Customizing emails by including specific references to their interactions at shows as well as personalizing with reference to conversation topics can demonstrate genuine interest in building meaningful relationships with prospects.

Before wrapping up, it is wise to plan a debrief call with your team in order to discuss what went well and identify areas for improvement for future events and maintain momentum! Doing this can help determine how best to approach them while keeping momentum going strong!