Attending trade shows is among the best methods of bringing the limelight to your enterprise, and provides an excellent avenue to network as well. Despite this, most businesses feel dejected at the possibility of exhibiting their products at a trade show in the beginning.
I have personally gone to dozens of tradeshows – as an exhibitor and visitor, and presently as an organizer with our Meet the Manufacturer show, I’ve gotten a couple of insights during this time. So, if it’s your first time as an exhibitor at a trade show, don’t be nervous, you’ll come to see they’re a stroll in the park when you follow these tips as a guide…
Trade shows are an ideal environment to publicize your business
The appearance of your stand is your #1 priority
You don’t necessarily need to dig deep in your pockets, but some pre-planning is integral. Knowing the precise dimensions of the stand, and this includes the height of the surrounding walls, guarantees that you won’t encounter any unforeseen obstacles. Try simulating the stand in your studio or office in advance, using markers on the floor space to measure out the dimensions. And picture where you’ll position everything.
With regard to the display, simplicity is key. Potential clients will want to know the quality of your services and get a vibe of what your business entails. Remember that it’s not a store, it’s just an exhibition of what your business offers.
Also, ensure that you’ve left sufficient floor space for viewers to fit in, and utilize the height of the walls to display your top product at ground level. Consider applying a unique color paint on the walls – when others have painted their walls white shell, a bright yellow wall will differentiate you.
Utilize the height of the walls to showcase your top products at ground level.
Publicize your attendance at the tradeshow beforehand
Make sure to send personal invitations or emails to your clients a couple of weeks prior to inform them that you’ll be at the trade fair. Take this chance to direct them to where your stand will be positioned, and if possible, try and veer them to book an appointment.
Also, take this chance to get in touch with the press and buyers you’d like to have a sit-down with and make sure that you send them a sneak peek of what you’ll be exhibiting at the tradeshow.
And remember to send a reminder message a couple of days prior to the fair to ascertain that your visitors have the date marked in their diary – you can automate this beforehand in the event you don’t have sufficient time in the days leading to the fair.
Be Social
Learn what type of hashtag the fair will be using and make sure to tag it to your social media posts in order to make it easier for prospective clients to distinguish you as an exhibitor.
Social media provides an excellent platform for your business to reach a broader audience, in addition to your already existent customer base.
Also, make sure to keep abreast of social media posts as the fair is progressing – videos and photos of your stand appearing attractive may be viewed by somebody at the event following the primary hashtag and will assist you to engage with somebody that would have otherwise not visit your booth.
Visiting at a trade show
Pre-planning to fully harness the potential of your audience
Issue a press release to amplify your exposure
Ensure that you have a recent press release to correspond with your target audience at the trade fair. Take a copy to the show’s press office and you can give them high res images displaying your items to give over in the event they receive requests from journalists in the days leading to the event. You’d be surprised at the number of exhibitors who don’t capitalize on this – this can be an excellent method of getting a competitive edge at the tradeshow.
Smile and look happy
The exhibitors that get the most out of the tradeshows are the ones that look happy and smile all through the fair, even when they have been standing for hours. You should consider what kind of signals you’re exuding and your body language, especially if you are cross-armed and look bored. Always be friendly and welcoming when engaging with visitors and make sure to chat them up.
If you’re more of the introverted, creative kind, then you should think about enlisting a family member or friend who is more sociable than you to do all the interacting with guests – but ensure you’ve shown them the ropes beforehand so they sound knowledgeable to customers.
exhibiting at a trade fair
When you’re in high spirits in your booth, new clients will be lured to you.
Demonstrations or giveaways on the booth are excellent ice-breakers
Having a special promotional offer on the day of the show can be an excellent conversation starter, as well as an easy way to acquire the contact information of visitors. This glow ball for golf is a great giveaway.
And having some kind of engaging display is a good way of luring new individuals to your booth. Our Meet the Manufacturer show exhibitors have had massive success over the years coming with a staff member from their workplace that can craft an item on the stand in real-time – this is great for promoting yourself on social media.
Have a plan for getting the contact information of leads
Most tradeshows these days use a mobile app that scans leads that visit your booth. You can scribble a couple of notes in the app and later on download a spreadsheet indicating everybody’s contact details after leaving the tradeshow – it’s way more convenient compared to business cards that may get lost when packing up. This also eliminates the hassle of typing everybody’s details at a time. And while doing so – ensure that you have sufficient business cards to issue out throughout the day.
A key component of your trade show strategy should be networking with other show exhibitors
It’s about networking, not just selling
Make the most of the time you’ll be at the fair to establish new connections and locate new clients. Engage with other exhibitors – there may be a prospective collaboration in the works and you don’t know. Also, don’t ignore those that aren’t buying. These shows are attended by bloggers, press and other influencers that could potentially boost your business by increasing awareness or getting valuable connections. Therefore, it’s crucial that you take advantage of every scenario and don’t be affixed on the revenue perspective alone.
And in case an after-show party is hosted for exhibitors, ensure that you’ve carried several business cards – when everybody is relaxed and socializing, you can whip out your cards and distribute them.
Follow up with everybody you met following the show
Send a follow-up email a few days following the show thanking the guests that visited your booth while they can still remember you. Be careful not to be pushy. It can take some time for certain leads to grow into meaningful business relationships, so take heart and be patient for things to materialize.
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