Trade shows are the perfect opportunity to showcase services and products, to connect with other businesses and get your brand in front of people. It is so important to get this right. We’ve come up with 5 of our top tips for doing a killer trade show:
1. Preparation and training
Product training and briefing for staff exhibiting prior to the show is essential. Staff should be prepared to answer any questions with thorough product knowledge – not doing so will look extremely unprofessional.
Choosing the right people to man your stand is also important. Make sure to recruit confident members of staff for the day who aren’t afraid of personal interaction. Make sure you have friendly staff manning the stand, as well as rotating staff so that they don’t get fed up or tired – tired staff will communicate through to the attendees and this won’t give off a good impression!
Ensure all working on the trade stand are fully trained with your company’s products so that all questions can be answered with no hesitation. Research the product you are trying to sell from all angles and polish up on frequently asked questions so that you are ready to answer the questions immediately.
Personal presentation is key. You must be very professionally and smartly presented when dealing with visitors at your stands and wearing company shirts and blouses if your company has a uniform.
2. Display, Visuals and Samples
Your stand is what a visitor will see first. You can’t afford to get this wrong! Have a clear display area without overdoing it with merchandise, product samples and literature – there is a lot to be said for a minimal stand. In saying that, the stand still needs to be eye-catching and ease of access is crucial – you don’t want to make the visitor feel trapped.
Make sure to have perfect samples out on display for the public to see and feel. Doing so can lead to ‘puppy dog’ sales – just like a puppy, if you let someone hold or lift it, they won’t want to give it back! This could be anything from material swatches to actual product samples.
Make sure there is a strong focus on your product imagery. A good image can speak a thousand words. Having less information at first glance will also lead to customer interaction – for those wanting more information that they haven’t been given. Images of products in situ as well as computer generated are also ideal, and interactive displays and media such as video will attract visitors to your stand.
3. Engage
This one is a no-brainer. Don’t stand back and wait on a visitor to the stand – jump in and engage. They won’t bite! Always appear inviting, friendly, professional and enthusiastic. Being friendly and smiling will make you approachable. Careful not to overdo it, though: You don’t want the visitors to feel pressured or confronted.
Asking loads of ‘open’ questions will make the visitor feel comfortable – who, what, where, when, why. For example, where are you from? What type of house are you building? This will also allow you to find out if you have any other products on offer that could be suitable for their projects.
4. Freebies
Marketing materials should be on display – people love free stuff, so the more pens, rulers and other merchandise you have on display the more likely it is that people will approach you. However, be careful not to give too much away – you want people to approach you for the right reasons.
Product information packs, brochures, pens and so on are ideal for trade shows, and don’t forget to replenish literature constantly and organise literature in a presentable fashion.
5. Enquiries
This is the most important part of the show. Generate sales leads by filling in enquiry forms i.e. record the information of all potential customers who visit your stand. Try to take this information as hassle free as possible: People don’t like to give out their phone numbers or emails in case they get cold calls or junk mail.
The faster you respond to and satisfy a prospective customer’s need for information, the more likely you are convert the lead into a sale. If you don’t follow up with additional information fast, there is likely that your prospect will fade. Every minute that passes while you wait to follow up with a lead is time that a competitor could use to swoop in. If they respond to the customer with answers to their questions first, then you are essentially fighting for 2nd place.
Effective sales lead follow-up process is the simplest way to optimise your ROI in a trade show. Make it happen for you.
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