TRADE SHOW MARKETING TIPS
Are you looking to maximize your marketing and PR
opportunities at an upcoming trade show? If so, here
are some trade show marketing tips from Susan
Friedman, "The Tradeshow Coach".
Trade show giveaways and free gifts
If you've attended a number of trade shows, you know
that chocolate is often used as a way to lure you to a
company booth. And while it is certainly a tasty treat, it
may not be the best thing to giveaway to attendees. So
what should you do?
According to Friedman, well-thought-out trade
show giveaways do work. Irrelevant, unimaginative
freebies do not.
However, you don't have to
spend
a lot of money to devise a great giveaway -- you just
need to come up with some creative ideas. Effective
giveaways provoke questions and give visitors a
reason to pause long enough to learn something
about your company.
Generating sales from trade shows
So, what's the best way to generate sales at trade
shows? First, it is a good idea to "presell" your booth
by sending customers and prospects a note or an
email with your booth number, inviting them to stop by
and pick-up a small gift, participate in a giveaway, or
take advantage of special show prices.
You should also develop a short list of questions
to
quickly separate the serious buyers from the
browsers. The bottom line: focus on the buyers.
Also, it is a good idea to prepare a 30-second
rundown of the benefits of using your product or
service.
Also, keep in mind that not every sale
occurs at the show. Sometimes buying cycles are
spread out over many months, so follow-up is very
important to capturing these orders.
Here's the challenge: Find a way to stay in touch with
your show prospects.
Media coverage
Trade shows can be a golden opportunity for you to
garner media coverage. Start by identifying the
relevant trade media that cover your industry. Try to
schedule a new product introduction, update, or other
announcement to coincide with the show.
If possible, arrange interviews with editors several
weeks prior to the show.
The media will
usually
decide at the last minute whether or not to attend.
Continue to send the media updated information
and photos so they remember your company
name. Look for specific news angles to interest
different media.
Another tactic is to use your Web site to display
useful advice as well as to promote your trade
show participation.
And finally, Friedman recommends collating all
publicized articles and media coverage before,
during, and after the show and sending them to
customers and prospects, as appropriate.
