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How many leads do you get at your biggest trade show? Let’s say you get 500 leads. Of them, how many are actually in your demographic sweetspot? How many let you scan their badge because they like your neon pink stress balls?

How many attendees where there? 10,000? 100,000? Of them, how many passed by your booth display? How many passed by your booth repeatedly? Have you seen the same several hundred faces pass your booth repeatedly?

Of the people that walked up your aisle, how many gravitated toward that one fancy looking trade show exhibit with all the intriguing displays and passed you up?

Well, if you picked the right trade show to exhibit at, it’s safe to say that about 10% of the attendees could be your customers. If you only captured leads from half the people who are in your market demographic, 5% of 10,000 is 500 qualified leads. That’s 500 people who actually have an interest in you. It’s NOT the 500 leads you normally get.

This nets you 500% more qualified leads. AND it culls away 400 time and productivity vortexes who would have spent hours chatting with your lead sales guys about nonsense. How much is THAT worth?

PROBLEMS:
So here’s the million dollar question, how do you

1. Increase your qualified lead volume by at least 500%?

2. Decrease your phantom lead volume by at least 80%?

ANSWERS:
1. Don’t give away chocolate (unless you’re a chocolate maker)

2. Don’t give away toys (unless you’re a toy maker)
If you want to take a quantum leap in your trade show ROI, you’ll need to ask trade show organizers and exhibit display makers for case studies

3. Yes, give away something valuable but ONLY if it didn’t cost you anything:

a. Give away proprietary data, a white paper, an ebook, but make sure it’s something that ONLY your prospects would be interested in.

b. Give away a valuable electronic research document so you have to get the freeloader’s email address

c. Sell samples of your products for $1 each. make the dollar go into an almost full see through charity box. this way you know exactly how many units you gave away and you earn wide spread good will. you BRAND yourself as a company that gives back. you’ll be remembered.

You can even mark footnote the donation box with the words, all profits will go to charity. After the charity, deduct the actual costs of samples.

d. Only give away items that directly lead to sales of your products or services and clearly display what it is that you’re giving away in a big overhead trade show truss display. (you don’t think THAT will bring you more traffic?)

4. Make alliances - Make deals with non competing exhibitors to trade leads. If you make 3 alliances you’ll get 100% more leads. simple math.

If you sell hot dogs and sausages and you’re at a food fair, make an alliance with a mustard maker and a bun maker.

5. Launch an adult easter egg hunt - Give a token to every vistor and tell them that if they go to booth number J-15, they can get another token. Then, if they go to booth number D-7, they can claim their free hot dog. of course, you’re still better off giving away a free database of some sort or other. AND if you put your heads together with your other marketing alliance partners, I’m sure you can come up with some pretty racy data your prospects would love to get a hold of.

6. To do all this, you’re going to have to dub a manager in your company the Director of Alliances.

7. And finally, you’re going to have to pick the brains of the organizers of the best trade shows and Trade Show Displays and Exhibits Companies that have a ton of experience in your particular industry. Contact the Exhibit Source.

sparkah.com

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As a business owner, you understand that there are many types of marketing opportunities and give you an overview for you to take advantage of. Trade show marketing is one of your options.

Trade Shows and Expo’s – Exhibiting at a trade show or expo is about awareness more than anything, many business owners make the mistake of thinking they will sell enough to pay for their booth or stall space and yet this is often not at all realistic.

Trade show exhibiting is more about building awareness, being seen, showcase your expertise, products and services, and meeting the community to create conversations, present your information and make contact in person with your audience. The more targeted the show the better as this is a great way of putting your business in front of a pre-qualified audience.

Just remember a trade show or expo is not a market and your trade booth is not a shop. Think long term about your participation and prepare to dazzle the show visitors with free demonstrations and great information – prove to the audience why they need what you have. Think long term gains.

For assistance creating a captivating a trade show exhibit, contact The Exhibit Source.

Business 2 Community

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Trade shows and events are staples of marketing, but they are also very expensive, so you need to make the most of them.

Trade shows are one of marketing’s biggest budget line items including exhibit construction, storage, transportation, erection and space rental, along with staffing and travel expenses.  As a result, you need to be sure that you do trade shows right.

Trade show investment is high, but more often than not, exhibitors rely on card readers for the sole measure of lead and results, trade show booths lack customer interaction, and little or no pre-show or at-show promotion or communication takes place.

Keep in mind that trade shows can attract thousands of customers and prospects, channel partners, prospective employees and other important contacts.

Follow these trade show best practices:

Promotion:
Be sure to properly promote your exhibit via pre-show and at-show communications. Often trade show producers will provide email lists of registrants, some free of charge. Certainly, email and contact customers and prospects prior to the show, with your exhibit location, invites to hospitality events and related. Prior to the show, schedule customer, prospect and editor meetings.

Customer Interaction:
Be sure to enhance customer interaction with attractive exhibit design, graphics and video. Create a “buzz” before and during the show with promotions, contests, celebrity appearances, hospitality, and entertainment events.

Measurement:
As mentioned before, results measurement at trade shows is typically weak or lacking. Be sure to measure trade show results in multiple areas:  card readers, contest registrations, editorial placements, sales personnel notes and more.

To make the most of your trade show exhibit, contact The Exhibit Source.

Construction Marketing Association

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Here are a few ideas for a more successful trade show experience. Even if you will only be attending the show, these tips will help make the next trade show you do exhibit at a more rewarding and profitable selling experience.

First, make sure that everyone in your network and all of your clients and potential clients know you will be exhibiting at the show. The Trade Show Bureau reports that 45% percent of trade show attendees are drawn to a company’s trade show exhibit as the direct result of a personal invitation. The personal invitation will definitely increase the traffic from buyers.

Preplanning is very important, but appropriate follow-up is critical. The vast majority of exhibitors do not engage in any form of organized follow-up (leaving the field wide open for those who do). Have your trade show sales staff collect leads and sort them with the hottest leads marked for immediate follow-up. Ideally, you should follow up on leads obtained at the show within one to two weeks.

Don’t bring a chair, you shouldn’t be sitting. Consider placing the booth table at the side or back of the booth, removing that physical barrier between you and the potential customer who approaches the booth. If the table will be holding handouts, always keep a few in your hand.

For more information on trade show marketing, contact The Exhibit Source.

Syracuse.com

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