Think you know how to work a trade show?

This will be a several part series that goes over the do's and don't of trade shows. Trade shows are a key to your business success, both attending a show as a guest and being an exhibitor is a must. You need to find out what shows are best for you to show off your product with a booth and which shows are better for you just to attend, the only way to know this is to actually go to the show and check it out- it's a bit of trial and error, but either way your presence there is necessary for your business to succeed.

The most important element of a trade show is to remember to sell- do not leave your sales shoes at the door- and do not be lazy!
But somehow most people tend to get lazy when attending a show- they expect people to walk up introduce themselves and throw money at them. Let me give you a big tip- THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN- you need to work a trade show, just like any other client. Sales reps die at trade shows all day long, so do not make that mistake. Selling in a booth is totally different from selling in the field. Most shows are not for selling, but for visits existing clients and qualifying new ones. Actually its more about generating leads, then actually selling anything.

But anyway you look at it- trade shows are full of bad sales techniques- so I am going to take a few parts and explain them to you and how to not fall into that category of what not to do.

The first DO NOT at a trade show and this is a biggie!
DO NOT sit in the booth!
This is the biggest no no! Usually the sitters are the people who were forced into coming and they are not the sales staff- either way there is no excuse for sitting in the booth. You should not even use your chairs- and in no way should you have your butt on the seat. Push your table back and stand in front of it- and invite people into your space- that way you can have a more intimate conversation with them that is out of the way of the other guests. The easiest way to invite people into your space is with a promotional product, and even better- something that is sparkly and will catch their eye. Even something basic as a pen, calling people over to you and saying "here is a pen" or "have a notepad" gets people to come over to you- do not be the booth that has promotional products sitting on the table- hand them out people! Come on don't be lazy- you are working the room. If someone is not a qualified lead- the give them your product and them them on their way- don't waste your time or theirs. If they are a qualified lead then you have a minute to get their card and give them yours. It's a win win situation, and now they also have a product with your name on it, and remember- people who receive a promotional product will remember your business longer.

Step 2 Create Continuity

You can build a bigger order and more profit by taking to your clients about continuity, such as a series of products that are distributed over time to an specific audience. When you do this you lay the groundwork for either a larger dollar order up front or a string a follow up orders over a set period of time, it all depends on how your customer wants to purchase product. Continuity programs are effective at securing future sales. For example a desk set, where each year or each quarter your customer adds to the set, one time a clock, the next a pencil holder, the next a letter opener, and so on, you get the idea. Your clients will benefit because they are more likely to remember an advertiser when a message is sent to the repeatedly over a period of time, this makes your customers investment more profitable. It's far better to spend more money up front and get a better returns on the back end than to save pennies only for lesser results.

Advertising To Get Noticed December 23, 2008

"Advertising is salesmanship mass produced. No one would bother to use advertising if he could talk to all his prospects face to face. But he can't."- Morris Hite

Advertising to Get Noticed December 17, 2008

"The most truthful part of a newspaper is the advertisements."- Thomas Jefferson