Trade Show Planning
		Most people who consider trade show planning think of it in terms of logistics planning. In other words planning for details like finding an exhibit, producing graphics, shipping the exhibit to the show, ordering services, etc. But seeing the full potential of a trade show program for your company requires a different type of planning. It requires setting objectives for show participation for your company, and short-range goals for each show you plan to attend. This show plan should be a written document that drives show participation decisions from show selection to exhibit design, to evaluation and measurement tools. The show plan, of course, will be different for every company. Take a look below at some questions you should answer before your next show. Answering them will put you well ahead of those other exhibitors that merely show up. What can I expect to achieve at a trade show? In order to answer this question, you need to set some specific, measurable goals, and then let everyone attending the show know what those goals are. Below is a list of objectives that you may want to consider. Generating qualified leads for sales Selling to existing customers Learning and teaching Introducing new products Increasing name awareness Others are increasing market penetration, recruiting sales personnel or gathering competitive information. Trade show objectives should be specific and focused (e.g., generate 50 qualified sales leads), tough yet achievable, measurable, and exciting. Should I give out literature? Have a simple and inexpensive piece of literature to disengage those attendees that you identify as anyone other than a qualified prospect. Save your best and most informative brochure for your qualified prospects, if they insist on taking it with them. Personalize each one as you give it to the prospect by circling an area with a pen or writing your name on, or attaching a business card to the brochure. Best bet: offer to mail literature to qualified prospects so they won't have to carry it around and so you can capture an address. Do I need a giveaway? Should I conduct a contest to attract visitors? Not necessarily. An effective pre-show promotion program announcing your participation in the show and an aggressive staff working the crowd is the best way to attract an audience. However, giveaways and premiums have a place at trade shows. If you want to reinforce a message, communicate a specific message, reward visitors for visiting the booth or motivate a visitor to do something - i.e., visit at least three demonstration stations - then giveaways should be part of your exhibit strategy. Be careful since off-target giveaways can attract too many of the wrong kind of prospects. Prior to the show: Send a personal invitation to those prospects you would most like to have visit you at the booth. Send complimentary passes if available (hand stamped, hand written). Get on the phone and give them a personal invitation to visit your booth. Have something special waiting for these people and tell them you are saving it especially for them. This should get you started in the right direction. How do I capture information from our booth visitors? Design a lead form that will ask the questions you must have answered in order to qualify a good prospect. The lead card should include the following: Who are you? What is your position or buying influence? What application or need does the prospect have? When do you plan to purchase? How many - (quantity needed) Are you considering others? Who? When can we make an appointment? (Date, Time, Location, Person Meeting, Title, Address, Phone Number) Comments The lead form will help you keep focused and will help make better use of your time on the show floor. How do I best communicate my message? There are a variety of ways to communicate your message at a trade show:    Verbally: Communicating your organization's benefits in meeting the prospect's needs.    Non-verbally: Your facial expressions, how you stand, and your gestures communicate how you feel about your company, its products and services, how comfortable you feel about being at the show, and how confident you are about communicating your company's offerings.    Graphically: The graphics on your booth communicate who you are, what you do, and the benefits in doing business with you. Make the graphics simple and highly visible.    Copy: Most booths communicate the organization's name, a booth theme, and benefits of the company's products and services. Keep the copy simple - seven words to a thought enable the prospect to read and internalize it.    Literature: Reinforce what your verbal and graphic communications express with detail. As you can see there are a variety of methods to communicate your message. The methods you use solely depend on your show strategy. Time is so limited at a trade show, what do I have to do to achieve my objectives? Time is the competition at a trade show. The most important action you can take is to assure that everyone working your booth understands that this medium is different from his or her day-to-day selling activities. Since time is limited, communication styles must be changed. There is less time to engage, develop rapport, prospect, communicate, and close. Also the buyer is primarily there to find out what is new, locate new sources of supply, and talk to technical experts. Attitude and etiquette are the other factors that will separate you from the crowd and allow you to achieve your objectives. In the booth  DO: Know your product or service Know your prospects' needs Relate your service to their needs Know your competition Be carefully groomed Wear sensible shoes Work hard Be enthusiastic Be confident Work with all prospects, even if not your territory. Be ready to talk and demonstrate Be honest Know the technical sessions offered at the show Know the show Keep the booth neat, clean, and attractive Know your way around the booth Be nice to "lookers" Be prepared to talk costs Be aware of body language (yours and theirs) SMILE DON'T: Drink Smoke Sit Eat Read Chat with other sales people in the booth Wander away Ignore a prospect Be rude Be overly aggressive Fake it Tire yourself out at night Underestimate your visitors Forget to use your lead form to keep you focused Here is an outline to complete so that your next trade show will be a success: Set Objectives - Set specific, measurable and meaningful objectives. Relay to those working the booth. Accountability - Everyone should agree to meet the specific objectives that have been set. Booth Behavior - Each person must learn the 'art' of presenting themselves to their audience, they should be aware of negative body language and develop a positive 'UP' attitude. Sales techniques - Learn the specialized 'show' sales techniques to help complete the objectives. Introduction - Look like you are happy to be there, make eye contact, and ask open-ended questions. Qualify - Before you tell a prospect anything; make sure that you know whom they are and why they are in your booth. Presentation - demonstrate whenever possible. Talk benefits instead of features. Find the solution to your prospect's problem. Listen to the prospect's needs. Close - Disengage with call to action or with a call for reaction. Follow-up - Complete any promise you have made during the presentation or close within 10 days. Pre-show publicity - Make those last minute phone calls to your 10 best prospects; invite them to the booth. Post-show evaluation - Survey booth workers - Survey attendees to get their opinion of your staff, your booth, and the products and services offered by your company. Back To My Creative Team >>