Although trade shows aren’t necessarily the most modern method of marketing your business to the public, if you know how to present yourself in the right manner, events such as these could prove to a great opportunity to get your brand out there and increase trade!
Whether you’ve been exhibiting at trade shows for a number of years or you’re looking to exhibit for the first time, there are plenty of ways which you can get the most of the time and money you’ve spent exhibiting yourself at the trade show.
From the appearance of your stand and staff, to following up with potential leads after the event has finished, these top tips for showcasing your business at a trade show will help give you the best chance of showing off what you and your business has to offer!
Research
Doing a little research before the trade show will give you a brief understanding as to who’ll be there (both competitors and consumers) so that you know exactly who to target.
The more trade shows you attend, the quicker you’ll get to grips with how exactly these events work.
Grab any opportunity to attend a similar event or speak to other people who have been or exhibited at this event or a similar one so that you’re better prepared for what to expect when you come to exhibit your own business.
Pre-promotion
Furthermore, spreading the message out to your clientele that you’ll be exhibiting at the trade show to help generate interest and boost activity on the day.
Therefore, pre-promoting your presence at the trade show is important. However along with Facebook and Twitter, there other ways and platforms for you to use to get the word out, more of which you can find out by heading to Skyline’s tips for promoting your trade show presence.
Location
The location of your stand is very important. Being based more centrally at the event or where people tend to stand around nattering and having refreshments could certainly work to your advantage.
A location that’s based near other businesses complimenting your own but which aren’t direct competitors could also give you an advantage.
You may of course not have the option of selecting where your stand is, however if you do have a say in selecting where you are, or can pay a little more money to be based in a more favourable position, then this could certainly help you out.
Presentation
It’s believed that we can make a first impression within seven seconds, therefore it’s pretty essential that your stand can successfully attract passers by to see what you have going on.
Ask yourself what would make you stop and have a look at a stand. Is is the same generic giveaways, leaflets and interior that many of the other stands have?
You need to stand out, so think a little more creatively and outside of the box. However, it’s also important to remain professional and true to your brand.
Don’t overcrowd your stand with unnecessary accessories so that it looks messy and unorganised, but perhaps think about banner stands, business cards, a laptop or iPad with a PowerPoint or video which all present your brand strongly.
Staff
Not only is the presentation of your stand important to how the public will perceive your business, but the appearance of the staff on the stand might potentially make or a break a good deal for you!
Smartly dressed staff instantly give off a more professional aura about your business. Why not think about designing T-shirts for your staff to wear?
Not only will your staff look smart and uniform, but T-shirts branded with your logo will help to reinforce your presence at the trade show. Head to Stitch Embroidery who offer high quality T-shirt printing and embroidery and transform the presentation of your staff to appear one step above the rest.
Track visitor data
Being able to seize visitor data from the trade show is an important part of the trade show process which ought not to be overlooked.
The spreadsheet of data means that you don’t have the hassle of losing business cards or noting down the wrong contact number or address of who has attended the show. It will also help hugely when it comes to following up potential customers who might have shown an interest and want to discuss further with.
The Follow up
According to Real Business, the measure and follow up stage is the most essential part of trade show exhibiting and will prove to be the real test as to whether the cost and time of exhibiting was worth it.
This is your chance to convert hot leads into customers. Following up conversations from people you met and who seemed interested in talking with you further by emailing or arranging phone calls will hopefully help you turn potential customers into sales.
Therefore, strike whilst the iron is hot and get in contact with potential leads two or three days following the event!
Hopefully you’ll have found this guide to exhibiting at a trade show useful ready for when you come to exhibit your business to the public and make the most of the day! Just remember the more you put into your trade show exhibition, either before, during or after the trade show, hopefully the more you’ll get out of it!