April 12, 2022
Are you attending a trade show for the first time? This can be a daunting experience – and it is easy to miss numerous points. To minimise that happening, here are five overlooked tips for success.
It is easy to simply attend a trade show and hope for the best. You might simply feel, ‘Well, a few clients and sales would be nice.’ However, it is advised that you go into this event with specific goals in mind. These goals can be everything from product sales targets to improving brand awareness.
Goals give you a target to work towards, one that helps to improve performance levels. It also supplies you with measurable data that can be compared against future trade show events.
If you’re participating in a trade show, you typically have to display a badge of some sort. Rather than do this with a plain lanyard, it is highly recommended you opt to do this with a branded alternative.
Custom lanyards may seem trivial, but they are highly effective for trade shows – among other events. Your logo is eye-catching on these lanyards, ensuring people know what brand you represent at a distance. Plus, you typically won’t only stick to your exhibit. You will walk around the venue, and your customised lanyard is a subtle yet attention-grabbing promotional tool.
Another positive is the affordable nature of branded lanyards. You don’t have to pay much for this effective, inexpensive marketing tactic.
Yes, with an exhibit, you will be providing people with information about your business. You may also go in with the intention of selling products at the event. For this tip, you should also have a gift or freebie that can be given to potential clients.
From eBooks to notebooks, from pens to plushies, there are countless directions you can take. These are fantastic marketing tools. While potential clients can quickly forget about companies they saw when at the trade show, a quick glance at a branded cup or t-shirt would quickly remind them about your business.
If you have never done it before, setting up an exhibit can take longer than you may realise. This is why you should get to the venue as early as possible. The last thing you want is to be rushing around and making your business look unprofessional in front of potential clients.
Additionally, preparation is key. Make sure you pack all of your exhibit materials correctly, ensuring they are not damaged in transit and are clearly organised when unpacking.
There’s no point in collecting a list of potential clients and doing all that work, to simply put it to one side when you get home. This is where the true work begins, converting potential clients into paying customers.
Rather than do this spontaneously, it is important to have your follow-up materials in order. Your follow-up emails, messages, phone calls, and so on, should already be pre-planned and ready to go.
