|
A trade show offers your company the best ability to get involved with a large group of existing clients and prospects. For the latter group especially, it is important to have a very good plan going in. Planning for each phase should take place months before the show date, but this is a bird's-eye view of the process. Any trade show can be broken down into three distinct, very important parts:
1. Pre-Show: Enticement to Visit Your Booth
A “Save The Date” email campaign consists of several compelling and enticing tidbits to your clients and prospects about why to visit your booth at the show. In addition to your lower cost email marketing efforts, you should strongly consider doing a direct mail campaign. Promotions and giveaways are tried and true ways to gain exposure to your exhibits. People will go out of their way to have the chance to win an iPod.
Small websites (microsites) dedicated to your new products will carry you through each phase of the process, allowing customers to view your products/services, see them in person at the show, and ultimately order them online via the microsite.
2. The-Show: Your Time to Shine
A typical industry trade show will have dozens, if not hundreds, of companies vying for the attention of each attendee. Your first goal is to attract them to your booth, to learn about your products and services. Some of this legwork should have been done with the pre-show email and direct mail campaigns. To attract the eyes of those prospects that you were unable to reach using those methods, you need to have an attractive and compelling setup.
You are going to want to leave the potential client with some printed materials or other collateral. Brochures, sales slicks, business cards, and other print marketing materials are a good start and are considered the minimum. You may want to consider investing in items that your potential client may want to keep, and not just throw in their hotel waste bin. For example: USB thumb drives customized with your logo, loaded up with PDFs of all of your print materials, and your virtual business card will be kept for their future use. The larger capacity USB drive you use, the less likely people will be to lose it.
3. Post-Show: Sealing the Deal
During the show, you gathered a number of business cards and contact information. Now is the time to put them to use. Following up with interested parties and warm leads is the most important part of any trade show cycle. A few days to a week after the show—after your prospects have returned to their offices—is the time to remind them of how great your product is, and how they feel about your company. In addition to a follow up phone call, a focused email campaign reiterating your value proposition will help close the deal.
In conclusion, if you want to maximize your efforts, and your ROI, make sure that you have a plan built to deal with each phase of the process. Allow us to put you on a pedestal above the rest of the herd—separating you from your competition and increasing your market share.
Sides Media Studio can help you plan, execute, and be successful with your trade show endeavors. Don't regret letting valuable prospects fall through your fingers, when they could have become long-term clients.
|
