TRADE SHOW SEASON - Mistakes, Selection and Tips

COMMON MISTAKES

1. LACK OF ENERGY - Remember last year? You spent the last two days of the Show staring at the stream of people passing in front of your booth with a blank look in your eyes ….. you were simply exhausted. The long season, the driving in the snow to get to the big town, the setting up the booth, a couple of extra drinks at night. You made it through the first couple of days and then the 'what the heck' attitude settles in. Not even those well placed elbows in your rib cage had the usual effect. You simply gave up, you'd had enough -"nobody is going to book a darn trip anyway - they are just kicking tires". It is understandable, but you are wasting your own money, and you are not making a good impression on the potential clients. Make sure you have the mental and physical energy to work the floor from start to finish.
2. NOT ENOUGH SOLDIERS - This is strictly related to the point above. If you know that you are not going to last a couple of days, make sure you bring more help. You may stack their arrivals to reduce the costs, but if you run out of juice, you should schedule to have one or two replacements. Maybe your director, maybe your cook (OK you fired the cook), maybe one of your friends. It does not matter whom you choose, for positive energy, an eye contact and a smile work miracles ... and book trips.
3. PAPER IS HEAVY - Be light on the brochures - ¾ of all literature taken from trade shows is tossed before it is even read. Maybe you want to consider an alternative format to the old 8.5x11 trifold brochure. A pen, a bookmark, a laminated business card or postcard, a sticker a notepad. Anything that may have an alternative use and may convince the attendee to keep it for a while longer will give you an edge. Check out these companies. They may have a solution for your particular situation. We know they have helped other in the past with their show needs.
4. MIXING SHOWS and VACATIONS - The great majority of the businesses of our part of the Outdoor industry are family teams. As a rule husband and wife constitute the hub around which the whole operation spins. It is not easy to live and work together 365 days a year and being in the 'vacation' business we feel the vacationing is a waste of time. Thus, somebody came up with the brilliant idea of mixing SHOW and VACATION. It may work for some people, but for many others is just a distraction. However if the 'only vacation' you choose for your wife is to take her to the Reno Hilton for the classic SCI Show to work the aisle … taking away this dismal incentive, could prove fatal to your marriage. Shame on you! ... and we rest our case.
5. THIS IS NOT NEW YORK CITY! (use your eyes) - to survive a long and non-eventful and accident-free life is the big apple one of the rules is "AVOID EYE CONTACT". It is just the opposite at the shows. You must engage the attendees, one by one, as many as you can. Remember that the attendees have limited time and attention span, which requires you to come up with quick qualifying strategies, and lead generating tactics. Don't let them walk in front of your booth without a smile or a "howdy".
6. MAKE ROOM - your exhibit makes a strong statement about who your company is, what you do, and how you do it. Make sure you have the room to accommodate more than one inquiry at the time. Often one badly designed booth may prevent multiple contacting. You know that traffic comes in waves. The aisle is either empty or full. Make room.

SHOW SELECTION

1. RULE #1 - select the shows you want to exhibit, only after you have set your trade show objectives.
2. TOO MANY SHOWS - There are over 13,000 trade shows, conferences, expositions, private and business-to-business events in North America, featuring 1.5 million exhibiting companies competing for the over 100 million attendees. The good thing is that searching for any show on the Internet is a breeze. There are several companies that will help you sorting through these immense numbers and here is a list of the major players:
http://www.tscentral.com/
http://www.tsnn.com/
http://www.tradeshowweek.com/
www.vts.com/
http://www.tradeshowbiz.com/
3. KEEP IT SIMPLE - Then again, if you want to keep it simple, ask 10 clients of yours which shows they go to. If you hear the same show name repeated again and again, you know where to go! But if you need new clients ... keep reading below.
4. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX - to find new 'unexplored niches' would you consider setting up your booth promoting your Fishing Lodge at a …. Dentist Convention? (you better floss for a while before you decide to go, and a bad breath here is a true killer, however …) Here is the website for ADA (American Dental Convention) http://www.ada.org/prof/events/index.asp For our Canadian friends, try the Canadian Dental Association http://www.cda-adc.ca/ The advantage to this approach is obvious. Most likely you will be the only non-dentist related exhibitor and certainly the only fishing lodge. Do you think the dentists will come to see you? You bet! Your business will constitute a 'novelty' among tooth brushes, high speed drills and other pain inflicting implements. And, if dentist are good enough, how about Building contractors, car dealers, candy makers, lawyers, retired police officers, etc etc. etc. Maybe, by thinking outside the box, you will to be the first there...

SHOW TIPS

1. STAND UP - when you sit down either behind your display or in the corner of your booth, people read your body language and assume that you are taking a brake. Respecting the message you send, they will move down the aisle. Don't do that. Stand up straight behind your display or even engage them in the aisle. (On the same token, if you need to take a lunch break, make sure someone is replacing you and if at all possible, do not eat in the booth).
2. GIVE VISITORS AN INCENTIVE: Whatever promotional vehicles you may decide to use, make sure that you give visitors a reason to visit you. With a hall overflowing with fascinating products/services, combined with time constraints, people need an incentive to come and visit your booth. Which one is your incentive this year?
3. SMILE, SMILE SMILE: it sounds simplistic, but one of the major turn-offs is a busy looking body language, a sour face, and the lack of eye contact. You are at the Show to capture your prospective clients. Smile or bring along somebody that does. It does not cost you money, but it can make you some.
4. AFTER HOURS (we don't mean at the bar) Setting up appropriate after-hours follow up will ensure productive results and will help you remain on target with your trade show efforts. A few minutes recapping what has happened each day, organizing phone numbers, contact names and addresses, will help keeping things ready for the next point when you get home.
5. WHILE THEY'RE HOT - we frequently make the mistake of contacting trade show leads, months after the show. Make sure you set aside extra office time to follow-up with all leads within weeks of your trade show exhibit.
6. PRE-SHOW Marketing - some of you are keeping a good database of your past clients. If you do not have it, you better start one now. Repetitive customers may already be the bread and butter of your operation, but you are going to the show to get more clients right? Right! Then, you may want to send out, along with your Christmas cards, Birthday card or the picture of your new boat, a schedule of your show attendance. By the way, you need to publish that on your website as well.
7. MIND YOUR BREATH - After you are done with a prospective client, take a drink of water and add a breath mint refreshner. A simple way to make sure that attendees will pay attention to your story and not your breath. It does happen.
8. SHAKE HANDS and introduce yourself (like you do at home) - When people enter your booth and ask a question about a product you have on display, the natural tendency is to immediately launch into your sales pitch…but don't do it. Instead, introduce yourself and ask your visitor for their name. Shake their hand and welcome them to the booth before you turn your attention to their question. Making a personal connection with the prospect sets the stage for a more in-depth qualifying conversation.