Top 5 Ways to Create Amazing Tradeshow Traffic in Your Booth.
Tradeshows can be a make or break time of year, especially in this economy. Take the time to follow industry best practices and you can make this year's tradeshows among your best yet.
- Update your website. Anyone who plans to visit you, including your competition, will be looking at your website for information. You want to convey a professional well-planned image so make sure everyone who visits your website knows where you will be, what your booth number is, show specials and contact information. Every piece of communication should sing the same song, and be consistent with its messaging.
- Start your pre-show buzz. Make sure you send your contacts invitations to the show and let them know how they can attend the event. Sometimes just a little reminder is all it takes to close the next big deal. Any pre-show advertising should clearly state your booth number and pertinent information a month or two prior to the events. Think about extending show specials to those who cannot attend. This can be done with email invitations and follow-ups. All this information should also be found on your website.
- Have great collateral and signage. Make sure your collateral screams your brand. It should be clever, consistent and relevant to the audience that will be attending the show. If the show is geared for consumers, make sure to speak to their key concerns, if it's a B2B show- make sure your collateral talks about how it can improve the bottom line for them or their business partners or make their lives easier. Your logo should be prominent and visible in many different angles no matter where a potential client may be entering.
- Prepare your talking points. Even the most seasoned sales person can't think of everything to say spontaneously. Go into the show with key points and know your stats. Try to brainstorm a different variety of questions that my come your way. Being prepared is the best way to build confidence and lower stress. Have talking points for old customers who want new product updates, introductory information for potential new business and for that one person who keeps stringing you along promising to do business with you soon.
- Don't fail to plan; write out your goals for the show! Although this might sound either overtly obvious or useless, it's a superb opportunity to measure your success. List who you want to meet, what you want to convey, how many orders or quotes you'd like to write and how your new/ beta products are received. By putting your goals on paper (or screen) you force yourself to actually commit to them and prioritize them. Which goal is more important to your overall business objectives? How you use your marketing dollars best will depend on this foundational goal. As a tangential benefit, the process also triggers other long-term planning objectives and provides the metrics to determine whether you're on the right track.
- Now go pack a bunch of business cards and have a great show!
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