Stand out at your next trade show.
Exhibiting at industry trade shows and conferences can be an efficient means of reaching prospects. Such events bring together a concentration of highly qualified professionals in a specified field that few other marketing efforts can match. Exhibit halls, however, are packed with exhibitors vying for the attention of that same audience. How will your company stand out?
Costumes and Mascots
A person in costume is an attention-getter and conversation starter. Your mascot can either be someone who's knowledgeable about your product or service and capable of giving a sales pitch or a lead-generator, with your qualified salespeople joining the conversation at the right time. Send your mascot on a walk around the trade show floor to engage people and direct them to your booth. A magician or other entertainer can also attract attention. Meet with your entertainer in advance of your event so he can incorporate parts of your sales pitch into his act.
Social Media and Mobile Devices
The increasing popularity of social media and mobile Internet access creates opportunities to drive traffic to your booth. Use status updates or hashtags to reach your network and the show's social media following to encourage visits to your booth. Offer the next five people who stop by your booth a gift card via Twitter, for example. Keep in mind that mobile Internet access is on the rise and many of your prospects are connected during the show.
Large-Scale Displays
Trade show booths have limited dimensions, but you can build a product display that extends them vertically. Build a tower or other structure out of your product. If it's large enough and interesting enough, prospects will stop to look at it, offering you the opportunity to engage them in conversation. Bigger is often better on the trade show floor.
Engaging Activities
Set up a fun activity at your booth and prospects are sure to spend more time there. Mini-golf, massages, facials and video games are all activities that can easily be set up at a trade show booth. While prospects are engaged in the activity, you'll have the opportunity to make your sales pitch.
Drawings or Raffles
Many exhibitors give away inexpensive items at their booth. Rather than giving a way lots of little items, consider raffling off one more expensive item. Choose an item your audience would be interested in and promote the drawing in advance of the trade show. Consider sending your prospects a ticket that needs to be turned in at the booth to register for the drawing. Another variation is to limit the drawing to people who make a minimum purchase or sign up for your service during the show.
Online Videos
Technology has made it possible to quickly create videos and post them online. This can be an ideal way to reach prospects who either couldn't attend the show or didn't make it to your booth. Create a video summary of what happened at your booth each day and post in on your website or elsewhere online. Alert your prospects in advance of the show that they can catch up on each day's activity via video and alert them again when each video is posted.
Meetings in Your Booth
Create an area within your booth where you can meet one-on-one with highly interested prospects. Make it as private and comfortable as possible and invite prospects to sit down and continue your conversation there.
User Group Meetings
If the trade show floor is too impersonal a setting in which to meet with important customers, invite them to a meeting elsewhere. Send an invite to your best customers or hottest prospects in advance of the show and hold a small meeting where you can make a special presentation to them and answer their specific questions. Many exhibit halls have meeting space available or you can hold sessions at a nearby hotel. Include breakfast or lunch to entice attendance.
Tags: your booth, trade show, sales pitch, show floor, trade show floor, your booth