Trade Show Exhibit Advice

By: Barry Siskind

For some strange and mysterious reason exhibitors at consumer shows (B2C), don’t follow the same guidelines that those who chose business to business trade shows (B2B). While there are some obvious differences, there is no reason that many of the same rules shouldn’t apply. Here are some of the basics for the consumer show exhibitor.

1. Get focused – One of the mistakes both trade and consumer show exhibitors have in common is the lack of clear, measurable and realistic goals. For the consumer show exhibitor these may include such things as selling products, setting up meetings for future business, branding, samplings and so on. What is important is to put a value on these activities ahead of time and then ensure that your results fall within these guidelines. For example, if it would normally cost you $50.00 to realize a sale of $1,000.00 in your normal activities, then use this as your baseline. Your cost for a sale at the show needs to fall below the baseline or you are not moving forward. However, one mistake consumer show exhibitors make is focusing all their attention on immediate sales. Studies have proven that you can expect to achieve between 30% and 60% more business post-show. These money-making contacts should also be equated into your calculations.

2. It’s not retail – A consumer show exhibit is different from a retail store for three reasons: time, space and choices. Consumer show visitors spread their visit among hundreds of exhibitors which eliminates the luxury of relaxed browsing. A typical trade show booth is 10 X 10: a fraction of the size of a normal retail store. In addition visitors have lots and lots of choices to make in a very harried environment. All this means that your display, the number of products you bring and the focus of your booth needs to be well thought out so you don’t add confusion to the list of obstacles these visitors face.

3. Provide a meaningful experience – Customers don’t just want to buy products and services they also want an experience. Savvy exhibitors know this and avoid product pitches and flat uninteresting displays. The trick is to bring your presentation to life. Let your visitors feel what it is like to shop with you.

4. Give them options – Some visitors may not be prepared to make a commitment immediately and say something like “I would like to walk around and see what else there is first.” The chances of them coming back are slim. There is too much at the show to remember, too many products to differentiate between. So, rather than pressuring them into a decision, provide some mechanism for staying in touch with them. For example you may want to send them a text message in 2 – 3 hours reminding them to drop back to your trade show booth. Consider putting them on a mailing list or inviting them on a studio tour.

5. Be proactive – I am not suggesting you become overly aggressive, but rather take the approach of welcoming visitors to your trade show display. Get rid of those time-worn questions like, “Can I help you?” Attempt to engage them in a meaningful conversation which will give you clues to what products and services you can direct their attention to.

Participating in a consumer show has its rewards. With some pre-planning and effort you can realize your goals.

Do you have any experience in consumer show exhibiting? I’d love to hear about it!

By: Barry Siskind

When it comes to networking opportunities, trade shows provide one of the best venues. Here is the one place where everyone in your industry congregates for a few short days and is focused on one thing – business.

Over the last few years we have seen a significant drop in the number of people who attend shows while the quality of those who do come has risen. This is important news for an exhibitor or a visitor who wants to meet and greet those often inaccessible industry people.

These are the same people you have left countless unanswered telephone and e-mail messages for. These may be the same people who will ultimately decide on the purchase of your product or service. There will be the movers and shakers – people who have their finger on the pulse of your industry. All you need to do is be prepared.

Here are a few tips on preparing your networking activities for your next trade show.

1. Define your objective. Be really clear about what you want to accomplish whether it’s meeting decision makers, product experts, industry guru’s, forecasters or people who work for your competitors.  Ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish with these people?”  If you want to learn more about your industry for example, take this statement a step further and ask, “What specifically?”

2. Make a list of the people you want to meet and the most likely place to meet them. This will include such places as receptions, on the show floor, at participating hotels, during industry events such as meetings, banquets and sporting events or at a lecture.

3. Attempt to reach these people ahead of time to set up a pre-arranged meeting. This is a great idea because the people that you want to meet, just like you, are busy and have full schedules.

4. Develop a list of questions. Rather than leaving the meeting to chance it’s always better to spend a bit of time preparing the questions ahead of time. Questions like the one in Step 1 – “What specifically?”

5. Recording information. Bring a notebook, to record the information you are gathering.

6. Bring your business cards. Its simply good business etiquette to exchange business cards during a business meeting. Having this contact’s card also gives you their vital statistics so you can get in touch with them after the show in case you have additional questions or need some clarification on the information they gave you.

7. Thank them. Not only after the meeting is over but immediately after the show. It’s good business practice to send an e-mail or letter thanking them for the time they spent with you and the value their information had.

8. Look for opportunities to add information of your own. During your face to face meetings you may stumble across bits of information the person you are meeting with may be looking for. Here is a great chance to give something back to the conversation. But, be careful and avoid gossip. Keep the information you are sharing factual and positive.

Sometimes we get so focused on setting up  a trade show exhibit or planning a trip we neglect the power we can cultivate with a strong network. Put these eight simple steps to work at your next show and reap the rewards that come from adding networking to your show schedule.