The trade show business is a 96 billion dollar industry - everything from convention centers to the trade show booth and space. Someone must be doing something right if this industry continues to grow. If you are not using face to face trade show events to generate leads for your business, you might want to think about adding this type of marketing tool to your overall business plan. CEIR says that 86% of trade show attendees will be new prospects for you with a less costly return on investment if they close. Something to think about!
So what is the problem? Why isn't everyone doing it? Mostly because 76% of sales people think that the value of leads at a trade show are no better than a cold call. YIKES! This is where marketing plays a pointing fingers game at sales and visa versa. But the key is that if your company focuses on the RIGHT trade show events to attend where there is a large portion of your target market participating AND if you plan and set objectives then these shows can be very effective for your organization and be more than just a cold call.
There are things that you can NOT do - like ask prospects -How can I help you? Would you do that on a cold call - I think not!! You need to be very specific. If you have already done your homework then you should know a few things about the target market attending - and your questions should be very specific like -
- We have seen clients with this type of problem in this industry, are you experiencing that?
- What brings you to this xxx type of show?
- What products are you using today?
- Who’s product are you using today?
- What problems in your business do
you need help with in this industry?
