Trade Show Display Marketing Tips and Advice

Two weeks ago, people were tweeting pictures of razors submerged at the bottom of their toilet bowls. No, this wasn’t a wacky teen challenge to make your dad late for work. It was a protest against Gillette’s latest advertisement -- one that confronts toxic masculinity.  Brands that craft controversial advertisements like Gillette’s, however, expect this type of response, at least from some people. Taking any kind of stance on sensitive social issues tends to lead to disagreement. But advocating for the causes you truly believe in usually has more pros than cons.  Check out these examples!

Paying for a booth space at your next associations trade show event is easy.  You look at the map and you figure out how much of your marketing budget needs to be applied to this tactic - a 10x20 space or a 20x20 island space seems to give you the best return on your investment.  After that the real fun starts!  Planning your booth design, the graphics and messaging, and who will help generate the leads in that event.   Here are some simple yet strategic trade show marketing tips that you can use for your next event!

So you've done the preliminary research on a prospect and it looks like you could really help their company. Next step? Get them on the phone.

Cold calling used to be one of the best -- and only -- prospecting strategies salespeople could use.  But in the past 40 years, a variety of more effective alternatives have emerged like a good trade show event.     A good prospecting strategy is: Consistent: It reliably generates new leads, High-return: It generates a high number of potential customers for the amount of energy and resources required, and targeted: It connects you with the right prospects, not just any prospects.  Why doesn't cold calling fit this criteria?

The Tradeshow Network  is a full-service global trade show display marketing partner. Its award-winning team of seasoned professionals has collaborated with exhibitors worldwide to create engaging and interactive brand experiences. Since 1990, its professional team has worked with clients to provide optimum exposure. It offers the total event package of services by delivering creative, compelling and dynamic exhibits across the globe, for businesses large and small. Customers can make their next strategic decision a successful one, and partner with The Tradeshow Network Marketing Group for all their trade show needs.  But did you know that they can also help you with your marketing needs?  Check out the new website they have designed for a client:

As a marketer, one of the most satisfying feelings is when you can rely on your existing customers to help grow awareness of your company. It's a hallmark of inbound marketing—when you deliver quality content that people recommend to their own. However, it doesn't hurt to give your content a bit of a boost by incentivizing your existing customers to spread the good word about your company.  One way to do this is to create a contest where you see which evangelist generates the most new interactions with your site. The following article gives you step-by-step instructions for setting up this type of contest, ensuring that your existing customers get proper credit for all the leads they bring in. We'll be using contact properties, a new form, and a new email to help create this process.

Hard work, like success, is subjective, and if you ask a salesperson if they work hard, 99% of them will tell you they work harder than anyone they know - even in a trade show booth setting.  In my experience, though, the average salesperson works as if they are in a normal job, not one that rewards with performance-related pay.

They swan in, make a few phone calls to hit their quotas, hide behind some admin because they "don't feel like it today," look for some positive affirmation from colleagues by discussing problem clients and reasons they didn't make a sale, remind everyone of their most successful deals or why someone got lucky with a big deal, book some meetings internally or externally, do some internet shopping and then go home at 5:30 p.m. sharp. Within their psyche is an element of hope that things will be OK and the phone will ring with the odd bonus deal to keep them hitting their numbers.

Minus actually closing the deal, is there anything better than those first few moments after a killer pitch? You found a perfect-fit prospect, ran a solid discovery call, and customized the presentation to meet their exact needs. The post-presentation rush is almost unmatched. How could they possibly walk away after that? But then … silence. You’re checking your email every two minutes, you’re leaving a voicemail every hour on the hour, and you’re trying to explain to your manager why they haven’t closed. It’s the cold shoulder after a blissful first date.

Everyone in sales has felt this pain at some time or another. It’s tough. So here’s a list of nine deadly follow up mistakes to avoid after a pitch. Think of this as your wingman, guiding you away from doing or saying something you’ll regret and losing a chance to win that account for good.

Even in your trade show booth you usually only get one chance to close. If you’re successful, the hard work you’ve done over the past days, weeks, or months will literally pay off.  But if you’re unsuccessful, you’ll have nothing to show for those hours. No wonder closing is one of the most stressful parts of selling.  Since prospects, opportunities, and personal style differ so much, there isn’t a single optimal closing style. To help you find the best one for a specific deal, use this guide of TK techniques.

Check out this article about getting Facebook likes,   The truth is, Facebook is a marketing channel and it can be extremely effective. But it needs time and commitment like any other marketing strategy.  Having a Facebook page without having a social and content strategy to use this channel to bring in new customers to your business is worthless. Even worst, it’s a waste of time. It’s like printing flyers and then not distributing them.  However, if you see the potential of a marketing channel with a potential reach of over 1.6 billion users, then yes you’ll need a Facebook Page, you’ll need likes, you’ll need a strategy to engage them and convert them into customers.  So how do YOU use Facebook - especially when you are investing in a trade show booth at an event?