Tip #6 – Stay Relevant.

“The average trade show attendee will spend seven to eight hours on the floor over a period of two to three days visiting an average of 25-31 exhibits. This leaves five to 15 minutes per visit – just five to 15 minutes to make a lasting impression that will give you an edge over the competition,” explains www.skylinetradeshowtips.com. Are you prepared to make that impression?

While a great thing about trade shows is that attendees have chosen to be there—so there is already a level of interest and pre-qualification—it can be overwhelming to attendees once they hit the show floor, especially if the relevancy of what they’re looking for is a small percentage of what is being shown. The following are some things to think about to make sure you’re staying RELEVANT and sending out a clear message to attract the right people to your booth.

First, consider your booth. Have you been using the same graphics for the past five years? Chances are your messaging has changed. Images may appear outdated. Stay current, or you won’t appear to be on the cutting-edge of your industry. As you consider new messaging1:

 

  • Make a list of your prospect types, and then list their likes and dislikes, needs, objectives and concerns. This helps you understand what is relevant to them.
  •  Make a list of the benefits of your product or service. Speak directly to prospects about how your product helps them solve a problem or provide a benefit.
  •  Armed with this knowledge, create bullet points with three to five words to list the benefits of your product or services.
  •  Use only three or four key bullet points (remember less is more).

 

Good targeted messaging not only helps you attract qualified attendees, it also helps weed out unqualified visitors. You can then focus your time on true buyers rather than large numbers of people that don’t have a need for your products or services.

 

Next, consider your giveaways. Pens and fun gadgets have their place, but you could consider more content-related giveaways that provide relevant information. As www.swayenginemarketing.com points out, “Give away well-written, well-researched information that your ideal customers must have, and they will actively seek your booth… Attendees have limited time, and they want the most out of their trip. If they know you’re going to give them a book, white paper, survey data, presentation or some other content-rich product that will help their businesses grow, they will find your booth, even if it’s in the back corner.” Remember to promote your giveaway in all your pre-show marketing so prospects know to seek you out.

 

Finally, consider your follow up. A 2009 CEIR survey found that 56% of show attendees would prefer to receive information about a trade show via email rather than by other methods of notification.2 This statistic also applies to post-show communication. After visiting with a hot prospect and learning what they need, make sure you jot down a few notes about them. In the following weeks and months, find something that could help them – even if it isn’t your product or service at the time—and send a quick email with “Just thought you’d find this interesting.” Providing relevant information to prospects, and sharing information even when it doesn’t result in an immediate sale, builds a more valued relationship for future sales.

 

Want another tip? Tip #7 shows you how to “Switch It Up”.

SOURCES:

1. http://www.tsteacher.com/TST_Newsletter_1109_GetYourMessageOut.html

2. Power of Exhibitions in the 21st Century; Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), 2009