Successful Trade Show Tips You Can Use!

Successful Trade Show Tips You Can Use!

As with most businesses, most owners welcome any information that will catapult their business into the profitability zone. Here are some successful trade show tips to help boost your business. With things constantly changing, you need to be aware of any little knowledge that will help keep your business in the ‘black’!

Read on and see what this contributed article has to say about successful trade show tips!

Trade Show Real Talk: Making The Most Of Industry Events

We’ve run a couple of posts on the amazing benefits of trade shows on this blog recently. But knowing what a trade show can give your small business is only half the story – what happens when you get there?

With this in mind, we’re going to take a look at the multitude of things you need to remember if you want to achieve success at your next trade event. Ready to get started? Then read on to find out more.

Picking The Right Event

Once you understand the benefits of trade shows, there might be a temptation to get involved with the first one that crops up. Don’t – it’s all too easy to pick the wrong event for your business. It’s critical that you only choose trade shows that are going to benefit you.

For example, as a small business, you are likely to be hidden away in the corner of a huge industry show, with all the major sector players being able to afford the best pitches. Choose a smaller event, however, you might just grab yourself a better seat at the table.

Ultimately, though, the most critical aspect of the choosing phase is to ensure there is enough relevance for your product or service. It might sound obvious, but countless small businesses end up paying huge stall fees and wasting a lot of money on events that just aren’t compatible.

The Planning Stage

For success at trade events, it’s not good enough to turn up on the day and hope for the best – you are pretty much guaranteed to flop. Instead, make sure you start planning at least a few months in advance to give yourself enough time to prepare and do everything you can to get the maximum benefit.

Start by creating a clear set of goals. What do you want to achieve? Why do you want to go? What can you do to ensure those goals are met?

You don’t have to go to a trade event with the sole purpose of making sales – and you might be disappointed, at any rate. But you do need a solid plan and strategy for achieving your aims, whether it’s getting more signups to your service or just getting your name out there and finding some exposure.

Everything You Need

The first thing you need to consider in terms of equipment is your stall. It needs to be striking, welcoming and include plenty of nice, eye-catching graphics. And it is going to cost you some money, so make sure you have a reasonable budget put aside for your stall.

You will also need lots of marketing materials printed up – again, well in advance of the big day. People love free stuff, so lots of branded items are a great way of getting your name and contact details out there – think free pens, thumb drives, mugs – anything that people might need. These are the items that will remind the potential customer of what you are all about – so make sure you leave them with positive memories!

Building A Team

You also need to prepare your team for the big day. Trade shows can be long and arduous, so it’s vital to have a good mix of staff on board to help if possible. You need lots of energy at the front of the house, and perhaps some sticklers for the detail to keep things moving and organized – it all depends on what you are trying to achieve.

Either way, everyone on your team needs to be at the top of their game when it comes to performing in front of customers. Don’t forget to get some ‘uniforms’ – printed t-shirts with your brand name splashed all over it – the visual detail can make a big difference.

Finally, find more info about lanyards. They can be customized to your liking, and are perfect for employees and yourself to keep your passes intact for the day – you don’t want anyone to lose them, or you will end up short of staff.

The Big Day

It sounds a little obvious, but don’t be late. The earlier you arrive, the more people you can attract to your stall – it’s that simple. You should have everything ready to go – marketing materials, branded products and uniforms – and your team should know exactly where they need to be – and when.

It’s important that everyone understands what they need to say – get employees practicing an ‘elevator pitch.’ This is a great way of describing to potential customers and stall visitors exactly what you do in a single sentence or two. It’s got to be quick, snappy, clear and focused – which kind of describes any interactions you make all through the day.

You have to bear in mind that trade show visitors have a lot of options, and there could be hundreds of different businesses vying for their attention. The simple fact is that unless you can catch them quick, entice them with your offer and get them to leave their contact details, you will lose them for good – possibly to your competitors.

After The Event

Finally, a lot of small business owners make the mistake of thinking the trade show is the entire experience. Well, it isn’t – it’s just the beginning. The reality is that the trade show is just the start of the process. All the contact details you collected will need to be used to get back in touch with potential customers who might benefit your business – sales almost always occur after the event when it comes to trade shows.

Yes, there is a chance that all those branded materials you handed out might pay off, and a customer could get in touch a month or two down the line. But the focus of your efforts always has to be on building up a contact list, so you stay in the driving seat.

OK, so there you have it … how to help your small business survive – and thrive – in a trade show event. Get planning, and there’s no reason why it can’t be a roaring success.

Any way you choose to look at it, having a few successful trade show tips will always come in handy for your small business. All the best.

Images courtesy of Pixabay and Pexels.

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