Six Tips on How to Improve Your Trade Show Success, Courtesy of Skyline Exhibits

I just read the latest edition of the e-newsletter from Skyline Exhibits (Skyline Trade Show Tips), and I liked what I read so much, that I felt it was appropriate to share some of their ideas here.

So . . . with the permission of Skyline Exhibits, here are six tips on how to get more bang for your buck the next time you exhibit at a trade show, conference or event.

Six Tips for Better Trade Show Success

Skyline Exhibits recently surveyed its customers about tradeshows, and these are a few of the top ideas they selected to share with readers of their e-newsletter, Skyline Trade Show Tips.

1. Talk to everyone.

Talk to EVERYONE that comes within shouting distance of your booth. Approach everyone with a smile, have no fear and you will be amazed at the results.

Just because you have spent big bucks on your display, people may still not understand what you are selling. Draw them in and tell your story.

Most people are wandering through the exhibit hall because they are looking for something new. They cannot come home and face the boss without a sack full of exhibit hand-outs….it is a “seller’s market.”

Once I pull them from the aisle and into the booth, I always go into the long version “chat.” People will give off enough clues pretty quickly if they feel you are wasting their time, which in turn, is wasting your time. If the clues are present, I quickly fall into just the overview talk, wrap it up with a “thanks for stopping by,” and let them move on.

I have had many successes with people I “drug” into the booth, and explained our product. These are the same people who told me that they were glad I made them stop because they had no intention of visiting the booth until I began the “chat.”

Warren Hand, Institute for Healthcare Advancement

2. Schedule booth time creatively.

Schedule your sales people according to what time zone their territory is in. If the show is on the West coast don’t schedule your East coast sales people in the mornings. Put them on in the afternoon, that gives them an opportunity to take care of their clients back home during the AM on the West coast, which is still working hours on the East coast. That way you won’t have cranky sales people whining about taking away their ability to meet their weekly goals.

Traci Browne, Red Cedar Publicity and Marketing

3. Remember — That “interruption” may be a future customer.

When setting up your display at a trade show and before the doors open to the conferees, you may, from time to time, get interrupted by someone just walking around looking. That person could be a future sale and is worth receiving a personal invitation to come back and see your product when your display is completely set up.

John Conti, President, Continental Covers

4. If you’re in the booth, you’re selling — ALL THE TIME.

No matter if you are in the booth or not, any time you spend at the show dressed in your company’s attire – you represent your company. This includes your breaks, lunch etc. I have made many quality contacts while on lunch or in the break/smoking area, just by initiating regular conversation. This leads to the inevitable question: “What does your company do?” I always use this as an opportunity to invite people back to our booth.

Kris Magnotti, Hahn RaceCraft

5. Match your attire to each show.

Make sure to dress appropriate for the conference or show - too dressy or too casual may not work for the type of show you are at. You want your attendees to feel “at home” in your booth. Remember to always invite attendees into your booth with a warm smile and friendly greeting; the rest will take care of itself if you are prepared. Just be yourself, relax and remember its okay to have fun. We always have a big jar of chocolates in our booth – no one can resist! We find it’s a great way to start a conversation.

Jan Wyatt, MECO Engineering

6. Staff each show with your most passionate/knowledgeable people.

Love what you are selling. The client or customer can tell if you are faking it. Be knowledgeable about all areas of the business, not just your product. You never know what questions you might be asked.

Kate Getty, Stephens College

To this list above, I add a BONUS tip for trade show success.

BONUS TIP:

7. Don’t forget to “press the flesh with the press” at your next trade show or event.

The larger the trade show (either by number of exhibitors or attendees), the greater the number of journalists that will be at the show as well. [For example, the most recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2008 had more than 3,500 journalists in attendance from around the world.]

If you do not reach out to the journalists attending each show where you are exhibiting, you are making a grave mistake.

After nearly 25 years in the business of counselling clients on their strategic marketing communications needs, I have found that editorial liaison alone has often turned a tradeshow effort into a rip-roaring success that had would have been deemed a failure by all other measures.

David Politis, Politis Communications

If you have questions about how to successfully incorporate a media relations effort into your trade show plans, feel free to contact me at 801-523-3830 or dpolitis@politis.com.

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Again, thanks to Skyline Exhibits (www.skyline.com) for the ideas (and the verbiage). Most of the content above is “Used by permission of Skyline Exhibits.”

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