Before the show:

Don’t leave anything to chance.

Every trade show has to be planned ahead and we are not talking about weeks, you need months to plan it properly. Why? Because there are lots of things to take care of. At least six months before the show you should start planning your themes and objectives. Give your team enough time to plan ahead all the details related to the show.

Don’t forget about promotion.

Promotion is the key. If you don’t send invitations directly to prospects, if you don’t use social media and you don’t work hard to let everybody know about your presence at the trade show, no one will know about it.

Don’t assume your staff is ready.

Train your team and make sure they know what to do and how to do it. A week before the show, take them to the booth and have a dress rehearsal. This is a great way to practice and make it perfect.

Don’t underestimate design.

Spare no efforts and expenses. Represent your company in the best light possible. Never add too much text in your display and make sure it is new and fashionable enough.

During the show:

Don’t work alone.

The most important thing is teamwork. You all have the same purpose, so design a plan and work together. Take notes of everything. Always use social media such as Tweeter, Facebook, YouTube or Google+ to promote your trade show experience.

Don’t be distant.

Listen to your prospects needs. The show is the right place to talk face-to-face with them and this will help you to understand them better. Try to make time to share a meal like lunch or cocktails with prospective clients. It’s a great chance to strengthen bonds. People love buying from people they know and like.

After the show:

Don’t waste the experience.

Measure your results. It is important to think about what just happened, what was good and what didn’t work. Use your experience to plan your next trade show.

Don’t forget to track your leads.

Follow up with every lead. You need to deliver on the promise you set at the trade show. Be professional and get in touch with every prospect to thank them.

As you can see, there is so much work to do. Make sure you choose the right event, plan ahead, take care of every detail, give your best during the event, track the leads and make a good use of the experience.

Plans for Your Sales Team

Once you have determined which of your employees will be working the booth as sales ambassadors, go over all of the details with them prior to the show. Plan and review each sales presentation, prepare your sales team’s approach to speaking with exhibit visitors and demonstrating product benefits. Set a schedule for your sales staff to take breaks at regular intervals throughout the show, and go over security measures so that your exhibit and any included expensive equipment are never left unattended.

The Included Elements of Your Booth Exhibit

Your booth’s layout, signs, visual graphics and lettering are all factors in your overall customer impression. These design decisions can tell quite a bit of information about your business’s marketing message, approach to customer relations and unique niche in your industry.

Trade show consultants advise keeping the wording to a minimum on your large banners or signs because people are generally not going to stop to read lots of text. The slogans that you select need to get right to the point and tell visitors right away about your overall message. The same “less-is-more” idea applies to your exhibit tables, backdrops and lighting; clean and simpler choices lend a more professional impression on potential customers.

Secrets to a successful trade show booth include examining and planning out each facet of your exhibit and marketing approach. Staging one of these exhibits entails more than simply setting up some backdrops, signs and tables.

It also includes your specific marketing approach for your target audience, the information you want to give your potential sales leads and the day-to-day management of the exhibit from your sales force. Another important tip from the experts is to always have contingency plans just in case something unexpected happens before or during the trade show.

Success at a trade show depends on how well you stand out from your competition and how well your sales force communicates to visitors that your company has something unique to offer. Professional consultants report that several factors make up an exceptional booth design, and planning out each of these points can increase the impact you will make.

Trade Show Location and Demographics

If you will be traveling to a trade show in a different town or city, do some preliminary research about the local target market for your products and services. Are there plenty of potential buyers in this area? Do many of the local demographics match those of your target audience? What are some specific needs in this area that your products could meet? This data will help you tailor your marketing approach to each trade show in various geographic locations.

Permitted Booth Dimensions and Available Floor Space

Before you make any plans for your booth design, take notes on the specific permitted display rules for the upcoming trade show. These can vary from one venue to the next, and you do not want to have to change your exhibit later in the process.

Your booth will be limited to a certain maximum square footage on the trade show floor, and different shows have their own rules for approaching visitors in the aisles outside of your booth. When reserving available booth space, also examine a floor plan of the planned event and determine which booth space would give you the maximum amount of visitor foot traffic.

In the next post, we will continue with more valuable tips for setting up a successful trade show booth.

Its main purpose is to generate a lot of buzz about your exhibit without giving away too many details. Gone are the days of simply writing a press release and sending it to the local newspapers; today’s trade show media kits are more comprehensive and include several other detailed elements.

Requirements for a trade show media kit

The main components of a high caliber media kit include:

• Written press releases
• Background information about your company
• Catalogs showcasing your products or services
• Product samples
• Digital images of your product to be highlighted at your exhibit
• Promotional items you will be giving to visitors
• Copies of your video presentations to be played at your booth

 

 
Before you begin putting any of these materials together, the first thing you will need is a detailed and well-thought-out plan for your media kit. Some business owners do not spend enough time in the planning phases and end up with uninspiring media kits as a result. Whether you will be creating your media kit yourself or working with a public relations agency, give yourself at least two to three months in advance to plan and refine all the details.

Press releases and company background

A press release is simply an announcement of your business’s participation in a specific trade show or expo. It typically includes the dates, times and locations of the event along with general directions of where your exhibit will be located on the trade show floor. Your press release can also outline your exhibit features, the sample products you will be featuring and what you hope to accomplish at this event.

When you submit press releases to trade show publications and related media outlets, you will also need to include a company background page. This concise description of your business is intended to introduce its history, products or services, mission statement and past accomplishments to people who may be unfamiliar with you. A background page can also serve as an effective starting point for potential customers to learn about what you have to offer.

Product catalogs and samples

Catalogs are essential if you have multiple product lines, particularly ones you developed only recently. Once journalists start to write up pieces about your upcoming exhibit, they will want to familiarize themselves with each of your products. A catalog is an invaluable resource for them to do so, and it can also serve as a source of product images for them to include. Most product catalogs are now rendered in digital format and submitted on a CD or flash drive with the rest of the press kit, so high-quality product images are important as well.

Branded promotional items

Any promotional items you have should also be included in your media kit. Items with your company logo are recommended for getting your brand name into people’s minds before the trade show. These items can range from small freebies such as mouse pads or flash drives to higher-ticket items you plan to give away in a raffle.

Multimedia elements

Trade show booths now include videos or digital slide shows in addition to traditional sales pitches. If you have these elements, they also need to be included in your media kit. Reviewing them ahead of time will give your local press plenty of material for writing up compelling copy about your upcoming exhibit.

Although this might sound like a big deal, it isn’t indeed. You should only start by making a good selection of your team. Choose the right people to attend visitors. A good appearance is always required. They should look clean and neat, wearing casual but proper clothes, depending on the nature of your company. Make sure they speak properly and they have a way with words. They should speak slowly, with a very good diction, never gabbling in order to communicate the messages clearly.

Never overlook details such as standing up and greeting visitors. Your staff must be ready to welcome attendees. Every time someone arrives they must stand up and receive them. They should introduce themselves and ask visitors if they can offer them any help. Make sure your staff thanks visitors when they arrive as well as when they leave the booth.

Show them the importance of smiling as much as possible, as unfriendly faces are not exactly what you need to make a good impression. They should be helpful and polite and never look distant, so the body language is crucial, no crossed arms or legs and never look down on people.

Instead of talking to other members of the team or using the cell phone, your staff needs to be focused on attendees. They should pay attention to passersby always trying to strike up a conversation with them.

They should know the importance of eye contact. Eye contact is essential when interacting with people. It shows self-confidence and a thorough knowledge of the subject you are talking about.

Train them to make a good use of brochures, videos, product samples etc. while talking about your company, products or services. Visual elements are great to attract people’s attention. Also make sure your staff provides your visitors with contact information or press kits. It’s always a good idea to offer something to take home. The same way, make sure your team members are organized, so your booth always looks comfortable and clean. This is always a key factor when attracting people and interacting with visitors.

Remember, easy, simple and small details always make a huge difference when it comes to interaction and communication. A highly-trained staff might open lots of doors. Train your team and stand out with professionalism and good manners.

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Look for us on Twitter and follow our up-to-date news about our company and the latest trends in advertising displays. Send us an email to receive a discount code that you can apply on your next order.

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To apply your promo code, simply enter the discount code you received into the requested field when you place your order on our website or list the code on any manual order form or purchase order. Also, we offer quantity discounts for most of our banner stands and displays starting at orders for at least six of the same style and size product.

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Although mistakes or bad habits are normally unintentional, they can cost you a noticeable number of strong sales leads over the course of the entire event. Some of the most common habits to eliminate include over-selling your products, creating a visually messy booth design or a meandering sales presentation, and failing to outline measureable marketing goals.

Hard selling puts off many booth visitors

Chances are good that you staff your booth with your most experienced, knowledgeable salespeople. This tactic only makes sense because these employees know every aspect of your products or services and are able to explain exactly how they will benefit purchasers.

Although their intentions are in the right place, some of your staff may become overzealous in their efforts to move products at a trade show. Their approaches may place too much pressure on booth visitors to make purchase decisions right away, and a good number of people become less likely to buy due to hard sales tactics. The best way to avoid this common mistake is to have clear, detailed sales outlines for your staff and to communicate how you want them to approach possible leads.

A cluttered booth or presentation does not make a professional impression

Many first-time exhibitors make this mistake of adding too many flyers, video screen panels, banners, backdrops and other accessories to their booths. All of these elements create too much information for visitors to process in the first few seconds your exhibit catches their interest.

The same idea applies to your sales presentations; each sales point needs to be concise and each visual aid needs to serve a definite purpose rather than acting as filler. Many exhibitors now use digital slide shows for these presentations, and each slide should tell viewers immediately about the next point without unnecessary wording.

Simple and straightforward booth visuals and presentations let customers know about your products, services and marketing message without their needing to decipher any of these points.

A lack of clear marketing goals will lead to a lack of results

Many exhibitors simply state they want to increase sales leads as an outcome of staging a booth at a trade show. This goal is a starting point, but it is much too general. It does not give your sales staff concrete numbers to work towards or a specific time frame for reaching them.

If you are uncertain how to develop this kind of concrete goal set for your exhibit, take a look at your existing company marketing strategy and brainstorm specific sales goals from it. Ask for input from your sales staff, and use their best ideas for generating quantifiable, timely goals for meeting certain numbers of sales leads over the course of the upcoming trade show.

Hard-selling, adding too many elements to booths or presentations and a lack of specific sales lead goals are some common bad habits of new trade show exhibitors. Communication with your staff and thorough planning are two of the best tactics for avoiding these mistakes. When addressing all of these areas, give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm ideas and plan the specifics of your booth layout as well as your sales presentations. A high caliber trade show exhibit is the result of at least several weeks of detailed preparation.

A high quality lead is a potential sales contact, and identifying that potential client is what it’s called lead generation. High quality leads are key elements for any trade show success. Only if you are able to identify your target customers and approach them, you will have chances to increase your sales. Otherwise, your efforts will be in vain.

When showcasing at trade shows it’s crucial to focus your attention in this process, so before the show starts, you need to initiate a team work by arranging a meeting with your sales management. It’s time to evaluate the different aspects of the event and study those attendees who better match your prospects.

Defining high quality leads is not a simple task. Every member of your staff should be involved in this brainstorm. Evaluate attendees carefully, paying attention to their job titles, the type of company they represent, location, average annual budget, their suppliers etc.

Another important task is finding out what kind of questions your sale staff needs in order to collect useful information from prospects. Create a list of 3 to 5 questions and include them in the lead cards. Of course, you will need to make a previous and thorough evaluation before designing the right questions.

You should train your staff properly to ask the questions and also to be able to write down that useful information and answers that they will collect during the conversations. According to that information they can rank leads in high lead, good lead or unqualified lead. This way, after the event, your sales staff will know what leads are better to concentrate efforts on.

As you can see, a high qualified and well-trained staff is more than essential to get wanted results. The quality of your leads will always depend on your booth staff. The ability to gather information in an efficient way is a key element in this process. So, make sure you have the right people in your team and ensure you give them the right tools to work with.

Generating high quality leads is a hard but attainable goal. You need to make sure everybody knows what to do. This is a team work and there’s a lot to be done, but if you all pull together, you can certainly get it.

Banners mounted on stands are excellent means of advertising your company at a busy trade show, particularly with bright and visually appealing screen-printed fabric banners. Types of banner stands vary by size and intended banner shape; some are better suited for busy trade show floors. Large numbers of attendees and other exhibits nearby can leave little extra room for a large banner stand with a bulky base and multiple support bars. Opting for a telescopic stand is a definite space-saver on these kinds of crowded events.

Most telescopic banners give you the option of a one-sided or a two-sided fabric banner with your company graphics screen-printed on it. Selecting a two-sided banner is often to your advantage if you are displaying it at a booth with limited space. This type of banner will have twice the visibility and allow more attendees to see your logo from different directions on the trade show floor.

Using a telescopic banner stand can also simplify some of your exhibit set-up process. One of these stands usually consists of a telescopic vertical bar that locks in place with screws once you have raised it to the desired height. The main vertical bar has slots for at least two smaller horizontal bars that hold your fabric banner in place. Some banners are sewn with tubes on the edges for you to slide the horizontal bars through. Other telescopic stands may require the use of grommets or hooks to attach a banner. Assembling a telescopic stand requires no tools and takes only a short time, allowing you to focus on other areas of your exhibit set-up that require attention.

Trade show exhibitors who use telescopic banners recommend them due to a simple set-up process, compact size, adjustable heights and durability. Some of these stands also come with sets of horizontal bars of different lengths, allowing you to correctly mount vertical banners of different widths. Quality telescopic banner stands are fabricated from strong materials such as aluminum or titanium that resist scratching, denting, bending or similar wear and tear. You will also get a sturdy carrying bag for you to store and transport your telescopic banner.

Standard telescopic banner stands have adjustable height options, and some others can also be changed to different banner widths. Adjusting the width of a banner frame can allow the same stand to fit square or rectangular fabric banners of varying dimensions.

If properly stored and maintained, a telescopic banner stand can last for years before you will need to replace it. As your business and its marketing strategies evolve over time, you can simply order new fabric banners with new designs to reflect those changes, right here at our website – www.postupstand.com.

Most of the time, the main reason for not having high quality leads is because the lead generation process is incomplete or just because certain things are not working as they should. Let’s see what to do.

1. Make sure that you have the right team, a qualified and well-trained staff able to take over this responsibility.
2. Someone needs to be in charge of the process and each member of the team needs to have a particular task. So, design a timetable with tasks and responsibilities for every member in a way that everybody knows what to do and which role they play.
3. Design questions to ask attendees with the help of your sale management and provide lead cards with these powerful questions to your booth staff to facilitate a proper collection of information.
4. Make sure your staff knows what kind of information they need to collect, considering the sales staff criteria, and why they need to do it. They should have a full understanding of the entire process.
5. Train you staff properly to show them how to collect information. They need to know how to identify a high quality lead, what kind of questions to ask in each case and what kind of information to write down. This phase is essential because your sales management will work with that data. So, if it is not the right information or if it is incomplete, you won’t have the expected results.
6. Make sure that after the show your staff is ready to follow up the obtained leads by mailing, emailing and telemarketing. The main objective here is to turn those leads into confirmed sales.
7. Make sure that any sample or material that was requested by attendees is sent out right away and that they have your contact information included. In this business a swift reply always has more chances to succeed.

Never forget that generating trade show leads depends on your sale management and your booth staff. It is a team effort and you need to make sure that everybody is involved in this project. Now you have the keys, it is time to design your own plan and go for it.