Sure Fire Ways To Make A Success Of Your First Trade Show
If you’ve recently signed up to attend your first trade show, the chances are you are feeling excited but a little daunted. You want to make sure that you haven’t forked out a load of money simply to sit twiddling your thumbs behind a stall for two days without any interest from passers by.
If you’ve recently signed up to attend your first trade show, the chances are you are feeling excited but a little daunted. You want to make sure that you haven’t forked out a load of money simply to sit twiddling your thumbs behind a stall for two days without any interest from passers by.
To make a success of your trade show pitch, you need to be proactive, and do everything within your power to attract the crowds, develop a buzz about your product and expose your brand to a large audience. Take a look at these sure-fire ways to make a success of your first trade show.
Merchandise
While gimmicks can seem a little bit of a waste of money, you need to think of free merchandise as a free way of advertising your brand.
By rocking up to the trade show with goodie bags, branded with your company name, mouse mats, pencil toppers and magnets, you can be sure of obtaining some interest at your stall. You can also visit SleekWristbands.com to customize your own silicone wristbands with your company information to further increase brand awareness. Free keyrings will attract people to your pitch, then it is up to you to keep them there. Use your goodie bag as a way of striking up a conversation. Remember most trade shows are industry specific, so whoever is passing by your stall will be part of the niche market that you are looking to tap.
Consider purchasing a specific booklet maker from digital printing equipment manufacturers. This way you control the amount of marketing material you print from home for each trade show that you attend.
Even if you don’t make a sale, at least take down an email address to follow up with an incentive or newsletter at a later date.
Dress The Part
Don’t rock up in a tee shirt and shorts and sit on your stool behind the stall all day. Instead, be up on your feet, have a haircut the day before the show and be suited and booted. You are the face of your brand, so it pays to be professional.
People will be much more inclined to gravitate towards your pitch if they see you chatting to people, laughing and selling your product. Demonstrate your product in action, let people have a go with it if you can, and have a discount or incentive to buy there and then. This can help you to make your pitch fee back on the day.
Image source Pixabay – CC0 Licence
Your Pitch
The pitch itself will probably be very small and you may feel a little penned in as trade show organizers try and squeeze in as many exhibitors as humanly possible. You need to try and make yourself stand out.
Purchase some branded banners, a flag and whip open a laptop with a PowerPoint presentation on a continual play. This way, people can have a peruse of your company without having to talk to you, which can intimidate them. It can also be a great way to attract a crowd. Once a few people are gathered around you and your pitch, others will come.
A trade show needs to be a vehicle to market your brand and compete with your rivals. Follow this guide and your business will go from strength to strength.