Expo Best Practices
Setting up a booth for your next Chamber of Commerce Business Expo or industry Trade Show? Here are some tips to make the most of it so you won’t feel like you’re just hosting adult trick-or-treating.
Set Appropriate Goals
Many vendors come to an expo wanting to sell their product or service on the spot. For most shows and participants this is very unlikely. Here are some suggested goals that are appropriate for these events.
Meet new people. You never know who might be your next customer or referral source.
Create product or Brand awareness with your signs and booth decoration.
Educate people about your product or service.
Networking with other business owners. Again, referral sources and customers.
Gathering prospect contact information.
Reinforce relationships with existing customers or past customers.
Conducting a customer survey about their experience or thoughts on a new offering.
Support your community.
Bonding with your team.
No Selling!
What is the difference between Marketing and Selling?
The goal of Marketing is to get a prospective customer to “Raise their hand”. Meaning they want more information.
The goals of Sales is to “Help them buy”. No one like a pushy salesperson. Don’t be that way. Help prospects figure out what the best solution is for them.
These events are a marketing event, not a sales event. People will buy when they Know, Like and Trust you. Work on building relationships and helping attendees get to Know, Like and Trust you and your company.
Also, if someone asks if you do a specific service… Don’t reply yes or no right away… Ask questions! What are they trying to achieve? Control the conversation and explore their goals, then help them buy.
Ways to get prospects to raise their hands
If your goal is to market your company, the best way to get raised hands is to make an offer. What type of offers could you make?
Free trial of your service or product.
Give away something in exchange for contact information.
Coupons.
Win something - again for contact info.
Entertainment for their kids - money grab booth or free Nerf shootout.
Additional information about your service or product.
A free analysis.
Answers to common questions.
Opportunity to qualify.
Additional ways to increase your results
Invite everyone in your customer database - tell them your booth number.
Advertise your offers ahead of time.
Put an advertisement up in your office of showroom.
Share your participation in the event on social media.
Get to know other vendors leading up to, during and after the event. Possibly share leads with a vendor from a similar industry.
Have extra staff to work your booth for when you are deep in conversation or want a break.
Remove barriers, set your table up in back don’t hide behind it. Get out in traffic and interact with people.
Hand out future events you might be hosting at your business.
Create a fun easy way to social tag themselves at your booth like a cool photo spot.
DON’T sit behind your table scrolling on your phone!
Make eye contact and smile with people passing by. If you are looking away, they will think you don’t want to talk.
#1 Best Advice
Keep notes of your conversations and Follow Up.
I know these tips sounds simple, but you will be amazed at how many people don’t do these simple things. If you want to have some fun, walk around your next show and see how many you can find sitting on their phone, not smiling, not making eye contact trying to sell you.