“By clearly displaying the benefits of your business and keeping your trade show display or exhibition stand approach simple, you can develop valuable prospects.”
“Seven seconds! That’s how much time you have to capture the attention of trade show or exhibition attendees. But that’s not all. Once you’ve drawn individuals to your booth, you need to engage them and begin to qualifying prospects. This must be done quickly because better prospects may be walking by”
“No matter how many attendees there are, 500 or 50,000, you’re never going to be able to talk to everyone who attends a trade show, the challenge is to capture the attention of people who have a need for your product or service and turn them into a qualified prospect.”
“The first step is to let your booth display qualify and disqualify people for you. By prominently displaying the benefits of doing business with you, attendees can easily determine if they have a need for your products and services.”
“Converting prospects into customers is more challenging today than five years ago due to call screening by voice mail and administrative personnel. To avoid this, try to arrange a follow-up meeting with the prospect while still at the trade show or exhibition.”
Prompt follow-up is also critical to converting prospects into customers.
“A good rule of thumb is to call prospects within 48 to 72 hours of the show.”
“Everything you do before, during and after the show should support your primary objective.”
Another effective strategy is to qualify and rate prospects by creating a rating system:
A = hot prospect;
B = interested, but shopping around;
C = interested but doesn’t have immediate need; and
D = no follow-up necessary – add to mailing list.
“You’ll find it easier to contact your A and B prospects more efficiently, while leaving the C and D people for a mass mailing or other marketing campaign.”
“Use your time wisely by qualifying prospects at the show so you don’t waste your time after the show.”
Tips For Success
“Keep your trade show stand simple, professional and fun.”
“Demonstrations, activities and interactive games are a great way to attract attention, gather a crowd, convey your message and qualify and capture leads.”
“Never assume that handing out your expensive, four-colour brochures and customized pens will convince people to call you. It’s nice when it happens, but you’ll realize better results from actively qualifying and following up with prospects.”