Sales & Marketing Consultant, Bestselling Author & Sales Conference Speaker

Many businesses are jumping ship and abandoning trade shows due to the economy. They can’t rationalise the expenses involved in trade shows. However, if you take a closer look at some of the reasons you should not avoid trade shows and the value you can get from trade shows, you might find that your marketing department needs to start scheduling some shows. The best reasons for attending trade shows are outlined here. These will explain why you need to order some branded materials and get your booth ready for the next event.

1.        Many prospects in a short  time: Trade shows give you the opportunity to see more prospective clients in one place in a short period of time than any other event.
2.        Relationship Building: In addition to having the opportunity to see prospective clients, you also have more time to spend talking with prospective clients. You can learn more about how you can meet their needs and earn their business.
3.        Networking: Trade shows give you the chance to meet and talk others in your business as well as vendors who can be beneficial to your own business.
4.        Competition: When you attend trade shows, you are not only showing your products and services, you also have the opportunity to see your competitions’ products and services. This gives you the chance to measure your company against other companies and make adjustments if necessary.
5.        Demonstrate and Educate: You don’t always have time to demonstrate your products or educate your clients about your services in a captive arena; however, trade shows give you the opportunity to show what you have and what you do to many people in a brief time.
6.        Cost Effective: Even with the cost of employee time, take-aways, travel and the fee for the show, trade shows provide more exposure for less money than sales calls that lead nowhere. You can spend days and days on the phone making cold calls and not reach as many people as you will at the trade show.
7.        Target Audience: Trade shows are geared toward a specific industry; this means you are not prospecting among people who may or may not use your services. The majority of the people at trade shows are involved in the industry being represented.
8.        Database: Although this is lower down the totem pole, trade shows give you the opportunity to gather data on people and businesses that are already part of your industry and may at some point need your services. You can do this through raffles or something similar that asks for contact information.

The bottom line here is simply that you should not give up trade shows completely. They are still a valuable and viable marketing tool. In fact, many marketing coordinators would argue that this is the time to insist on trade show participation. Face time with prospective clients is much more valuable than a sterile phone call from a stranger.

If you are attending trade shows and seeing success, we would love to hear from you. Send us your comments in the box below.

Happy Marketing!

Sean

Sean McPheat

http://www.seanmcpheat.com

(Image by Morgue Files)

Money is tight for quite a few people right now. Individuals and corporations alike are reviewing their budgets and trying to figure out where to make cuts in order to save the bottom line. Sadly, many salespersons are opting to forego important trade shows, seminars, and conferences.

Huge mistake.

Trade shows and conferences are important to every successful salesperson on a number of different levels. Sure, you can network, but you can also attend classes and listent to the advice given by serious keynote speakers. Each of the individuals teaching and speaking has something important to share.

These people have already proven that they’re good at what they do. If they’re willing to share the methods they used to climb to the top than you should be willing to listen.

I truly believe that avoiding trade shows and conferences just to save a few dollars is a detrimental decision. Would you prefer sitting at your desk waiting for the phone to ring or visiting with successful professionals and learning how to make your phone ring.

A successful salesperson is interested in finding ways to turn his situation around regardless of what the economy attempts to dictate. Some of those answers are going to be hidden within your trade show and conference experiences.

The choice is up to you.

Sean

http://www.seanmcpheat.com

Attending a trade show means more than just showing up and networking. If you really want to promote your business you’ll need to have a stunning display that is not only informative but draws attention to your company. When designing your display make sure you include the following key elements:

1. Include graphics that are clear and colorful but not flashy. Anything that is overdramatic or too abstract will draw attention away from your main purpose – to introduce your visitors to your company. If your graphics are too flashy your visitors will spend more time trying to interpret your sign than they will spend listening to you.
2. Make the headline at the top of your display stand out, but keep it short and simple. The clearer your headline the easier it will be for your visitors to remember, even after they’ve walked away. Often times people have a set “plan” when they walk into a trade show. If you don’t grab their attention off the bat with a simple headline you may never gain it.
3. Make sure your display incorporates short sentences and bullet points. Visitors don’t have time to read lengthy marketing documents and will be ready to move on to the next booth almost the minute they arrive at yours. Time is money, so make sure you’re not wasting their time. Keep everything you write short and simple.
4. Your head caption is the most important, but don’t forget to list the name of your company near the top of your display as well. What good will your headline and copy writing do if your visitors walk away without remembering WHO you are?
5. The internet is more popular than ever before, but we still sometimes forget to advertise our web presence. Make sure your website address is clearly displayed on your display and on your handouts and marketing materials. Those who are hard pressed for time during the show may go back to your website later – especially if you grabbed their attention.

Trade shows can be a fun way to meet new people and potential clients but it’s important to remain focused at the same time. Design your display correctly and half the work will be done for you!

Sean

http://www.seanmcpheat.com

If you haven’t been to a trade show before, 2009 is your chance to shine. Going to trade shows, whether to advertise and promote your business or simply network with others, is an excellent way to make your name known.

Most salespersons attend trade shows with the intention of booking space, setting up a great display, and advertising their products or services. This is a great plan, but if that’s the extent of your plan you have a lot of work to do. There are quite a few things you need to consider before leaving the office if you want to walk away from your first trade show experience feeling like a success.

Do you have a clear goal?

You should set clearly definable goals before attending any sort of business function and trade shows are no different. Is your goal to formulate a list of prospects, network with those in your field, or actually close a sale? You can have as many (or few) goals as you like, but they should all be realistic and crystal clear. You should never sit at a trade show wondering why you’re there.

How did you choose your trade show?

Did you choose a random trade show to attend or did you choose one that somehow relates to your industry? It’s easy to look at a list of trade shows and evaluate the market they’re targeting. Do you have something unique to offer that market? If you sell widgets, you will want to avoid the “Widget Maker’s Trade Show” and perhaps instead focus on a trade show geared at those who might need to buy widgets in order to manufacture their own products.

Does anyone know you’re attending the trade show?

It is one thing to book a space and set up a table, but it’s another to advertise your presence. Don’t rely on the trade show hosts to effectively advertise the entire show. Make sure you let your family, friends, current clients, prospects, and anyone else you can think of know you’ll be attending a specific trade show. Shoot them an email, place a schedule on your website, and even make a few phone calls. The more visitors you have to your booth, the better your response will be.

Planning to attend a trade show can be a time consuming task, but it should also be a fun and enlightening experience. Later on we’ll talk about some of the things you can do to make sure your physical display draws as much attention as possible.

Until then, I encourage you to take a look at your calendar for the upcoming New Year. Do you have any trade shows on the books? If not, try to schedule at least one. You won’t regret attending.

Sean

Sean McPheat

Telephone 0800 849 6732

http://www.seanmcpheat.com