Friday, August 28, 2009

Maximize your EXPO experience more tips and trends

1. Keep handouts short and sweet. Provide a one page fact sheet at the show instead of a brochure. The most serious prospects prefer not to wait for information to be sent after the show. Strike when the decision process is hot.
2. Increase pre-show promotions. What are you doing to drive customers and clients to the EXPO? Did you know that 33% of people who visit an exhibit are influenced by pre-show mailings. Direct mail provides an incentive to visit the booth and helps prime the pump. The preshow mailing list should follow a descending priority: existing customers, previous leads, last Expo’s attendees and the current Expo list.
Texas Instruments used its distributor’s customer list, rather than the show’s registration list, for a recent show mailing and increased its response rate by 66%. Don’t forget — one mailing is not enough. A minimum of three mailings is required to garner attention.
3. Ask for more names. Identify other people with whom booth visitors will share information once they return home. 60% of visitors will share the information with at least two other decision-makers within their company after the show. Ask for those names.
4. Customer intimacy is in. Design your booth layout to create a warm, friendly discussion area. DO NOT STAND BEHIND YOUR BOOTH Create a side-by-side discussion zone and remove barriers between you and the visitor. Small, round counter-high discussion tables increase sales interaction and get prospects to stop and talk about their needs. Time is precious. A total of 58% of prospects will not wait longer than one minute for a sales representative’s attention at a trade show exhibit.
5. Dress casually. Dress should be brightand business casual. Long-sleeve shirts with company logos have replaced business suits. Avoid golf shirts, unless you're in the golf industry. Research shows that they are too casual and reduce credibility.
6. It happens at the end of the EXPO. You’ll meet the genuine prospects toward the end of the day. Serious buyers run out of time and cram in the most urgent needs just before they are forced to leave. Don’t discount the last few visitors. Booth staff energy and enthusiasm should remain high for those last-minute shoppers.
7. It happens on the Web. Increasingly, attendees are visiting the Website after the show to avoid the sales pitch. If that’s the case, distribute business cards with just a name and a Website address. Trade show exhibiting is not an inexpensive marketing proposition. Yet, predictive elements and behavioral rules can dramatically improve the number and quality of trade show leads and boost after-show sales revenue. “Trade show attendees are more focused, desiring immediate answers and higher-quality information. It has become increasingly important to adapt trade show marketing strategies to these changes.”

EXPO--TH November 12, 2009 5:00 pm Business Hour
6-8 pm FREE ADMISSION for the Public!

ADDED VALUE for attending the EXPO Workshop!

Virtual Expo AN ADDED EXPOSURE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPO EXHIBITORS! Each exhibitor will have a promotional web page on the Chamber's website with their business profile and an opportunity to extend a “show special” to visitors. This great feature will extend the life of the Expo for a full 30 days! http://www.clarkston.org/

EXPO workshop Thursday, September 3, 2009 2-4 p.m. at Clarkston Schools Administration Building.

REGISTER at http://www.clarkston.org/ or call the Chamber at 248-625-8055

No comments:

Post a Comment