Plan ahead to get more out of trade show appearances

By Cinda Orr

If part of your promotional budget is invested in trade shows, conferences or conventions, you know how expensive that kind of marketing can be. Even small booths, if they are well designed and constructed, are pricey. And when you add the booth space, shipping and logistics, setup and tear-down fees, rentals, travel, personnel and other expenses, it becomes pretty obvious that you have to do some serious business to make it all pay off.

Start by remembering that a trade show is isn’t a vacation or a boondoggle; it’s a head-to-head selling opportunity. You can see more clients face-to-face in a couple of days than you typically can see in several months. To make sure you get bang for your buck, you need to start with a trade show plan that includes:

Clearly defined show objectives

Pre-show promotion

Lead generation (you want to bring home more than a pile of business cards)

Staff plan and booth schedule

Pre-show training –

- Spend time practicing and anticipating questions

Follow-up plan for qualified leads

Here are a few more tips to help you make your trade show appearances pay off:

Pay attention to booth design. Design your booth so it’s easy to get in and out of. Make it look inviting, but keep it simple. Plan on supplemental lighting. Make sure your company and brand name are clearly identified, then concentrate on communicating the main points of your sales story.

Use signage effectively. Use signage to put across the key benefits and features. There won’t always be a salesman handy, and even when there is, some people prefer to shop alone.

Tie booth graphics to advertising. Don’t have one theme or look going in your national advertising campaign and something completely different in your booth. Unify your themes and you’ll get more mileage ⎯ and memorability ⎯ from them.

Don’t let prospects walk away empty-handed. Anymore, it’s common practice to get a prospect’s name and send them literature after the show, but it’s still a good idea to give them something to take along that re-emphasizes key selling points.

Remember the trade press. Have a professionally prepared press kit available for journalists that may drop by. Better still, make the effort to specifically invite key editors to your booth, and then give them access to top executives and information they can really use.

Target key prospects. Send a pre-show invitation to your customer and prospect lists. Tell them about your participation in the show and specifically invite them to visit your booth or hospitality suite. Telling your story face-to-face is almost always the most effective marketing you can do.

To get the most out of your trade shows, conventions and conferences, plan the details of your appearance well in advance.

Mark McGowan, a long-time Grand Island business and community leader, has joined SCORR Marketing, a Nebraska-based strategic marketing agency. Mark will lead SCORR’s business development efforts with a concentrated effort throughout the state of Nebraska, as well as within the international drug development/health care industries.

Prior to joining SCORR, Mark was a senior professional healthcare consultant for Pfizer, Inc. He gained over nineteen years of territory sales management experience and managed a highly successful territory with sales and promotion of blockbuster pharmaceutical products. Mark accomplished several achievements and awards during his tenure with Pfizer. In addition, he is currently the Grand Island Central Catholic Foundation Board President. Mark earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in biological science from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska.

“I am thrilled to have Mark join SCORR Marketing,” stated SCORR President, Cinda Orr. “His sales experience is truly impressive and I know that he will be an excellent asset to our company as we continue to grow throughout this economic time.”

“SCORR Marketing is an excellent fit for my sales background and public involvement in the tri-city area,” stated Mark McGowan. “I am looking forward to working with such a fast growing, progressive company.”