Showtime

Trade shows can be a great business-building venture. They can also be a waste of time (and money and hard on you back and knees). Depending on the show, hundreds or thousands of people will walk past your booth, table or display. At the show, your job is

1) to figure out which of the passers-by are good prospects and then
2) get the good prospects to stop so you can proceed though your sale process

Last week we discussed some pre-show activities to help ensure your success at the show, namely to get qualified prospects – the people you really need to meet – to your booth at the show. At the show, the approach we take is to divide the attendees into 3 groups.

Group 1 are qualified prospects. These are the people who need your goods or service and can make the decision to buy them from you.

Group 2 are unqualified prospects. These are people who may need your goods or services, now or in the future, but either cannot yet afford them or will not purchase them from you for some reason (long term vendor relationship, their supervisor makes the decision, the boss's son is in your line of work, etc). These might develop into Group 1 prospects when the situation changes in the future.

We call Group 3 ‘the bag people’. These are the folks who are there only for your 'stuff'. They will take everything off your table if you let them. They don't care what you do or what you offer. They bring several of their own bags - really big, sturdy ones - to the event and will walk around the entire venue several times collecting everything they can.

It is best, therefore, to not to go the event alone, especially large events where you have invested a big entry fee. It is also advisable to have several giveaway items of differing values at the show. Think of it as collecting in a river. Put your best closers at the table and one or two screeners in the ‘upstream’ path of the attendees. Arm the screeners with inexpensive items that will satisfy the 'bag people' so they can direct them back into 'the current'. The screeners then direct the Group 1 qualified prospects and, depending on the size of the show and the number of closers you have, the Group 2 unqualified prospects to the closers. The closers take contact information, make the pitch, make the follow up plans and reward the prospects with the more expensive giveaway item you have hidden discretely from view of the ‘bag people’.

For more information along with product suggestions CLICK HERE.

Steve Raggo
www.raggo.com

Winning Strategy for Trade Shows

Ok. Let's talk specifics. For the next several entries we will focus on a number of industries and events. We will discuss which products seem to make the most sense for each, and how best to use them. It is always dangerous for us to do this sort of thing. Once we start naming products we run the risk that you will think we only offer those products. If we talk about an industry you are not part of, you may lose interest in us. Oh well. No risk, no profit…

Today… trade shows.

Exhibiting at trade shows can be a great way to build your business. Depending on the show, hundreds or even thousands of potential customers will walk past your booth, table or display. Your job is


1) to figure out which of the passers-by are good prospects and then
2) get the good prospects to stop so you can proceed though your sale process

Prior to the show it is a very good idea to decide who you want to meet and what your goals are. If you don't know who you want to meet, why spend the money to exhibit in the first place? Start with your best prospects. Add your dream accounts. Who are your best customers now and who might be their 'clones'? It doesn’t have to be a big number if adding just one of them can make your year.

Once you know who they are, invite them. Yes, invite them. Don't make the mistake of assuming that the event coordinator will send them an invitation. Send them something so that they know you will be there and that you want to see them. More importantly, give them an incentive to STOP AT YOUR BOOTH. Getting them to the show is NOT enough.

Here’s an idea. Send them an ‘invitation to the movies’ along with the event information and promise them a movie gift card when they stop at your table. Or, prior to the event, arrange with the event caterer to buy a number of drink tickets, then send a tote bag with your logo and a QR Code linked to a map with your booth location on it to your list promising to give them extra drink tickets when they stop at your booth WITH the bag. Not only will this send them to your booth, it will help you determine which of the people passing by your booth are the people you want to meet - they are carrying your bag!

More on trade shows later. For a sneak preview, CLICK HERE

Steve Raggo
www.raggo.com