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Allen Konopacki is president of the Incomm Center for Research & Sales Training in Chicago. He can be reached at (312) 642-9377 Or visit his website: www.tradeshowresearch.com 1005 N. LaSalle Blvd. • Chicago, IL 60610 |
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How to Draw More People to Your Exhibit |
The fact is people don't just cruise the aisles and happen across your exhibit. Conventions are events that get people to the exhibit hall, but you have to promote to get them into your booth. Our new research has discovered that attendees welcome direct mail, and 65% indicate that it is read, and influences which booths they'll visit.
Look at shopping malls as an example. The stores know that over 50% of customers come in because of some type of promotion. If the stores relied on drop-in traffic, their results would be reduced. To draw qualified prospects into your booth—advertise, mail, and use the promotional opportunities that show management provides. Don't just show up and expect people to find you. Tell them that you're at the show, and you've got something to offer. Retailers know that promotions, such as sales, in-store promotions, or new offers will double traffic. Exhibitors have found that the same holds true.
Use direct mail to your top prospects. Invite your customers to visit you. Send out a target mailing, take advantage of promotional support, websites, banners, advertising, and free passes, and you'll see more people visit your exhibit.
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The Best Way to Make Your Exhibit Stand Out |
Experiential exhibiting can give you a competitive advantage at trade shows.
People want to interact—not just be passive observers at shows. When people leave your exhibit, they should be able to say, "Here's what I learned, and this is what I am going to change."
My research found that people like to compare what they are doing to what other people are doing. Some of the ideas I've seen work are 2-minute games to test knowledge. Many exhibits use the `Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' format with answers related to their business. Give the attendees something to get involved with, and you'll change your exhibit from a display into an interactive experience. This will make your booth different than 80% of other exhibits.
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How to Reach Your Target Audience |
One place I would start is with the thousands of names of registrants show management provides. Send each a postcard that tells them that you have new ideas for that can increase their effectiveness or bottomline. Next, look at your graphics in the booth. The biggest sign should have copy that identifies the solutions you provide. Make sure that's the key visual
message of your exhibit.
Next, mail to any names you have or can find in your target market. I would suggest identifying 100 target prospects and use a three-part promotion program: 1) a personal letter telling them what ideas they will obtain by visiting your exhibit at the show, 2) a follow-up phone call or voice mail requesting that they ask for you when they visit the exhibit, and that you have a special report for them, and 3) send them a pass to get into the show with your business card attached. Then expect at least 20% of the good prospects to show up at your exhibit.
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How to Track Results from the Show |
You heard the expression `garbage in—garbage out!' Tracking results starts with obtaining good leads. If your salespeople are merely capturing names and addresses with a few items checked off on a lead form, you're going to have a hard time tracking results.
To find what results the show will provide ask your salespeople to write notes on each qualified prospect's lead form that identify the needs of the visitor and how the visitor wants your organization to follow up.
The answers to these two questions will increase your lead quality by 60% or more, and allow you to quickly identify the best prospects and opportunities from the show. To track results, stop counting leads, and the number of people. Start identifying opportunities, and make a list of the top 10 or 100 opportunities identified at the trade show, and put special energy into selling to them.
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What People Want to See at an Exhibit |
This has changed. Before, trade show visitors wanted to see new products. Now trade show attendees say they visit shows as a method of benchmarking what they are doing compared to others. What prospects want to see is what other people are doing that is successful. They want to see ideas, solutions, and examples. If the exhibit is only featuring products or services, prospects will lose interest. What attracts people is showing applications, or how somebody is using the services or products.
My recommendation is that when designing your exhibit, keep asking yourself "Am I showing what we do, or am I showing how others have been successful by using what we do?"
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Fewer Browsers, More Buyers |
Here's what attendees to trade shows say: In 2000, 92% of 1,200 attendees at shows said they evaluate the companies that they do business with by visiting a trade show. 64% said that as a result of a visit to such a company's exhibit they bought more of the company's products within 12 months.
Of course, the numbers are nice to throw out, but what customers say is they don't have time to take a day off to casually visit trade shows. They use shows to comparison shop, and they are more likely to do business with a company they meet at a trade show. Time poverty has created an attendee who is less likely to be a browser and more likely to be a buyer. That's one of the reasons savvy trade show exhibitors are seeing more results compared to three years ago.
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How to Quickly Tell Your Message |
Videos, computers, flat screen panels, and live presentations all work well. But one thing that has proven more effective is a photo wall—ten photographs that show your customers using your product or service. A photo wall has high credibility, is available to view without the assistance of a booth staffer, and communicates a key message in less than two minutes. The idea comes from museums that create a story using photos. In an exhibit, a storyboard of photos delivers a high impact message quickly, and creates interest that leads to interaction with a salesperson.
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