Depending on how much energy you put into the initial planning stage, exhibiting can either be a very effective way to generate qualified leads - or a potential disappointment.
Fortify your plan using this checklist of experience and insight
- Do reserve your stand well in advance. This is the best way to get a good price and a good position.
But don’t book your stand without checking that enough attendees match the profile of your target audience.
- Don’t start without getting internal sign off on the plan’s primary goal (and KPI).
- Do understand who your most profitable customers are – so you can focus on recruiting more like them.
- Don’t feel the need to lead-capture everyone you speak to. Be clear on who are leads and who are not.
Spend time with existing customers. This helps to reinforce a profitable relationship and gives you the opportunity to cross-sell/upsell. Having performance indicators is an effective way to manage this.
- Do identify and invite potential prospects to your stand in advance, and do this at least a month before the exhibition starts to get the date fixed in their diary.
- Don’t forget to brainstorm what incentive could boost attendance at your stand.
- Do plan the design, graphics, budgeting and staffing of your stand.
- Don’t overcomplicate your message on the graphics. As attendees walk past, you’ve only got a couple of seconds to capture their attention. If what they see doesn’t engage, they’ll keep on walking.
- Do evaluate and record what went well and what didn’t; how successful you were at achieving your primary objective and what you’d do differently next time.
- Don’t forget to follow-up your leads immediately.
Planned with care, exhibiting at trade shows can be a valuable sales and marketing channel for the business, so use the accumulated experience here to help make your next stand an even greater success.