How Trade Shows Can Drive You More Sales

Through our coaching you achieve a higher return on investment at every single trade show you’ll attend. Value can be found in every possible venue from the smallest local events to the insanely competitive world record-holders. The trick lies in how you approach your role as an exhibitor at trade shows and work towards a solid strategy for attracting customers. We’re going to be a guide through this simple process with the five essential pillars that are guaranteed to yield only positive results. They’re not ranked in any specific way and you can be certain that adopting just any one of them is going to produce an immediate positive effect.

Good, but what are they?

Set goals and do your best to meet them

You can’t go to exhibitions and expect that you’re going to meet the right customers just because you’ve set a booth and you’ve been told that being an exhibitor is good for business. You need to know why you’re going to these events. What are your company goals? What would it take for the goals to be achieved? How can you achieve these goals in the fastest and most inexpensive way? The answers to these questions will increase your success at the event and lower the overall costs in generating a single sale on average.

Treat every visitor as a potential customer

You’ve come to gain new customers and it’s this simple goal in mind that often gets lost when you are on the show floor. Yes, the environment is hectic and all you might think about is managing your booth without an incident, but your energy should be devoted into presenting your brand in the best light possible. This means having a team that’s experienced with sales and fine tuning all interactions to tie in with sales pitches. Smart salespeople always identify the opportunities to pitch their product.

Turn leads into sales

We shouldn’t have to tell you this, but research shows that roughly 90% of all sales leads are not followed up on after a trade show ends. The difference between sales leads and sales is that it’s the second that contributes to your revenue stream, and that’s where your focus should fall every single time. Even though it’s tedious, your first priority should be to chase via email or phone all the contacts you’ve made. After all, you’ve spent thousands capturing these leads. Do not leave a stone unturned and be aware that this may take some time. It takes buyers up to three months to make a purchase after they’ve been at an exhibition.

Do not forget about social engagement

Customers divide their attention among numerous exhibitors during trade fairs and it’s your task to differentiate yourself from the rest – i.e. become a high priority. Increase your foot traffic with a strong social engagement strategy. We have seen wonders being done with social media that tie in the event’s official channels. Another route to go is to host special events at your booth from a simple raffle game or a contest to having actors as part of your special design booth. Whatever you decide to invest in, it’s going to add a certain dose of humanity and sense of play to your booth.

Create content with real value

Last, but not least – the best way to secure the business of a trade visitor is to offer them real value. Customer engagement is crucial, but you also need to know how to sift through visitors who are at your booth to win something or kill time from those who want your product. Create valuable content and incorporate it into your sales pitch. This can be a short presentation, a live demo, a VR experience or even a white paper. Share a preview of your content and offer interested buyer the rest for free, if they’ll leave their contact details. Not only are you then capturing leads, but also screening qualified leads.