How Do I Determine the Best Shows for My Business?
Trade shows are sponsored by trade associations for specific industries, and there are thousands of associations running shows every year. Generally trade shows aren’t open to the public and can only be attended by company representatives and members of the press. To find an appropriate association for the industry you’re interested in, look through the Encyclopedia of Associations published by Gale Research, check industry magazines and talk to your seasoned sales teams for advice.
Advanced Planning
As part of advance planning, you should decide on an objective for the show. For instance, you may be attending to generate sales leads. You may be interested in testing or introducing a new product. Conducting demonstrations, identifying new applications, obtaining customer feedback, even studying the competition-these can all be legitimate reasons for attending or exhibiting at a trade show. And don’t forget the opportunity to recruit new employees, distributors or dealers for your products.
You should also do some training to make sure you get the most from your booth or your interactions with exhibitors. You may go so far as to write a script for people staffing your booth to present to visitors. Qualifying is an important part of speaking to people at trade shows. You can spend a lot of time talking to the wrong people. So make sure you know who you want to talk to, whether it’s a potential customer, supplier, dealer or other contact, and make sure you spend as much time as possible interacting with the target people.
Once you’re at the show, you’ll have to make some important decisions about how you’ll spend your limited time investigating what may appear to be a nearly infinite spectrum of prospects. In addition to floor plans, most shows provide booklets with descriptions of the exhibits, as well as a listing of the times, topics and featured speakers of any seminars or panel discussions, so that attendees can better plan their time. Be sure to have sales personnel attend these sessions so that they can network with attendees and invite them to your booth.
Exhibiting Equals Sales
Exhibiting at a trade show is an excellent way to find customers to help your business grow. According to a study conducted by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), 86 percent of show attendees were the decision-maker or influenced buying decisions, yet 85 percent had not been called on by a salesperson before the show.
Trade shows are also economical ways of getting sales. The CEIR reports that closing a sale that begins with contact at a trade show runs about half the cost of closing a sale that doesn’t have the exhibition advantage: $550 and 1.4 sales calls compared to $997 and 3.6 sales calls. This is also a valid reason why follow up is so important.
As always, Exhibitor’s Service Network is your valued trade show partner. Our team would be delighted to sit with you and help you determine the best shows for your industry, how to plan and have a smooth and successful event, and how to follow up thereafter.
