Many trade show visitors are at the early stages of the buying process or are not actual buyers but influencers. Trade shows are also, almost universally, expensive time sinks. Lots of time and energy are spent preparing for, getting to, setting up, and tearing down. So, why do we still attend trade shows? Is there any value or ROI in all that effort?
While there are certainly less expensive ways to generate leads, there is value in attending a trade show if your target persona and ideal buyer type companies are also at the trade show. The value of trade shows is in being able to meet prospects and customers face-to-face of course. But there is also value in meeting and expanding your ecosystem to include those other people that are parts of your industry like editors and reporters, or suppliers and vendors, or even competitors.
If prospects and customers are there then there is value in attending, but it is deeply undercut if you follow the old-school formula of show up, hand out SWAG, shake a few hands, and pack it in.
So, no to showing up and throwing up.
Yes to preparing, planning, engaging, and following up.
And when we say prepare, we don’t just mean prepping cool SWAG. After all, trade show attendees will remember the company that was helpful, not the one that insulted them with worthless toys and other over-branded SWAG (I am a known SWAG lover, it has NEVER swayed me towards a purchase).
So...
The first step in tipping the trade show scale is, like with most things, preparation.
The key to success is often preparation, and trade shows are no exception.
Promote your exhibit and what makes it interesting - Email your database the details and not just 'stop by our booth.' If you are doing demos, handing out samples, or having a booth special, make sure to let your contacts know.
Set appointments with key customers and prospects - Do not leave it to chance that they will walk by, set a schedule to meet before the show starts and have something prepared just for them and not for the rest of the show floorwalkers.
Get in the trade publications for that show - Reach out to the editor of the trade publication and use your content (one of the best uses of great content) to convince them to run articles or other placements (often for free) in the magazine or e-newsletter.
Optimize your profiles - Take advantage of the free promotion trade shows offer and make sure your trade show site profile is as complete as possible. Uploading your logo (if possible) and entering your contact info is the bare minimum. Make this a priority and do not just assign it to the marketing intern.
Promote on your website and social media - Use the show as a reason to talk to your persona across your internet presence. Write about the ways you help your target persona and let them know what is new, special, or different that you'll be sharing at the show.
Plan demos/ training- Set up times with your sales channel ahead of time to do demos or training on new equipment or processes.
Prepare great content to give away - Give visitors to your booth what they want from their perspective: case studies, not a catalog, how-to guides instead of specification sheets, application stories with your business cards, or show videos of real people using your products.
Come up with a great offer that only booth visitors can get - Write up a new white paper, ROI calculator, and cost savings tools. Your offer should be something that helps them, gives you a value-added reason to follow up, and serves as a reason for them to be looking for your follow-up.
Think of ways to stand out in the crowd, don’t just stand around waiting for visitors to amble into your booth.
Before you leave for the show, have a post-show plan in place.
The key principle when following up a trade show is speed. Do not wait for long to follow up. Be there immediately after the show with the resources and information you promised people at the show. Build your credibility with your speed and thoroughness of response.
There are three types of contacts that you are likely to meet at a trade show. Each of these contacts has unique expectations, needs, and values and you need to be prepared for each of them. So, who are they?
Be helpful!
Leave the impression that you are there for them. They should walk away feeling that you have expertise and value to add to help them solve their problems. Give them something of value, not just specifications and product literature. Have your case studies ready to hand out.
Other opportunities to interact with buyers, outside of your booth, include:
An influencer is someone who has the attention of your target audience. Think media, media, media. Do not overlook these key people!
Editors and publishers work with people they have relationships with, and their events are great places to build those relationships.
I have consulted with my clients to meet the membership directors of the host association and helped to build a dialogue with them so that when the time comes, they can ask for an introduction to another member who might be a perfect target persona. The membership director always knows the members; they are a great resource if you take the time to cultivate a relationship with them!
The best way to cultivate this type of meeting is to bring one of your colleagues to them as a prospect for membership; now you have their attention.
Who at the trade show already has subject matter credibility and your target persona's ear? Find them. Talk to them!
How about suppliers or service providers? Could you meet with them and develop a joint marketing campaign for each other’s audience?
Think of all of the people coming to the show and how you can connect with them to build your personal network and business ecosystem.
In the same vein, influencers are your connectors. Who has specific business relationships with your ideal personas and is in a position to give you and your company an introduction? For this type of contact you should be thinking about:
Social media can give you some clues here. Who is Tweeting about the show? Are there any relevant social media conversations going on? Trade shows are all about people.
The best way to measure the ROI of a trade show is with automation tools and CRM. If you’re a HubSpot user, this is easy.
The tools we would suggest using include:
Now is the time to put all of that planning into play. Add those leads to mailing lists, send out the emails you’ve already built, and get leads into your sales funnel.
Post-show you can also use your experience to create new content. Curate all of your show pictures and videos and showcase them on your blog and social media. Upload demos to your YouTube channel. Did you poll your booth visitors or conduct training? Write up your findings and share the experience.
This is also a great time to take any questions or comments you got while on the show floor and craft them into new offers or articles. After all, the chances are good that if someone asked you a question in your booth, your blog readers would be interested in the answer as well.
Depending on the length of your typical sales cycle the ROI of a trade show may take months or even years to determine. ROI has many facets, and direct connections to sales are just one measure, though often the most important one.
Think about how many leads you get. Track them to completion and see how many sales can be attributed to the show.
But also start to think about influencers and connectors and how they contribute to the investment of a trade show. Making a few influential connections often leads to more business through referrals or access to another group of potential customers.
In the end, like most of life, you get out of trade shows what you put in.
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