Trade Shows aren't for idle chatter
Written by Shirley Lichti for The Record, February 16, 2000

Trade shows can be a good way to promote your company and to help you find qualified prospects.

Yet many first time exhibitors underestimate the time, energy, and planning required to stage the big event. Whether you are preparing to do your first trade show or you are a seasoned veteran, the following pointers should help make your show a success.

Define your objectives

While many people assume the main objective is to gather sales leads, there are other valid reasons for doing a trade show.

A company can use trade shows to introduce its products or services, to enhance its image, to educate its target market, to demonstrate a product, to provide support to its distributors, or to meet buyers who are not usually accessible to its sales force.

Shorwood Associates, a human resources consulting firm in Waterloo, took part in its first three trade shows last fall. Partner Rosslynn Shortt found that they were not that great for generating leads, but prvoided the firm with good exposure. More importantly, says Shortt, the shows gave us "good practice in explaining what we do and gave us a chance to answer questions we had not otherwise fielded."

Pick the right shows

Once your objectives have been set, it will be easier to choose which shows to attend. But it still won't be easy. There will always be more shows than you have the time or resources to attend. Not all are well run. Not all are well promoted.

Carola Donsig, a marketing communications manger with Spicer Corporation of Kitchener, has responsibility for planning the company's participation in about 20 trade show events a year, none of which are in Canada. If she's unsure about participating in a particular show, she will often attend it first as a visitor to determine the fit and ensure her customers are there.

"A lot of times we do trade shows to meet other exhibitors, or potential resellers for our products," says Donsig. "And, while I'm checking out a show, I can still hand out business cards."

Donsig likes to know who else is exhibiting. After all, if her competitors believe a show is a good place to be, then it's probably a good fit for Spicer, too.

Talking to previous exhibitors can also help you decide. Shorwood Associates tried this approach but found that sometimes you just have to try a show to see what it will be like for you.

Create a professional display

Having selected the right shows, turn your attention to your display.

Never having done a trade show, Safe Home Dryers, a Waterloo firm that provides preventative maintenance for washers and dryers, was uncertain about what to include in their booth. As partners Pat Schnarr and Deborah Hill-Smith geared up for the Kitchener Home Show, they had many questions.

Spicer Corporation's Donsig says that it is critical for booth signage to be brief and concise. It should quickly tell attendees who you are and what you do. Attendees must readily be able to see why you can help them and why they should talk to you.

With advive from a marketing consultant, Safe Home Dryers now plans to use a real dryer in its booth with graphic images of flames shooting to illustrate the potential for fire when lint builds up in ducts. It also plans to show a video to make the display more interesting.

Investing in professionally designed, full-colour graphics was a move that Shorwood Associates felt was key to the success of their display. "Competition is strong and your booth must look inviting," said Shortt.

While you need to catch people's attention, you also need to keep it simple. Graphics and signs must be large enough to read from a distance. "Most displays are very flat. People may not even see your company name until they are practically at the booth," says Donsig. "So look at your booth from all sides and consider ways to make your display stand out."

Not all visitors are buyers

Believe it or not, you really don't want everyone who attends the show to stop at your booth. Your time is valuable. Your objective should be to talk to those visitors who are qualified prospects, not people who are only looking to chat.

Donsig suggests you have good questions ready to help you recognize prospective customers. She also stresses the importance of developing ways to quickly get rid of "tire kickers."

Some possibilities? You may be able to end a conversation by giving them a business card, asking them to visit your Web site for more information, or by providing an inexpensive piece of literature and suggesting they read it.

It's not a good idea to hand out expensive literature since most of the information visitors pick up at a trade show ends up in the garbage. Only give literature to qualified prospects. And be sure to get their names so you can follow up later.

Follow Up

Unless you have a way to track your leads, says Donsig, don't bother doing trade shows. Knowing how many leads you get from each show is an important way to determine which shows to attend in the future.

Safe Home Dryers plans to have a draw for free dryer cleaning as a way to gather names at its first trade show. While getting the names is great, you need a follow up plan, too.

Be sure to block time on your calendar after the show, otherwise the hot leads you generate will soon be cold. Safe Home Dryers will also use a direct mail campaign to continue their communication process with prospective customers.

Finally, take time to evaluate your show experience. Even before you do, organizers will likely ask you to sign up for the next show. Donsig suggests you agree to return even if you are uncertain. Reserving early helps you secure a preferred space for the following show. Besides, you can always cancel if necessary.

When evaluating your show experience, always take time to determine what worked, what didn't, and decide what will you do differently the next time.

Doing trade shows is a fine art and this article only scratches the surface. So, for more information, you may want to read "The Power of Exhibit Marketing" by Canadian trade show expert Barry Siskind, or visit his Web site www.siskindtraining.com. A number of articles are posted on this site as well as many useful links to trade shows and conventions around the world.

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