Trade Show Strategy – Get a Lead or a Customer

I came across the following video on YouTube that is pretty good at explaining the end goal for going to a trade show.  That end goal is to get a qualified lead or a customer and how a company accomplishes this goal can be varied.  After watching the video I do want to comment on how to go about capturing the prospects information at the show.  The simplest way to gather this data is to solicit business cards however, this really doesn’t help you identify who is or isn’t a lead.  An entry form that qualifies the prospect is a better solution and should be required for entry into the drawing.  Furthermore a sales consultant should review this form to ensure its accuracy before submission.  Enjoy the video.

A Smash Hit! Trade Show Displays specializes in portable trade show displays, roll up banners, pop up display systems, tradeshow signage, tension fabric structures and custom trade show exhibits.  Let us make your next event A Smash Hit!

PowerPoint Tips……………..Not! (Spoken in Borat Version)

OK, I came across a funny video about how not to deliver a PowerPoint presentation.  I hope you enjoy and have a great 4th of July!

Make sure to visit our website to see all the portable tradeshow exhibit models, from roll up banner stands to custom trade show displays we can make your next event A Smash Hit!

Quick Movies for Trade Shows

Moving pictures, AKA Videos, can dramitically draw attention to your booth space at a trade show.  Many companies do not have the technical expertise to create their own video nor budgets to do so.  What most companies do have are pictures and with these pictures very simple movies can be created.

If you use a Mac the iPhoto is the program of choice.  Below are a few resources that show you how to use iPhoto.
http://www.marialanger.com/2007/03/19/creating-a-slide-show-for-idvd-with-iphoto/
http://www.apple.com/ilife/tutorials/iphoto/ip4-1.html

If you use a PC then Photo Story 3 by Microsoft is your program of choice.  Photo Story 3 can be downladed for Free as well!  Below are a few resources that show you how to use Photo Story 3.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/photostory/tips/firststory.mspx
http://www.updatexp.com/microsoft-photo-story-3.html

Trade Show Display Product Highlight
Hanging banners are attention getting as they are hung from the ceiling and can be seen from almost all areas of the exhibition floor.  There are a winde variety of shapes and can be printed on vinyl and fabric substrates.  Fabric tension ceiling banners are very sleek and can even be backlit providing dramatic effects!

How to get more from your next trade show.

Going to your next trade show could be the difference between keeping or losing your job.  In todays hyper competitive business environment the knowledge learned and contacts gained could easily be the difference between being a mediocre and outstanding employee.  Medicore employees eventually fall by the wayside.  The following tips enable you to get the most from each show.

1.) Get a pre-show schedule of events, seminars and exhibitors and use this to map out your day to day activities.  Align these activities so that you get the most out of each day and possibly night.

2.) Call or email event organizers, speakers and exhibitors and let them know you’ll be there.  Ask the event organizers who else will be there, especially if you want face time with a targeted prospect or associate.  See if the event organizer can seat you next to that contact on purpose.  Submit questions to speakes in advance so that the presentation is custom tailed to the questions you have.  Arrange meetings with exhibitors so they can prepare solutions in advance, this way the sales cycle doesn’t start at the show.

3.) Comfortable shoes, comfortable shoes, comfortable shoes…enough said. 

4.) Bring along a standard assortment of business supplies just in case they aren’t provided in the seminars.  Some attendees have even gone as far as to tape and or video record a session, although this may be prohibited.

5.) Extra business cards.  You never know how many you may give out and the last thing you want to have happen is run out.

6.) Follow up.  Don’t just email contacts when you get back from the show.  Go ahead and draft a formal letter referencing your conversation at the show and mail it.  Keep the letter genuine and sincere on how excited you were to make their aquaintance.  It seems a little “old fashioned”, however, it’s a very effective way to make this person a contact for life.

Trade Show Booths Product Highlight
Portable trade show displays are becoming more and more advanced and with these advacements come new display types emerge from the crowd.  Smash Hit Displays is pleased to annouce that the arrival of Echo by Abex.  The modular systems use stunning trade show graphics and when combined with other displays like banner stands and custom trade show carpet you can create a truly one-off display system.

LCD Projectors, Projection Screens and Trade Show Displays

If you’re looking to use an LCD or DLP projector at a trade show you’ve experienced the challenge of trying to incorporate a screen into your booth space.  Most companies use a separate screen that ends up looking like an afterthought, however, with a little planning you can create a custom looking exhibit that eliminates the use of a separate screen altogether.  Below you will find images of two different displays we’ve designed that have an integrated projection screen built into the trade show graphics.  Both of these displays use a straight pop up displayand mural graphics as the screen is much wider than what could normally be transported as a Velcro or detachable graphic.  You must use a straight pop up frame because a curved frame would create multiple focal lengths for the projector.  In other words, the image, when projected, would be out of focus as parts of the screen are closer to the projector than others.  It is important to make sure the integrated screen matches the projector screen ratio of 4:3 (standard TV) or 16:9 (wide-screen or HD) so that the image fills the space.  If we can help you with a projection screen trade show display please let us know!

A Trade Show isn’t a Trade Show…

All trade shows aren’t created equal and the strategies used to create leads and potential sales varies quite differently from show to show and for each exhibitor.  Your sales cycle, product and service complexity and the exhibitors focus at the show all contribute to the strategy employed.  The first step to achieving positive results from a show is to set a goal.  For example, a franchisor wishes to sell two franchises by exhibiting at a tradeshow.  The franchisor knows that, on average, it takes 150 leads to close one franchise so he decides to set a secondary goal of gathering 400 leads.  He also knows that of these 400 leads, only 20 of them will be qualified buyers.  These numbers tell the franchisor how many pieces and what type of literature he needs to bring to the show.  Unqualified buyers receive a basic brochure and more qualified buyers get in depth detailed premium brochures.  Basically, the original goal sets in motion the specific activities and strategies implemented in order to achieve said goal.  Follow this basic outline and you will be well on your way to achieving your stated goals by exhibiting at trade shows.

Trade Show Exhibit Product Highlight
What is a trade show display?  It can be any one of the products found on our website, which are all specifically designed for trade show use, however, this term actually applies to anything located within your booth space and for that matter, the entire exhibit floor.  Why should you adopt such a broad definition?  Because the Starbucks Coffee Cup, food wrappers and your sloppy dress code all effect the quality of presentation.  In other words, you’re only as strong as your weakest link.

Brand Identity and Trade Show Displays

I read a great post by Jill Cole on her Vario Creative Blog about Brand Identity and Quality Counts.  I really like the fact that all elements of the mini-display incorporated colors, logos and imagery found on existing marketing channels.  Thanks for sharing your insight Jill!

Trade Show FlooringProduct Highlight
Do your feet hurt at trade shows?  Maybe you need carpet padding for trade shows.  Available in Rebond and Polyurethane they are sure to comfort your feet all day!

I’m not surprised that Seth Godin isn’t surprised.

Hey Seth, if you’re reading this, you need a haircut…I wonder if this surprised him???

Seth Godin, bestselling author and marketing guru, posted on his blog that if a company doesn’t surprise you then they won’t be memorable.  You can read his post by clicking here.  In today’s hyper-marketed and experienced based production world it is getting harder and harder to stand out.  I do suggest that pulling back on the reigns can help you stand out though.  Imagine a huge trade show floor with lots of vibrant colored trade show displays.  Your display is completely white, the floor is white and your staff is wearing all white.  The only color being the company logo and and products you offer.  Visually you will stand out as your booth will be a stark absence of color in a sea of over-stimulation of color.  Remember, to be different you must first think different.

Trade Show Display Product Highlight
Trade show tables can be a very effective way to showcase products and literature, however, using these tables in the correct manner is important so that they don’t become a liability.  First and formeost get a table that fits the actual space you need.  For example, if you have to fan out brochures like a deck of cards to fill the top of the table then it’s probably too large a table.  In most cases, tables aren’t even needed as a literature stand and a clipboard will sufice.  The investment in your booth is well worth not filling it up with an oversized table that blocks people from actually entering your booth space.

Building the brand

Lauren Wilbert of the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal has a great article about companies who have been successful building their brands through trade shows and other avenues.

Building the brand

Companies promote themselves via corporate events, trade shows, Web 

There’s no doubt that marketing, public relations and advertising can make a difference in a company’s success. But the strategies behind a communication method or campaign varies widely depending on the company. For our Fast 50 Diary companies, chosen from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s list of fastest-growing private companies, none of them go with traditional ideas of advertising, such as television or radio spots. Instead, the mix of publicity comes in the form of detailed Web sites for Ergotron Inc.’s resellers and partners, to podcasts from Salo’s two CEOs. The common thread for all these companies: Be patient with results from marketing and be open to trying new things.  TAJ Technologies Inc. As a computer consulting firm, TAJ Technologies Inc. is pretty clear on its target market. The company, based in

Mendota
Heights, spends its advertising bucks on ads in annual publications and for corporate events. “We don’t go for mainstream advertising in newspapers,” said CEO KC Sukumar. But there are exceptions. The company plans to make use of its 20-year anniversary this year to promote itself as a durable, dependable company, Sukumar said. “We survived through the year 2000 and the dot-com bust, and now we’re on a high-growth period,” he said. “We have to weigh the cost [of publicizing the anniversary], but 20 years is something to celebrate.” With two decades of experience, Sukumar knows that results from advertising and marketing take time to show up. Also, don’t discount one of the best marketing tools of any business — old-fashioned cold calling to potential clients and for referrals from current customers. “You always have to stay out front,” he said.  Ergotron Inc. Ergotron Inc., which makes adjustable mounts for computers, relies on robust channel marketing to resellers and computer manufacturers to drive its business.The Eagan-based company does little direct selling to consumers, so it decided to invest in a Web site for those actually selling its products rather than spend money on glossy print and TV ads. Ergotron launched the site (partner.ergotron.com) three years ago after changing its business model to sell through resellers rather than directly to large corporate accounts. “We understood we needed to give our selling tools [to them],” said Jane Payfer, vice president of marketing. The site includes a “quick find” feature for people who want to find a mount for equipment, and also a “partner training” section, which the company rolled out in January. “They see that our Web site is easy to use, and they buy our products and find that those are easy to use, too,” Payfer said. That has made resellers’ experience with the site enjoyable, which makes them more likely to recommend and continue to use Ergotron’s products, she added. Ergotron, which does all of its Web design, marketing and print work in-house, now has the challenge of translating the Web training feature for its overseas offices in Europe and
Asia.

  Venture Bank  It’s difficult to measure which marketing and advertising efforts really work, said Venture Bank CEO Michael Zenk, but such practices do serve a purpose in the big picture of running a business. “I don’t hear from customers that, ‘Oh, I saw your ad,’ but at the same time, it’s just another piece of the overall strategy,” Zenk said. If nothing else, it keeps the bank’s name out there, said Christine Young, commercial loan officer at the
Golden Valley headquarters branch. Young also is on the bank’s marketing committee, which includes several of the bank’s executives. The committee meets on a regular basis to plan how to spend the company’s advertising dollars. So far, a third of the money goes to print advertising in business publications, with the rest going toward event sponsorships, business development and general public-relations work. Sponsorships are a prime opportunity for Venture to tell its story to a captive audience. “[That] is what’s going to bring in the business,” Zenk said. The company also spends time on local marketing to chambers of commerce, community organizations and office complexes, for instance. The company has done all of its marketing work in-house until this year. It hired a customer to help with public relations as it builds its third location.    White House Custom Colour  CEO Michael Hanline said advertising and marketing has cost White House Custom Colour (WHCC) “a small fortune,” but in the end, the company sees it as a bargain. WHCC, a South St. Paul-based digital photography printing and processing company, began print media ads in 2002, keeping the designs simple and clean, Hanline said. But its logo brings the most bang for its advertising buck. The company has invested in keeping its logo front and center in the market, so much that the industry knows exactly what WHCC does as soon as they see the icon, Hanline said. WHCC also spends money on trade-show bags featuring the logo. “Everyone is a small billboard traveling around these shows,” he said. The company has done everything in-house, but just hired an outside firm to help further develop and refine WHCC’s marketing programs now that its services and brands are expanding.
Salo
Salo co-CEOs Amy Langer and John Folkestad know where their strengths are, and they’re not in creative marketing design, they said. That’s why the young company, an executive temp firm, hired public-relations and marketing professionals early on. Awards are an important marketing tool for the Minneapolis-based company, and its PR representative helps the executives decide which contests to enter. Salo doesn’t spend much on advertising since it gains business by word of mouth. Langer and Folkestad also spend a vast majority of their time meeting with clients and potential consultants to add to their roster. So far, that’s the company’s best selling engine, and one reason the pair have decided to embark on a high-tech marketing tool. They soon will launch quarterly podcasts to focus on driving Salo’s message to employees.

Trade Show Booth Product Highlight
Trade show carpet is most often rented because it isn’t that portable.  We fixed that problem by creating a portable carpetthat comes in three separate strips, Velcro’s together and packs in a rolling case!  Never again do you have to pay $300.00 for an old piece of stained rental carpet!

Bare Minimum Trade Show Displays Lack Visual Interest

Trade show displays that are made up of vinyl hung banners lack visual interest as they look temporary.  This isn’t the feeling you hope to convey when you’re exhibiting for the first time.  This company is probably a startup and may not have the funding available to go all out on a display, however, for a few thousand dollars a Banner Stand Wall would easily work for this type of exhibit and create a very cool backdrop without breaking the bank.