Inviting displays are a great way to entice people at a trade show. If planning is not a priority during one of these events, it can have a negative effect on one’s business. There are some strategies that you can use to ensure your business will prosper after a show.
Objectives
Understanding how you want to present your business is one of the first steps a company takes before entering a trade show. According to Garry Duncan at the Denver Business Journal, “Knowing what you want to accomplish will determine what you do before, during and after the show.” Knowing your objective before the show is an important step. It can determine how successful you present your company and will make you stand out to attendees.
Involve the Visitors
When walking around the show floor, some people will pick up brochures or other materials that a company places on their table and walk away. They may be interested in the company, but not the people at the stand. Involving the visitors that approach your booth may increase their level of interest for your company. Duncan suggests that “Gimmicks and brochures are great, but only put a few out at a time so visitors will feel more obligated to ask if they can have one, which gives you a chance to ask a qualifying or engaging question.”
After the Show
An important time for any company is after the displays have been taken down and they can assess the quality of their work at the trade show. In order to target the visitors that have offered information to you, Duncan suggests following up with them. Doing so quickly is imperative since “Time kills interest and dulls memories.”