Trade Show, Events, Sponsorships on the Rise
New research shows why.
from AICPA Custom Media Solutions

While you’re wondering whether you should hop on the podcast bandwagon or keep your fingers in the jar of wikis or direct mail, your peers have sped off to placing their bets on trade shows.

Why? Because business decision-makers (BDMs) have realized that just doing digital, direct mail or print will not bring in customers. Customers need to trust their vendors. Customers need to feel the product. Customers need to hear and see the person behind the phone and e-mail. And this, ladies and gentlemen, you can only deliver at trade shows and events.

So, as Julie Andrews says to the Captain’s children, let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.

	each your customers about your products. Train your staff on product details and improvements. A beaming smile, alone, cannot answer questions.
	eveal the added nuances to your existing products. Remind your customers of what your company can do to help solve their problems.
	pproach your existing customers as though they were brand new. A firm handshake and smile is just the beginning. Listen to their needs and show them how your products can fill a need. Don’t just ask questions. Probe, so you better understand their needs. This is not the time to brag. Think of when you were a student. You had questions. The more questions you ask the customer, the better you will know what solutions you can bring to them.
	elegate portions of your booth to various staff members, so that they are not falling all over themselves trying to help a single customer. Have one individual mind the entrance and sign in area. Assign another to dispense information. Have a third do a presentation, have knowledgeable staff answer questions.
	valuate your presentations, booth staff, floor location, before you are at the conference. Hold a brainstorming session with your staff and place only those who are well-versed in the products at the booth. This can be a marketing person as well as an IT person who can help an accountant understand whether a product is too complex for their purpose and can recommend a simpler version of the same, thereby cutting costs for the customer and still shaking hands on the deal. Listening to a customer’s need is key.
	how off. Yes, this is the place for you to brag about your new line of products. Tell your prospects about what enhancements you have made to older products or why you’ve decided to stop making a product and bring in a new one. Tell them how your newer products are better. If you have nothing new, emphasize what your existing products are doing so well at solving problems. Have charts handy. Give product demos. This is show-and-tell time.
	ave an efficient system for collecting leads. Make sure each visitor to your booth signs in. Make sure you have their contact information and what products they are interested in. The fact that they gave you a name and contact information is a fresh lead. It would be silly to let it gather dust until the next event and bring out that notebook. Prospective customers often look forward to hearing back from the vendors they meet at trade shows and conferences. Not getting back just means they walk away and go to your competitor. Are you willing to take the risk?
	we it to yourself to be humble and listen to your customers. Smile often. Shake hands. Ask questions. What are your customer’s problems? What are your customer’s complaints? What solutions are they looking for? A solo practitioner will not have the same needs as a controller of a large firm. You need to hear and listen.
	ine and dine some of the prospects after the show. Make it look like they are special. Have a one-on-one session with a select few. Have your staff mingle with a few top return customers along with a handful of new ones. Some companies give out plaques to their best customers or bottles of wine to new clientele to seal a lead. Your new prospects will remember, while the older clients won’t forget. Word-of-mouth advertising goes a long way.
	how your appreciation to your staff. You wouldn’t have gotten this far without them.

So next time you’re at a trade show, remember to put your right hand out and shake it all about. If you want, you can do the hokey-pokey, but do turn yourself around and join your peers, ‘cause that’s what it’s all about!