At-the-Show Marketing Tips
You are now at your most important tradeshow of the year. You will have less than five seconds to attract your prospect as they walk by. Here are the top five actions to take while at the show to make that attendee cross the line from the main aisle into your great booth and become a qualified, interested prospect.
- It's all in the Eyes - Tradeshows for a participant is all about distractions: visuals, noise, people, energy, and hurting feet. You are competing with all of these. While they are approaching your booth, get their attention by making it personal. Look into their eyes, smile and ask them a relevant, open-ended question about their world. What is the most relevant seminar/workshop you have attended and why? Add humor. How many miles do you think you have walked today? Greet them by name if you know them. Keep your personal, attention-grabbing question, short and open-ended by asking what, why, and how. Don't forget to look them in the eyes and smile.
- It's all in the Showing - Once you have their eye and brain attention, show them something in the booth that will pull them in. Get them to cross that imaginary line by saying, "Let me show you...." Point out your booth contest, game, abstract book, scientific booth speaker, or visual schematic. Include in your "show and tell" anything but what you are selling.
- It's all in the Questions - Now they are in! Keep them interested by asking smart questions about them and their interests. Ask them about their situation. Ask what they want to achieve and determine their needs from the answers. Qualify them as a prospect based on predetermined criteria you developed before the tradeshow. If a qualified prospect, adapt your selling presentation to their unique situation. If you want market information, prepare a very short, multiple-choice survey for them to complete. Keep it short and easy.
- It's all in the Message - When it is appropriate for your presentation, begin by expanding your main visual message into a verbal message. Reiterate your product or company positioning at the beginning of the presentation and at the end. You want your prospect to leave remembering at least one key thing, make it the one thing you want them to remember.
- It's all in the Visit - Once in the booth, your prospect is your guest. Treat them with respect, they have chosen to give you their time. If they seem pressed for time, modify your presentation. Depending on how qualified the prospect, you may choose to schedule an appointment for later at their work place. Reward them for their time by calling them by name, thanking them for their visit, and presenting them with a small gift. You not only want them to remember the one key thing, but you want them to feel good about what they remembered.
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— Posted 06/03/2003