| By :
John Markus
Maximum exposure is the key to success at a trade show and will ensure you get the most out of it. Attending a trade show is likely to be your company's most expensive marketing tool. It will also involve a lot of staff and take considerable time, so it's essential you get the most out of the show. Start the planning process at least six months prior to the trade show. Get your team together and, if your company has attended trade shows before, completely review your experiences. Consider what things worked well and those that didn't. This is your chance to improve you and your team's presentational skills and maximize your company's exposure. Make a detailed list of things that need to be attended to and delegate jobs to your team. Give them deadlines, so they have a date to aim for. You need to consider printing, free giveaways and the design of the booth. Draw up a list of people you want to invite. Invite past, present and potential customers. Contact all the people on your list several months in advance of the trade show. People's diaries can get busy and you don't want competitors making contact first. Ensure you enclose a reply slip so you can start to count those that are attending. The more people you invite, the greater your company's exposure. Think of new products or services you could launch at the trade show; it's an ideal time with so many people in the same place. It will also attract people to your booth, especially if you provide special offers to those that order new products on the day. Before the trade show starts, wander around the various booths and talk to non-competitors. Set up a joint referral process. This will result in more people visiting your booth. When you return from visiting other booths, walk up to your own booth as if you were a passerby. Ask yourself if it attracts you and makes you want to step inside. Does the company logo and name stand out? Could you see it from a distance? You may still have enough time to address any minor alterations. Get everyone in place before the trade show opens. You need to be ready to meet people, and getting people into your booth is easier while it's quieter. Try and arrange for some of your existing customers to visit your booth early. Passersby are more interested in a booth that appears busy; it must mean there's something interested going on. Don't jump on people the second they enter your booth, welcome them, but then leave then to look around. Pressurization puts people off so you may lose potential business. You need to build a friendly, but unobtrusive rapport. Thank everyone as they leave; make sure they take away literature and that you get their business card. Every person visiting your booth is a potential customer and a lead.
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