By Jack Saward
Exhibiting at a trade show or exhibition represents a significant investment, be that in time, budgets, or staff resources.
But how often do businesses just turn up, set up their stand and wait for leads to walk in? More than you’d imagine I suspect.
Then afterwards, they wonder why the ROI doesn’t stack up.
With our clients I always try to hammer home the differences between a successful exhibitor and one who just shows up. It comes down to three things: what you do before the event, how you perform on the day, and what happens after the doors close on the exhibition hall.
Before the event
A mistake exhibitors make is treating preparation as just a quick tick-list of things. Ordering the stand, tick. Booking the space, tick. Sorting the team rota, tick. Yes, these are all important when it comes to organisation, but the real pre-event work is commercial.
Start promoting your attendance at least four to six weeks out. Use your communication channels (email/social media) to let your existing clients and prospects know you’ll be there. If possible, use the event as a hook to set appointments in advance, giving you a diary full of pre-booked meetings.
It’s also worth considering what you want visitors to walk away with. They need a clear understanding of what you can do for them. Less is more when it comes to your on-stand messaging, so brainstorm your ideas from the get-go.
During the event
Your team on the stand really are your biggest asset, so make sure you make the most of them!
Brief them thoroughly. They should know who your ideal visitor is, what questions to ask, and what questions they should expect to be asked back. Open questions are your friend: “What’s your biggest challenge right now?” will tell you far more than reeling off a list of sales jargon.
Capture data properly. A pile of business cards stuffed in a jacket pocket is not a lead generation strategy. Use a simple system – a tablet or a form does the job if you don’t have your own tools – to record key information and any follow-up actions agreed while the conversation is still fresh.
Don’t neglect social media during the event itself. Live content keeps your wider audience engaged and extends your reach beyond those that are at the event.
After the event
The follow-up window is short. Leads go cold fast, and the longer you leave it, the harder conversion becomes.
Aim to follow up within 48 hours, and make it personal. Reference the conversation you had. Don’t just send a generic “great to meet you” email, remind them of the specific conversations you discussed and how you can help.
Finally, measure what happened. How many meetings did you have? How many leads were generated? How many converted, and over what timeframe? For our clients we also measure Return of Objectives which factors in brand awareness and engagement, as well as the lead quality – it all counts.
Without data, you’re guessing, and that doesn’t improve next year’s results.
Quite simply, exhibitions and trade shows work. But only if you do.
Jack Saward is the founder of Saward Marketing & Events
