Maximize your trasdeshow ROI! Parts 7-10

We are almost there. The last four sections of Maximizing your tradeshow ROI here. Enjoy reading and implementing these steps.

7. What will you do post-show to follow up and solidify the sale? When will you do it? What forms, cards, letters, etc. can you have done in advance?
The follow up piece should include specific interests or needs that your prospect addressed with you.

Personalization is key to creating greater marketing impact and building the relationship with your new prospect.

If there are prospects/clients that can’t attend the tradeshow hold an open house to demonstrate your new products.

Follow up should be done within 1 week maximum from the date you met the prospect. 3-4 days maximum is preferred and is shown to yield greater results.

What can you do BEFORE the show to help you expedite the post-show follow up? Type up templates, print mailing labels, enough postage readily available, sample kits already packaged, etc.

8. What grading scale will you use to track the sales potential of a lead? How will you segment prospects based on the different types of follow up you need to do?

An example of a grading scale would be to have letter grades assigned for each tier of prospect. For example if the prospect is a decision maker, has the budget and interest in your product or service then they would get an “A”and you would follow up with them more intensely. If it is determined that the prospect may have a need for your product in the future, but is not a decision maker then they would get a low grade. The grading scale should be printed and your staff should have a clear understanding of it BEFORE the show.

Have a form that can be filled in with a column to staple/write in their contact name, phone/e-mail, activity to do, date needed by and lead grade.

9.Who will you use for your trade show staff? What type of characteristics do you want them to have? What image do you want them to portray? What are your expectations of them?
An often overlooked component is your staff. Train them to promote your company before, during and after the show. Keeping your message simple will help put you ahead of your competition. Remember that the attendees are bombarded with information and the more complex your sales pitch, products, etc. are the less likely they will remember you.
At the show remember the attendees are tired, impatient and feeling that they need to hurry on in order to see all the booths before the show closes. Quickly and effectively ask questions that get to the root of their needs so you can give them your solutions in a quick and timely matter. When you follow up after the show is when you can get into more details if you need to.
Does your staff understand the importance of catering to the ego of your prospects? Engaging them in conversations to discover their needs and making them feel special? It’s your job to make sure they do.

Bring your best salespeople. Teach them to qualify prospects quickly and don't waste your time or best giveaways with "tire kickers". Spend quality time with existing and qualified leads and give them your best giveaways so you stay top of mind and they will call you first when they need you.

Go over your expectations with your staff and get them on board. Make sure you have enough staff so breaks can be taken. Always have an introductory speech ready and make sure your staff gives a warm, inviting "Hi!" whenever someone walks by and looks your way. Most importantly, don't forget to always ask for the sale and ALWAYS....Have Fun!

Last, but not least have a well thought out uniform for your staff. Something that will stand out AND fits your corporate image. The basic blue or white shirts will not get you recognized. If there is a nice teal color in your logo use that color for your shirts and always have your shirt embroidered with your company info. Take advantage of the area right above the cuff on your long sleeve shirt. It’s a nice subtle place to embroider your website, tagline, etc. When you are pointing to an item, your prospect will notice the embroidery and remember it.

10. How will you track your results? If you don’t track your results then how will you know if it was worth the investment.

Have a Tracking Mechanism: Establish a tracking mechanism to measure the success of your trade show giveaways. If it is a redemption item, code it so that you know it resulted from the show. Post-show follow-up could include a question about the premium - did visitors remember receiving it and how useful was the item.

After the trade show, critique your giveaways with your exhibit team:
Did it draw specific prospects to the booth?
Was it eye-catching enough to persuade passers by to stop?
Did your customers find it useful?
Did it project the right corporate image?

The heart of your success is to attract targeted prospects to your booth, engage them with your products and services and solidify the sale.Without well thought out, targeted planning you will be throwing money away. Come up with a plan, stay focused and execute it and you will see the payoff!

Make the most of your tradeshow by applying the 10 ways to increase your tradeshow ROI. Do it right and you’ll increase your sales higher than you ever thought possible.

If you have a tradeshow or other event coming up and need help selecting a product that represents your company, a giveaway and/or a prize please contact us. We'd love to help!

To your success,
Shana Anderson
Complete Workplace, Inc.
Tele: 408.586.9464
Fax: 408.212.9601
E-mail: shana@completeworkplace.com
www.completeworkplace.com