Conseils Expo  FSI 2009

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The 9 steps for a successful trade show
If, like many businesses in the recent past, you dialed down participation in industry conferences, now's a smart time to re-engage. This article seeks to help you make sure the money and staff you invest in a show experience will pay off in stronger customer relationships and profitable sales leads.

Too often, busy small companies begin preparations for shows only days beforehand, when they ship exhibition materials and make travel arrangements. Sound familiar?

That leaves way too much to chance. Instead, you need a long-term strategy for shows that dovetails with the rest of your company marketing. Check out this nine-step plan for getting the most out of your trade-show dollar.

First, evaluate which shows over the year are worth your while. You want audiences ripe for your marketing and products. "Set specific trade show goals with quantifiable objectives," says Jeff Hilton, president of the Integrated Marketing Group in Salt Lake City. "Build a P&L for your participation and measure your performance against it." You might, for instance, set a goal of meeting three new customers on each show day in order to generate a specified volume of post-show sales.

Also, look into opportunities to become a speaker or a panelist, which gains you recognition and credibility. "Keep in mind that this process starts roughly one year in advance of the event," says Kevin McLaughlin, managing partner at Public|i in New Brunswick, N.J.

Then check ways to cut costs. For instance, if you plan a significant amount of travel, you might rate preferred-vendor status at a hotel chain.

Step 1 - Craft an overall strategy
The reasons you attend conferences are to connect with current and prospective customers, of course, and, often too, to learn about new technologies or products that will influence your future. How successfully you accomplish this —and whether your time is well spent— is the key.

Step 2 - Research targets
Exhibition handbooks and staffers are a rich and often overlooked resource. Before a show, identify delegates you want to meet and events or evening activities that will be profitable for you to attend. "Think of the show as one-to-one selling, only in an intense time frame," says Ken Cook, managing director at Peer to Peer Advisors. "Each day is a series of get-togethers with pre-selected target customers in an environment where the focus is on what you offer."

In addition, put in a call to the show PR staff about a week before opening day. Ask about high-profile speakers or product debuts — and consider how to mesh your marketing with show promotions. For example: "If you find the show's PR staff is pitching a story idea to the media that fits your product, ask if they would include your company's name as an example in their pitch," says Steve Dubin, president at PR Works in Kingston, Mass. (See No. 5 below)

Step 3 - Send advance introductions
Don't wait until the show to contact your targets. Develop show mailers (not your usual marketing brochure) that include a teaser or offer to attract traffic to your booth, or that makes your product distinctive. Such messages, whether via e-mail newsletters or direct mail, can easily be created with HYPERLINK "http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX010857941033.aspx"Microsoft Office Publisher with little expense.

Step 4 - Have a Plan B
As you know all too well, shipments are often lost and travel arrangements go awry. Do not assume the box of booth materials you ship will arrive on time and intact. Make sure there's a backup plan for staff, marketing and anything else you'll need.

Step 5 - Court industry media
Shows are an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with industry editors and reporters to present story ideas, introduce your executives or spokespeople, and to establish ongoing relationships, says Jody Summers at Trozzolo Communications Group in Kansas City, Mo. "Done correctly, businesses walk away having made a connection with industry media as well as their customers."

Don't forget that most shows also publish daily news bulletins, both print and online, that you can also leverage for recognition. With that in mind, you might hire a PR firm to manage your trade show appearances, beginning some months ahead and kicking in during shows. For $5,000 or so, you can outsource the messaging, materials and mailers, plus gain access to industry editorial contacts for interviews and stories. You're then free to concentrate on business and still benefit from a successful show.

Step 6 - Get noticed
Don't ever assume attendees will find you. Experts agree you must devise a way to stand out, but they disagree on the how. Some recommend loud, bold displays that no one will miss from across the hall. Others suggest the opposite: "By developing an attractive counter-programming presentation geared to one-to-one interaction with the personal touch, small businesses can position an exhibit space that's a haven for the convention weary," says Mark Hopkinson, chairman of NewsMark Public Relations in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

For instance, have lots of fresh coffee to offer in giveaway mugs that include your Web address and phone number. Or offer online services that let delegates interact with your product or offerings. For example, Microsoft's Appointment Manager allows contacts to schedule appointments at their convenience for follow-up meetings. Microsoft Office Live Meeting lets you offer live webcasts or remote-access meetings during the show.

One simple draw is to hold a lottery with an attractive prize. Collect business cards during the show and then draw one on the last day for the winner. More creative giveaways target the specific traffic you want by appealing to a special skill or taste. One company that sells computer servers developed an online puzzle that attendees could complete only after they returned home. That led target customers to register on the company Web site after the show was over, says Elliott Black, president of EMBA, a publicist in Northbrook, Ill.

Step 7 - Develop a script
Write down a show pitch and then practice it with every staffer who will man a booth, walk the floor or attend seminars. Do not wing it. You want every employee to become an articulate company ambassador and you particularly want all the messaging to be consistent. Test its effectiveness by tallying the sales leads you get at the show. Then refine the script accordingly.

Step 8 - Build relationships with attendees
"Know how to ask questions," says Ted Sun, an executive coach based in Columbus, Ohio. "Most people at trade shows push their products on people. But when you sit back and ask questions, you learn a great deal about the customer." That leads to a long relationship, rather than a one-off deal.

Step 9 - Follow up promptly
Studies show that most trade show leads are never re-contacted or activated, which wastes the time and money you spend. "Show follow-up should happen within five days after the show, not several weeks later when the contact is cold," says Integrated Marketing's Hilton. A good return on your trade show investment means you need to plan, prepare and then follow up.