For any business that’s either flourishing or just starting to grow, trade shows are such a great opportunity to expand your customer reach, make a few sales, witness a surge in brand awareness, and network with people you may not get a chance to see in everyday life. Hundreds of trade shows take place in the USA and across the world all year round in big cities, meaning that there are always several opportunities for businesses to set up a stall and maximize the potential of these great events.
When all is said and done, trade shows simply let you display your product or service to those in your industry and the general public. It’s possible someone has already heard about your business, but this type of event allows attendees to ask questions and get a better insight. More often than not, however, you’ll have to impress guests straight off the bat and ensure your company is one they’ll remember out of the many they’ll find at a trade show.
Due to the fact that there’s always so much competition at every trade show, the more prepared you are, the likelihood increases of your business standing out from the others. So, if you’ve got the prospect of setting up a stall at a nearby trade show this year, think about the following advice and make sure you bring all the dynamism and fervor you can muster!
Take your A-Team.
Whether it’s MAGIC, Cosmoprof, or Texworld, the biggest trade shows in the USA require the best team members for your company’s stall. Everyone on your team needs to be polite and friendly, but also very chatty and sociable as it will be necessary to strike up conversations with strangers and initiate the exchanges. Hiring staff especially for working at trade shows is a completely normal practice, even if they don’t work for your business full-time. These pros are great at getting people’s attention and can practically sell anything! In addition, a member of staff from tech, PR, and sales would be ideal, as then you’ve got all the bases covered for questions from attendees. Also, if everyone can dress in a similar outfit or uniform, then it helps the idea of a team approach as well as being an amazing branding technique.
Bring plenty of freebies, brochures, chairs, and a table.
If you think you’re exhausted from the event after a few hours, think about those attending! They’re also spending most of the day chatting to businesses and wandering around the show. Anyone suffering from some fatigue will definitely love your stall if there’s a table and chairs to sit on! You might think this is something every stall will have, but you might be shocked to discover how many companies forget this option. Recharging stations for smartphones will be useful but ensure that while you’ve got a few attendees resting at your stall, leave a few business cards, brochures, and some freebies like pens, bottle openers, and other novelty gifts – everyone enjoys free things and it only helps your branding! Consider using Print24’s brochure printing options if you’re unsure where to get these items online.
Another freebie item you can give to your guests as a reminder of your business is a colorful, custom lanyard with your company name branded on it. 4inlanyards.com is the best place to make your purchase, as their pieces are artsy and reasonably priced; hence won’t cost you much money. Moreover, they are an excellent accessory for the publicity of your business.
Get ready to give the same chat and demonstrations many times over.
If you can handle some repetitiveness over the course of the trade show, then you covered at least 50% of the job! Everyone will need the same energy and enthusiasm when explaining how the product or service actually works, even if they need to do it dozens of times to different people. Telling someone who’s interested to simply check out a video on YouTube is a bit unhelpful, as they might forget later or feel like you didn’t go the extra mile.
Think like an attendee and imagine what kind of questions people might ask, as you’ll need to have some good answers ready. Trade shows are long and exhausting, but the payoff is usually worth it if sales increase and you’ve impressed as many people as possible.
