When done correctly hosting at a Trade Show can be extremely effective in helping businesses gain new contacts which is key to expanding any business, especially if your business is primarily B2B. Meeting new people of course gives you a chance to make more money. And since sales is always a numbers game the more leads you gather, the larger your potential revenues can be.
Whatever industry you are in there are always trade shows to attend. From the offices of Silicon Valley to Delhi, India you are bound to find trade shows nearby no matter the city. Here is a list of the top 100 trade shows worldwide and more importantly below is a list specifying 3 key components to a successful trade show:
A good stand
You should get quotations from stands providers, while you might be able to make a good stand yourself from pop-up banners, first impressions count. It’s important to look as professional as possible because everyone you meet is a potential new customer. A stand will project what your company does and your values, attracting those who are walking past to talk to you. It’s important that effort goes into designing the very best stand for your needs and budget. Many companies use bright and eye catching displays in order to draw people to them, this is a particular good way to increase your brand awareness.
A plan
You should know why you are going to the trade show and have a plan about who you want to meet. A good plan will help you refine you pitch to what you are trying to get, you might have excess capacity that you are trying to sell. A plan will help you know what you need to do and what you need to get from the show.
A way to record track your leads
You will meet lots of people at the trade show and gain so many business cards. Therefore you will need some way of transcribing your conversation and their details so you don’t forget. This can be as simple as using a stapler and a notebook (which many people do), writing their needs next to the card or something more sophisticated such as inputting their details directly into a CRM system. Make sure to keep as many notes as possible on the people you meet, this is a good way to ensure you build great customer relationships.
A good trade show can turbocharge your business, depending on where you are exhibiting you can make massive increase in leads and sales, although this requires work. You need to remember that these sales leads don’t automatically fall on your lap but you need to build them putting long hours into cultivating the people you have met at the trade show, while this can take some time it’s well worth it.
