Trade shows are the creme de la creme of marketing. Being industry-specific, these events have a readymade footfall of potential clients and customers ready to part with their cash. It doesn’t matter whether you provide accountancy services to IT contractors, whether you bake vegan cakes and cater, or whether you design custom made tee shirts, there will be a trade show that is perfect for your wares or services. Take a look at how you can increase your sales and exposure by completing a trade show like a pro.

Display

The most important thing at a trade show is to perfect your display. The chances are that you will be a tiny booth or stall in a sea of already well-established industry rivals. You need to stand out. So, consider head to https://www.expocart.com/gb/buy/pop-up-stands and investing in a pop-up stand. These are mobile and can be branded with your own personal startup slogan, logo or colour scheme. With your display stand, you should plaster your brand everywhere. Get yourself a banner or two, some pictures of your product and some merchandise.

While gimmicky, giving away a bag full of branded mouse pads, pencil toppers and keyrings will increase your exposure around the trade fair. In this way, as people move around they will see your logo and seek you out. Moreover, have a laptop with a Powerpoint display continually rolling to keep the crowd if you are busy chatting to other potential customers. Have a bright, interactive and engaging display space like those at https://fitsmallbusiness.com/trade-show-display-ideas/ to hook your potential new customers.

Be Smart And Organised

Forget turning up to an event three hours late and looking like you’ve just woken up. Get yourself a new haircut, wear formal attire and shine your shoes. Many people walking past will be engaged by you, rather than your service or product in the first instance. Make sure that you can show your product in action, smile and talk enthusiastically about your startup. People want to see that you are passionate and have a real love for what you are doing. Answer any queries and allow people to get a feel of your product and see it working.

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Follow Up Opportunities

You need to make it worth people’s while to part with their cash on the day. To secure your sales, have a trade show day discount of ten or twenty per cent. Knowing that they are getting a good deal will encourage people to part with their money. At the very least, enquire about people signing up to an email list. This way, you can keep track of those people who have visited your stall and who are interested in your products and services. Follow up with an email campaign with an incentive to buy, and thank people for their attendance at the trade show. If you built a positive customer relationship, people are more likely to buy from you.

Your first trade show will be exhausting yet exhilarating. Follow this guide and complete your first event like a pro.