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Thank you for subscribing to Nimlok Trade Points. You have received trade show tips related to: Trade Show Planning Laying the groundwork, organizing your show logistics, focusing on the purpose and positioning of your marketing efforts. Trade Show People Skills Developing certain skills in your people that are critical to their effectiveness and overall success. Trade Show Promotion Developing promotional opportunities to attract business and communicate a consistent message in line with your image in the marketplace. Trade Show Productivity Setting up appropriate after-show follow-up to ensure productive results and benchmarks to evaluate and self-diagnose your efforts. Trade Show Planning Tip: Read the exhibitor service manual The exhibitor service manual is the official guide to everything you need to know about participating in the show. It contains all the relevant show rules and regulations, order forms for show services, installation and dismantle dates, registration, show promotion, contractor and shipping information. Sign up early to take advantage of possible reduced rates that some show organizers offer for early sign-up with prepayment. For other reduced rates, pre-order show services and also pay bills early to take advantage of prompt payment discounts, between 2-10%. Observe all deadlines as services ordered on the show floor could result in 50% additional costs. Order more wattage than needed as you don't want to risk a breakdown or having to pay a higher floor price. Working with your display house can be helpful. Return to top Trade Show People Skills Tip: Beware of Four Types That Can Bring Your Team DOWN Your image does not stop with an elaborate booth, fancy advertising or impressive literature. These certainly help, but it's your people who actually sell the company, and its products and/or services. They make up the strength and backbone of your exhibiting presence. The team you choose to represent you are your ambassadors. These people have the awesome responsibility of making or breaking future relationships with attendees, prospects and customers. Their attitude, body language, appearance, and knowledge help to create positive or negative perceptions in the minds of visitors. Make sure that they're well trained. Training shows that you recognize your team's importance in the company and looks to develop their skills to improve performance. Let them know, why you're exhibiting, what you're exhibiting, what you expect of them and finally show them how to do what you expect of them. Return to top Trade Show Promotion Tip: Develop an overall message or theme While developing your promotional plan, advertising, promotions, special events, sponsorship and media relations, keep a consistent theme throughout. This will help reinforce your message to prospects as well as enable them to better recall who you are. What can be done to encourage attendees to visit your booth? Your goals and target audience established in your planning stage are the nucleus for your promotional strategy. The main promotional vehicles to generate booth traffic include, personal invitations; telemarketing; direct mail which includes broadcast faxes and emails; advertising; public relations; and the Internet. As you plan your campaign keep in mind the following three questions: Whom are you targeting? What is your message? What incentive will you use? Return to top Trade Show Productivity Tip: Create effective follow-up Effective follow up is too valuable a tool to misuse, and for that reason it should be well thought-out far in advance. It is to your advantage to develop an organized, systematic approach to follow up. Based on your ranking system, develop a follow-up procedure for all your show leads. A ranking system will allow sales staff to assign a code to each prospect to determine information such as how immediate is their need for your product/service? How likely they are to purchase within a month or a year? For example, 1 = immediate need; 2 = interested in buying within the next 6 months; 3 = partial interest. Then decide on different follow-up methods based on your ranking system. Whatever system you use, it's critical that some kind of follow-up is done in a timely manner - within three to five days after the show. If you don't follow up, chances are that your competitors will! Return to top Written by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, working with exhibitors and meeting & event planners to improve their event success through coaching, consulting and training. Website: www.thetradeshowcoach.com ©2006, Nimlok Company. All rights reserved.