Danny Wong
Danny Wong of Entrepreneur gives four key tips on how to stand out from the other exhibitors at a bustling trade show.
While a trade show may just be another thing to worry about in a hectic month for any business involved in B2B sales, it can be of great importance to your business’s prospects to make sure you stand out, draw in potential customers, and promote your brand as efficiently as you can.
With that in mind, Wong gives the following pointers to making your next busy trade show a success.
- Start beforehand
Wong advises advertising your upcoming presence at the trade show a good two weeks to a month in advance of the show date, informing your contacts that you will be exhibiting there and letting them know that “your booth will be worth visiting.” He also advises that you find out which other vendors will be attending, “as well as the physical conditions of your booth or space.”
He even suggests possible collaboration with your neighbours at the show, “if you have complementary products or services and overlapping customers”.
- Provide an activity at your booth
With trade show attendees seeking “an interactive experience” at the booths they visit, it would stand your business in good stead to provide an activity in contrast to “a standing sales pitch”, so long as it is “aligned with your brand.”
- Offer proof of your product’s quality
As participants of the trade show may not be aware of your particular brand and the products you offer, Wong advises showing marketing materials “that highlight customer case studies and testimonials” as well as sharing “a short list of your most well-known clients”. You can also broadcast which publications your brand has been showcased in to help consumers get a real feel for your business.
- Review your strategy
It may be an idea, before the show commences, to gather your exhibiting staff and outline your strategy and expectations for the show, “outlining the particular messages you want to convey.” Wong advises viewing the trade show “not as a competition” but rather as a platform for showing “what you do better than anyone else.”