Trade shows are a pivotal part of any business, and by following these handy dos and don’ts, your company can take itself to a whole new level in the business place.
By Craig Falck for Africa Report
Trade Show: “Do’s”
1. Do research. Make sure that you’re going to the biggest trade show in the industry with a reputable history and organisers. Find out who else will be exhibiting, which is the best floor space with the most traffic, and where your competitors will be. Too much knowledge never hurt anybody.
2. Have something to show. Pamphlets let you provide customers with as much information as possible, but that still cannot compete with an actual physical product. Browsers love to touch, feel and see products, so make sure that not only do you have products on display, but that you also have enough stock to get through the duration of the show.
3. Be knowledgeable. If a browser asks a question, you shouldn’t need to look through notes for answers. This takes time and the browser will lose interest. If you have promoters, quiz them about the products and prepare them for any and all questions that could be thrown their way.
4. Put on a good display. We’re talking everything here, from the smallest detail to the biggest showstopper, everything must look amazing and catch the eye of anyone who walks past your stand. Products must be clearly on display, not squashed into a corner. Rather put one product from a range up than squash five into a space where they can’t maximise their visual appeal. And make sure that your display area is clean.
Trade Show: “Don’ts”
1. Bland and boring don’t make an impression. Rather be over the top than under the radar. If you seem bored by your own product, browsers will be bored too, no matter how much they were interested in it to start with.
2. There’s a difference between being sure of yourself and being arrogant. Your attitude plays an important role in the sales process: if you come across as rude, you will turn customers away, and nothing travels as quickly as the word of mouth. Be friendly to your customers, because at the end of they day, they’re the ones paying your salary and you want them to keep coming back.
3. Customers need your help, so don’t ignore them. Allowing a browser to walk around your stand unassisted shows that you’re not focused on serving your market. Ask if you can help with anything or give information on a product. What’s the worst they can say? No?
Trade shows are exciting. They introduce the market and industry to new and innovative products and allow businesses to interact with each other on a far friendlier basis than in the ‘warzone’ known as the market place. Why not make your showing count and enhance your business profile by putting on a trade show experience that customers won’t forget?
