1. Do:
Research a show carefully before you
decide to exhibit. Does this show
attract a large number of people from
your target audience? Tradeshow
participation takes a lot of time,
energy and resources. You don't want
to spend them on folks who are
unlikely ever to do business with you.
2. Don't:
Be afraid to ask questions. Show
organizers have all kinds of
information that new exhibitors would
benefit from knowing. Ask about
attendee demographics, exhibitor's
requirements, and what assistance you
can expect from the show's staff.
3. Do:
Start planning early. Regular
tradeshow exhibitors routinely start
planning their appearances twelve to
eighteen months in advance.
4. Don't:
Pass up the chance to visit other
industry events before you exhibit for
the first time. Make note of what
exhibitors worked for you and what
turned you off. What did you find to
be effective? Can you incorporate
those items into your own exhibit?
5. Do:
Make a list of goals and objectives
for the show. This list should be
very specific. Do you want to
generate $X in new sales, start a
certain number of new business
relationships, or spread the word
about a new service offering you're
introducing to the market?
6. Don't:
Get sidetracked by what everyone else
is doing - or by what people tell you
you 'have' to do at a tradeshow.
You're at the show to reinforce your
expert identity and achieve your goals
and objectives. Anything else is off-
target.
7. Do:
Be open to creative and new ways of
presenting your services. Tradeshow
attendees see hundreds of exhibits in
the course of one day. You need to be
unique and engaging for your display
to be memorable.
8. Don't:
Be afraid to be enthusiastic about
your services. If you're genuinely
jazzed up about what you do, attendees
will sense that. Enthusiasm is
contagious -- and more importantly, it
sells!
9. Do:
Learn the 80/20 rule and take it to
heart. The best exhibitors are those
who listen 80% of the time and talk
20%. Focusing on attendees' wants and
needs is a surefire route to success.
10. Don't:
"Throw Up" on attendees. This very
common practice occurs when nervous
exhibitors can't stop talking, and
keep up a constant barrage of facts,
figures, and sales spiel. Attendees
are quickly turned off by this, and
your chance to form a profitable new
business relationship walks away.
11. Do:
Remember you're on display. What
you're selling at a tradeshow is,
primarily, first impressions. Be
professional, well-dressed, and
mannerly at all times. You never know
who's watching.
12. Don't:
Eat, drink, or chat on your cell phone
on the show floor. When you need
refreshment or a break, leave your
exhibit booth. Remember, the eyes of
the public are on you at all times, so
you'll want to conduct yourself well.
13. Do:
Be realistic. Tradeshows are long
events. You're on the floor for
anywhere from ten to twelve hours at a
go, often several days in a row. This
is a lot for any one person to do on
their own, and most Nichepreneuers are
solo operations. Ask for help.
Recruit friends to work the show with
you. If nothing else, they can spell
you while you grab a quick bite to eat.
14. Don't:
Forget! If you have friends help you
at the tradeshow, it behooves you to
provide them with some training. Make
sure they understand what your
services are, how you're different
from your peers, and what the
marketing message is. Also, have a
plan in place to cover what they
should do when they run into a
question they don't know the answer to.
15. Do:
Ask qualifying questions. You want to
know who you're talking to, who they
work for, and in what capacity. This
will help you determine if the
attendee is a prospective customer or
not.
16. Don't:
Be afraid to encourage people to move
along if they're not interested in
your services. Some of the people who
attend tradeshows are 'tire-kickers' --
they like to discuss everything, but
buy nothing. You don't want to waste
your time with them.
17. Do:
Take notes. Take time before the show
to create a lead-card system, in which
you'll record pertinent information to
facilitate post-show follow-up.
18. Don't:
Depend on your memory -- no matter how
good you are, a few words scrawled on
the back of a business card won't be
enough after the show's over and
you've met with literally hundreds of
people.
19. Do:
Be polite and nice to everyone. The
junior executive today can be a senior
executive tomorrow.
20. Don't:
Forget to read the Exhibitor's Service
manual. This is the thick packet of
materials you received when you
registered for the show. Inside,
you'll find everything you need to
know about exhibiting at that
particular show -- and discover
important deadlines for ordering
services. Don't miss those deadlines
or you'll pay more for everything!
21. Do:
Reach out to the media. Have a press
kit available in the media room. Be
open to interviews -- reporters and
freelancers often walk the floor
looking for stories. If you have
something truly newsworthy to
announce, schedule a press conference
at the show.
22. Don't:
Forget to advertise your tradeshow
participation. Make sure your target
audience knows they can see you at the
show, where you'll be, and what they
can expect when they visit you.
23. Do:
Follow Up! The most important part of
any tradeshow takes place after you
leave the building. You see that big
pile of leads you've gathered? Send
them all thank you notes for coming to
see you -- and follow up with them the
most promising prospects quickly.
You'll be glad you did.
24. Don't:
Hesitate to include hands-on,
interactive demonstrations into your
exhibit whenever possible. People
love to participate. They love to try
new things. Most of all, they love to
have fun. If you can integrate fun
into your exhibit, you'll have more
attendees than you know what to do
with.
25. Do:
Use giveaway items that enhance your
expert identity. You want items that
your attendees will use regularly and
reinforce their impression of you as
the expert.
26. Don't:
Get caught up in trendy giveaway items
pushed by promotional salespeople.
You want to stand out from the crowd,
not merge with it.
27. Do:
Give your tradeshow participation a
fair chance to work. Results may not
be immediate. Rome wasn't built in a
day. But the business relationships
you start at tradeshows today can
steadily blossom into profitable
partnerships tomorrow.
Susan A. Friedmann, CSP , The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event
success through coaching, consulting and training. For a free copy of “10 Common Mistakes Exhibitors Make”, e-mail: article4@thetradeshowcoach.com; website: http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com.
