When it comes to Tradeshows, there are four types of businesses that can benefit from them, and it is important that you realize which category your business falls in.
- Tradeshow Travelers: These are the businesses that thrive off tradeshows and travel from one event to the next selling their products. They usually are selling gadgets and widgets and you mostly see them at home shows selling their wares.
- Tradeshow Sellers: These are the ones that are more regional and use tradeshows to compliment their direct sales force. They use tradeshows to both sell their product and, to get exposure for their business.
- Tradeshow Promoting: These businesses have no intention of selling anything at the show. They are there to promote their business and their products or services and to get the names of potential prospects. This works well if it is a show that is attracting their ideal customer. They also need to have a unique or new product or service that demonstrates their point of differentiation from their competitors. Sometimes businesses are there just for the sake of someone’s ego, and it is just a waste of time and money.
- Tradeshow Walking: This is the area that every other business falls into, especially the “one man armies.” Some of the people losing money on Tradeshow Promoting should focus on this instead of wasting their money. Even the ones who are being successful with tradeshows should take the time to switch hats and be a Tradeshow Walker for a little while.
We are going to focus on the last group here. For the ones in the other groups, there is an awesome book named Guerrilla Tradeshow Selling, which is part of the Guerrilla Marketing series of books. Anyone who is serious about tradeshows needs to get this book. It is one of the featured books at our Guerrilla Marketing Bookstore, on this blog.
Tradeshow Walking is a very low-cost way to have a big impact on your business, with just a little planning. The first thing is to make sure that you attend the best possible tradeshow. You in essence have two target markets here with multiple objectives. Your first target market is the show attendees, are they potential prospects of yours? The other target market is the vendors who have booths at the show. You can get a list of these participants from the tradeshow sponsor, which usually is you or a professional organization, your local Chamber of Commerce, newspaper or a radio station. They will provide you a list of participants, sometimes a diagram of the floor and possibly even a pass to get in. The participants in the show may be prospects, potential fusion marketing partners, someone who can help your customers, or just someone good to network with.
Before you go to the tradeshow there are a few items that you need to take with you. They are one pocketful of business cards (use the other pocket to places cards that you collect, don’t get confused and start giving people the wrong cards.) You should also take a note pad and more than one pen so you can take notes. Also take some tri-fold brochures to give out selectively. After you have your arsenal together make some goals based on who your target market is. How many business cards are you going to get? Or your goal may be only to spy on your competition and collect their marketing materials. Once you decide on your goals then you are ready to roll.
If your target market is the attendees of the tradeshow, then that is a little trickier. You need to be a good networker and able to strike up a conversation with a total stranger. The conversation needs to be very genuine and not seem contrived. Start the conversation by talking about something they are looking at while they are standing still. Introduce yourself and ask them what they do. Ask a couple of questions about what they do in order to get them to talk. If they don’t ask you what you do, try to subtly weave your product or service into the conversation. All you want to do is get their contact information and permission to call them, at a later date, like maybe the next day.
The first thing to remember is that there are businesses that paid for booths there so that they could meet and sell to these people. Here are some “Do’s and Don’ts” about this type of prospecting.
Do be very discreet. If you are too blatant working attendees, then you may be asked to leave.
Do respect the participants who paid to have a booth at the show.
Do be very courteous to the people you talk with, respect their time.
Don’t talk to people while they are in someone’s booth area, especially your competitor’s.
Don’t approach anyone while they are walking, only while they are standing in the aisle area.
Don’t be obnoxious or monopolize their time.
Don’t try to sell anything; all you want is their contact information and permission to contact them.
If your target market is the participants in the show, then all you need to is walk around to the various booths. The people working the booth will or should start the conversation with you. Gently lead the conversation to the reason that you are there, without actually telling them why you are there. Do not tie up their time; they are there to meet potential customers. If you are in the middle of a sentence and someone enters their booth area, encourage them to talk to that person. If their conversation takes more then a couple of minutes, politely leave the area and come back later. Ask them if it is OK if you contact them at a later date, get their card and leave their booth. As soon as you are in the aisle be sure to make notes so you don’t forget important information. You will be talking to so many people it will all start running together, so be sure to write it down.
While you are walking around, make sure to have your creative antenna up and your imagination juices flowing. Look at all of the booths, their color combinations, marketing materials, handouts, prizes and even how their booth is arranged. You can get some new ideas, especially from the more successful businesses.
Tradeshow walking can be fun, educational and even profitable, if you do it right. Pick your tradeshow, decide on your target market, decide on your goals, get your one pocketful of cards, pens, paper and then, happy tradeshow walking!
Doc Pratt
