Why are trade shows unique? What can the medium deliver that no other medium can? And what is the science behind making this medium deliver results that can transform your business and your career?
Exhibiting offers a combination of five deliverable benefits which come together to create a unique opportunity. And if we understand this combination of benefits before we design our stand – our chances of success will be enormously enhanced. It’s a matter of addressing the what and the why of exhibiting before the how. Let me explain: Once clear objectives with quantifiable measurements have been set, and outcomes identified and qualified then and only then can the on stand experience, the journey around the story, and the physicality and staffing be agreed.
But first let’s look at the five key benefits uniquely offered by exhibitions:
- Tradeshows are non intrusive – they constitute permission marketing. Quite simply the visitors choose to come and are fair game for any exhibitors to approach in an appropriate manner. But the visitors have qualified themselves as interested in the products and service being offered by their very attendance. And this is quite different from marketing which intrudes on your TV programs, or your magazine articles or surfing the web or the telemarketing that interrupts your home life. Visitors are giving you permission to talk to them – so talk to them.
- Exhibitions offer exhibitors real time, face to face, market research opportunities – we can listen. To our existing customers, to prospects who are not yet dealing with us, to the commentators and innovators in our market place, to our competitors and to our industry. All too often we ignore the rich benefits which derive from asking the right people the right questions at the right time and whilst exhibitions are often labelled as networking events, the real power of networking is when it is structured to deliver a result e.g. market information. Market research is a powerful objective when you are planning your trade shows and the information gathered can justify attendance at an exhibition – even if the sales leads fall short of expectations. So decide on your key questions, structure them, ask them and listen…..
- Personal contacts lead to contracts. In an age when so much business is done anonymously through websites, over the internet, through a screen and over the phone it is worth remembering that good business is built on long term relationships. These can be initiated and developed at trade shows. Especially when you are exhibiting abroad, it makes a lot of sense to maximise the opportunities to invite VIP customers and prospects to special events on your stand aimed specifically at them. Here again networking which is an overused expression, can be structured to discover how you can add value to the organisation of someone who you meet at the trade show – and of course how they can add value to your organisation. In the word I see exhibitions as extreme networking. And here you need substantial people skills, the skills that are required to be able to say hello to strangers – even though from your earliest days you were told not to talk to strangers. These skills are priceless. And you need to populate your exhibition stand with personnel who have the talents to be able to approach and engage people you have never met before.
- If you can measure – you can manage. Exhibiting is the most measurable of media. And whether it is the impact of your brands on the audience, the success of getting your message home to your stand visitors, the number of sales leads, or the amount of business done, and products sold, everything is measurable. And when you measure you can justify very clearly and accurately the value of gong to the exhibition with all the investment which that entails. But you need to invest in measurement – and decide what it is you want to measure and how you will do it. Once you have decided to go for it a lot of the mystique and uncertainty about why you should exhibit will disappear.
- The experience. You can deliver a total experience of your organisation – your products and services, obviously, but also your philosophy, your priorities, your people and most important of all the proposition beyond your products. By this I mean you can address the real needs which your clients have. But this demands total passion, pro-activity and professionalism when you are putting your entire organisation in a shop window – and right next to most of your competitors.
These then are the key benefits which constitute the unique package of benefits offered by tradeshows. But it’s amazing how few exhibitors exploit them to their fullest. The Exhibiting Agency has been developing and practicing for almost 40 years and will guarantee that you will achieve your objectives and deliver a remarkable return on investment when you follow the process. Why? Largely because before any stand is booked at a show, let alone chosen on a floor plan, let alone designed, all the above factors are addressed to form a plan which will deliver every time. And it’s also worth noting that this plan should work in tandem with your company’s business plan and communication strategy – the decision to exhibit should not merely be a reaction to powerful sales material from your organiser.
And this of course begs the question, but suppose we don’t want to exhibit? What if I can’t afford the substantial costs which need to be invested in putting on a serious show? Fortunately live marketing offers many other options.
The Exhibiting Agency demonstrates alternatives to booking stands at shows. By employing different face to face techniques you can achieve your objectives and deliver a remarkable return on investment:
Will it pay you to be present at a trade show – but not actually to have a stand there? By agreement with the organisers you may be able to hire a speaker slot or engage in some sponsorship which will suit your approach to the market better. You may wish to provide a forum of learning, or an interview with key industry figures. And whilst your organiser may require the same level of investment as if you were having an exhibition stand, the on costs are often less expensive.
If your sole objective is to meet existing customers, you may well be better advised to consider a road show which you control yourself. The mobile trailers available today together with a well thought out programme of activity on a clients premises – can deliver a great deal more in depth relationship building than a few minutes talk on an exhibition stand. And this is especially true if you company is run on regional or hierarchical lines. Your best customer arrives and the account executive who normally deals with him or her is away from the stand. This can create a whole range of other problems which a roadshow obviates.
Events: Create an event which you can promote either as an extension of your trade show stand i.e. it takes place 2 or 3 weeks after the exhibition, but on your own premises, or it is promoted in its own right. We have many clients who on their exhibition stand “sell” attendance at a future Masterclass or workshop which delivers real value in terms of learning and is not just a sale pitch.
Don’t go to the obviously shows. Once you have targeted carefully who you need to do business with, you may well find an unexpected show which delivers exactly that target. We advised an organisation of independent financial advisors to exhibit at a series of shows called Homes Overseas. They were the only non property promoting company there. But a substantial number of the visitors were very happy to talk to them about financial management connected with the purchase of the property abroad.
And finally the travelling exhibition. This is more than just a roadshow in a trailer. But if your key buyers – the big hitters – are not expected to visit the trade show where you are planning to be, why not take the exhibition itself to them. Hire a hotel room near the head office of your target prospect. Build your exhibition stand there – featuring the range of products or services which will specifically benefit that prospect. Invite the buyers’ to the hotel and if necessary go and collect them. Create a personalised presentation and pay the complement of saying to them that if they are not comfortable coming to the exhibition you’re quite happy to bring the exhibition to them. This is a powerful live marketing technique and has a high success rate.
Marketing is often the first victim of budget cuts. I have to say that now is the time to make sure that people know you’re around and hopefully some of these alternative techniques will allow you to punch above your weight and deliver a substantial and measurable return on your live marketing investment.
Needless to say The Exhibiting Agency will be happy to work out a programme and strategy which will deliver your objectives whatever they are.