If you’re attending a trade show (as a participant or a vendor) you need to walk the exhibit floor. Not just scoping out a competitor’s booth and taking their promotional item and printed brochures (no one does that, right?), but walking the floor and getting a sense of what the show vendors are doing can provide real insights into trends affecting your business. Here’s what you can take away:
Popular Giveaways
Not only can walking the show floor provide unique ideas for your next giveaway, it can also tell you what you don’t want to do in your promotional marketing. Your promotional product will never convert to sales if you’re one of 100 of the same items at your trade show. You need to stand out. Walking the floor will give you insights into the items people are giving away in your industry and what is most popular.
Inspiration
Do more than stroll the floor. Talk to other vendors, even your competition. Ask them what’s new. These casual conversations can serve as inspiration for a blog post, the way you sell or present at the trade show, and other industry insights you might not have thought of. There’s a lot to learn from other businesses even if they don’t do what you do. If they’re at the trade show, you most likely share a common audience and understanding how they reach that audience can provide you with ideas for your business and how you communicate. While conversation is good, make sure you are not preventing them from getting leads and sales by monopolizing their time.
Connections
Think about what your customers need that you aren’t able to supply for them. For instance, if you sell wearable health technology, you know people aren’t buying your product because they like the way it looks on their wrist. They’re purchasing it because they are trying to make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle. While you can help with the fitness tracking, there’s still the question of how your customers will become more fit. Look for suppliers you could partner with who could help you close the gap on services. You can use one another as a resource for referrals or share content to provide more value for your customers. Look at all of the needs of your customers and find someone who can help you meet more of them.
Trade shows provide excellent insights and serve as an energizing boost for business. However, don’t let all that energy go to waste. Before you leave the show make sure you have a game plan for how you will follow up with leads and explore your newly gained knowledge. Stockpiling information and names won’t help your business. Action will.
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