Forum Moderators: phranque
I'm curious about how do you prepare for trade shows? What do you believe is necessary to bring with you on a show to spend time them productive?;-) How to prepare your booth?
Do you attend them at all?:-)
Thanks!
Art.
Probably one of the most beneficial strategies is 'not' having brochures out front (particularly for non-consumer items). Many attendees are 'literature grabbers' who fill up sack after sack, then never get around to looking at the information when they return home.
Years ago I learned that it is best to have a compelling demo going up front, sometimes with 'eye candy,' then force people to interact with a rep to get the information. While there may be missed opportunities, I would rather exchange cards after a discussion with a prospective buyer or reseller, further explain the benefits at their level, and have a means of following up on the lead later.
In essence, quality Not quantity.
Also, have your product or service description clearly printed on the back of your business cards. Too often a potential client gets back to his/her office and pours through hundreds of business cards and says, hmmm.. wonder who XYZ Corporation was?
Steve
I bought a professional looking display with a screen. I have a travel box that I can check on the airline with a mini Shuttle CPU loaded with my server OS, projector, scanner, canon i80 printer and my switch.
Everything in one little box. Setup is quick, I'm not dependent on internet access since I'm running my own server at the booth.
Live demos are the best, and I also bought a good small PA system with one of the invisible over the ear microphones. It attracts attention.
When not demonstrating, I'm at the edge of the booth or in the aisles handing out brochures.
Shows are good.
