Exhibitions and large trade shows are a great place to advertise your business. Usually, this means getting a stand together and showcasing whatever it is you have to offer, whether that means showing off the services you offer to potential customers or trying to get retailers to stock your wares.
This can be a great way to grow your business, but there are several challenges you must overcome first. Trade shows will not consist of just your stand and a swathe of potential customers; there could be dozens if not hundreds of competitors there with the same goals as you.
So, how can you make sure a trade show is beneficial to your business and not a waste of time? Here are a few tips to ensure your next exhibition is a complete success.
Practice beforehand
The best businessmen are often the ones who have perfected their sales pitch. You need to be able to engage customers as soon as they reach your stand, otherwise you might struggle to win them over in the long run. There is only one way to get your sales pitch so polished, and that is to practice it.
They say that practice makes perfect, but while you may never be 100 per cent happy with your sales pitch you can certainly practice to the extent that you will be able to impress potential customers from the start. Give your pitch to friends and family beforehand, or even practice in front of a mirror if you feel it will improve things.
Be creative
One of the challenges at a trade show is standing out. You need people to be interested enough in your stall to come over in the first place, and this means grabbing their attention somehow. You need to be different enough from the other traders for people to become interested in you, which means you will need to get creative.
Think of a way in which you can make yourself stand out. You could have a gimmick or slogan that will turn heads, or make use of striking visual aids. Many people find having something to interact with is an appealing prospect, so consider including this in your stall somehow.
Have plenty of staff on hand
Having a queue at your stall looks great at first, as it shows your product is popular. However, people actually don't want to have to wait, especially when there are plenty of other traders for them to go to instead. You need to make sure you have more than one person on hand just in case you have a sudden influx of interest.
Of course, this means you will have to train the other staff up as well as you. Make sure their sales pitch is as good as it can be and that they have an excellent manner with other people. You should also ensure they have a high level of knowledge about your product or service, so they can answer any questions customers might ask them.
