| |
| |
|
Presentation Information |
|
|
|
Trade Show Victory!
So you're going to have a booth at a trade show. How exciting - or how terrifying - depending on your state of mind! First of all - remain calm - you're not the first person to do this. There's some easy to follow tips that will ensure success at the show, and give you follow up business too. Preparation ahead of time is important. Gather all the supplies you'll need. Brochures, business cards, product samples, entry forms for a draw, professional signs and any audio visual equipment you'll need. Be sure to ask for electricity from show organizers well in advance if you will need it. Also, do not let any piece of marketing literature leave your booth without contact information on it - people MUST know how to get in touch with you after the show. Make your booth look GREAT! It doesn't have to cost a lot of money - ask a friend whose got a sense of style to help you create something that is eye catching but doesn't cost too much. Don't over crowd your display area because people get overwhelmed and pass by; but on the other hand, don't have so little that people think there's nothing to see. Make sure your sign is professionally printed and hung straight! Once you've set up your booth, stand back about 20 feet and objectively take a look at it. Is it welcoming? Is your sign easy to read? Can people tell what you do BEFORE they get to your booth? These are critical issues that you need to answer before the show. At the show be friendly - wear a name tag and smile. When people come by your booth, you've a VERY short period of time to catch their attention. This is the time you need to have something to say. Create a 15 - 20 second "speech" you can recite. For example, if you sell children's wall murals, why not try this, "Hi there, I'm Julie Lewis and I use paint to create a magical room for your child or an experience that will take you anywhere in the world with my wall murals." Sounds more exciting that "I paint wall murals", doesn't it? Let's try another one, "Hello, I'm Alex Brown and I create marketing programs for my clients that really make them be unforgettable!" By having something prepared in advance, you're always ready to gain a new client! If you're unprepared you will look very unprofessional. Encourage everyone who walks by to take a brochure, sample your product or enter a free draw. ALWAYS have a free draw - give away a good prize - it doesn't have to be expensive. Use the draw entry forms to follow up on with a sales letter, or put on a mailing list for future business. I'm always amazed at the number of business people at trade shows who don't have a draw, and then have no way to follow up with potential customers! Create your draw entry form so that it will provide you with more information than just name and address. Get the standard contact information, but also ask questions specific to your products or service. Something like: "are you planning to buy our type of product in the next six months?" or "have you heard of our product before?" - Things like that will give you a conversation starter when you call them after the show. If you worry about "bothering people" by calling them, you can add the following at the bottom of the entry: "I do not wish to be contacted." - and be sure to leave a check box next to the sentence. This allows those people who really only entered the draw just to get a prize to be easily weeded out. This way you don't waste your time isn't wasted calling them, and you don't bother people who don't wish to be called. Most people do NOT check off the box that says "I do not wish to be contacted - so don't worry that you will not have anyone to call. After the show - call or contact all those people who stopped by your booth, and indicated an interest in one of your products or services. Try to get in touch with them within a week at the most. Keep track of those people who find you through the trade show and later buy from you. Figure out how much your expenses were to be in the show (include booth rental, your time, items for your display, gas to get there, parking, etc.) Now figure out the profit (include expenses for materials and supplies to make your product - don't forget shipping & packaging). Now you have your ROI (return on investment). THIS IS A CRITICAL number that will allow you to assess whether or not it is worth doing this trade show again. Some trade shows prohibit direct selling at the show - they only allow you to take orders. In this case you MUST do follow up. Do NOT assume that people will call you - they WON'T! If you don't believe me - answer this: How many times have YOU called someone you met at a trade show, even if you just adored their product? If you don't like doing follow up phone calls, hire someone to do it for you. If you're not going to do the calls at all - don't even bother doing the show - you're wasting time and money. Make sure that pick up business cards from all the other exhibitors at the trade show as well. Some may be immediate customers, while others may have the potential to become strategic partners. Be sure to send a hand written letter of thanks to the show organizers. If the show has been successful for you, make sure you're on the list for next year. Lastly don't expect immediate results - trade shows take time to pay off (IF you do your homework after the show!) Each trade show you do will teach you something - be open to learning. Smile, wear comfortable shoes, drink lots of water and get plenty of rest before and after the show! AND DO YOUR FOLLOW UP! Wendy McClelland 2004 © wmcclelland@shaw.ca Biography: Wendy McClelland is a motivational speaker, marketing consultant and business coach from British Columbia, Canada. She has been a nominee for Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year, and is a Canadian Achiever! She has hosted and produced radio and internet radio programs, and spoken to business groups throughout Western Canada and California. Wendy's first website won numerous awards, including being named as "one of the best business sites on the 'net" by the New York Times. Wendy's life mission is to "motivate people to think without boundaries" and it's also the name of her website! Visit www.ThinkWithoutBoundaries.com and to sign up for Wendy's FREE email newsletter just send email MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Powerful Presentations: How to Write and Deliver a Presentation to Remember If the mere thought of standing up in front of an audience makes your knees quiver, you should know that you're not alone. Public speaking is one of the top fears listed by Americans and for good reason- most of us don't do it very often. Transitions: Building Bridges to Your Points Presenters often tell me that they fear losing their train of thought. When listening to their talks I realized that for many people, the problem is not forgetting the words or main points. If You Want Business - Throw a Seminar! Why is throwing a seminar good for business?If you want to clean your house, you should throw a garage sale, and if you want to increase business, throw a seminar. A seminar is a way for you to contact many people all at once. Four Different Ways People Process Your Information There are four different ways that audience members assimilate information. They are: visual, auditory, auditory digital, and kinesthetic. Present Statistics In Context "I didn't have 3000 pairs of shoes. I had only 1600 pairs. Speech in Business The social skills of a small businessperson, franchisee, independent contractor or manager are all important. Speech and body language are first impressions and weigh heavily on the decision making process of a potential prospect or customer. Being Real From the Platform "Let it be known, no person, thing, or situation can validate you. You validate yourself by realizing who you are. Presentation Paranoia "The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public." (Sir George Jessel)Have you had this feeling before? Rest assured you are not alone. Tips to Energize Your Presentations "There can be no knowledge without emotion.We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours. Audience Respect One of the biggest mistakes most presenters make is in not considering or respecting their audience when preparing their talks. Showing respect means not boring them to tears with a data dump of information which is meaningless to them. The Missing Link in Presentation Skills Training Imagine you are the most amazing figure skater who ever lived. When rehearsing in a peaceful, empty rink, you demonstrate the ultimate in athleticism and artistry. Develop The Winners Edge Through Conversational Hypnosis Communication is vital for survival in an age of information that is undergoing a "shock-wave" of changes. Nationally and globally, we remain in a crisis in traditional literacy. Show the World Your Wares Easily and Inexpensively You've spent a lot of time preparing your PowerPoint presentations and now you're ready to show the world all your company has to offer. You set up some appointments for sales presentations with a few members of the local Chamber of Commerce. Let Me Tell You a Little Story Once upon a time there was a businessperson who had the task of convincing an audience of the need for the business to plan better for the future. Instead of starting out with a spreadsheet and a long list of numbers he started with a story we all know, "The Three Little Pigs. Shamus Browns Top 5 Sales Presentation Tips When its time to give your next sales presentation, here are my favorite tips for delivering powerful, charismatic, and engaging sales presentations. #1 - PLANT YOUR FEET SQUARELY ON THE FLOOR How you hold your physical body during your sales pitch communicates a tremendous amount of information about you to your audience. Grand Opening: The Key To Great Presentations Whether you are speaking in front of a civic group or making a sales presentation, your opening can make or break the deal. Unless you grab the audience at the beginning, they'll be sleeping through your most important information. Story Telling As A Tool For Trainers Once upon a time????."Yeah right, don't tell us a story, we are not kids". 7 Myths That Make Meetings Miserable Myth 1: Executives belong in meetings.Although the demands of business cause executives to attend more meetings than other professionals, executives need to avoid meetings. Preparation for Your Presentations (Excerpted From the Jim Rohn Millennium Weekend Event)Persistence in your presentations, this is one secret to success. After my first presentation, I got up and did it again. The Secret Language of Money At a number of business seminars and presentations, I passed out an index card and asked each person in the audience to write anonymously a single answer to each of three questions. The three questions are:1.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
