Planning For the Trade Show You Forgot to Plan For Part 2

Image via Wikipedia

By Bob Reed
Element-R Partners LLC

Boy, calendars are sneaky, aren't they? That trade show or industry conference you budgeted for last year is fast approaching. You have an exhibit. You know who your team is and where they have to be. But, are you prepared?

Rule 3 – Pre-Market Your Appearance to Prospects and the Media

Look at your timeline. If you have two weeks or more, you can mail or e-mail a promotion to pre-registered attendees. Provide an early-bird special (e.g., increased odds of winning your drawing for people who pre-register) and track responses with a show-specific Web page.

If you are introducing a new product, service or capability, consider arranging one-on-one interviews with the media to build exposure. Even if you are not making a major announcement, with a little digging on what the publications will be covering in the near future, you can 'sell' a meeting by offering input on those topics.

Rule 4 – Follow-Up with All Booth Visitors

Don't forget to track who comes to your exhibit. Attendees spent their time and showed their interest by spending time with you. Tell them it wasn't wasted time by following up. Assign a priority to each visitor so you can invest differently in follow up. Spend more money and time on the best opportunities. Get hot leads in your sales team’s hands and make sure they follow up, fast.

And remember, there could be some diamonds in the rough, so follow-up with everyone. A simple e-mail that thanks them for their time will be appreciated, and you may also extend an offer to provide subsequent educational material.

Rule 5 – Evaluate Your Success

You've made a large investment in attending the show. After you've packed up and headed home, play Monday morning quarterback. Which customers responded to your message and which ones didn't? Use this kind of intelligence to improve subsequent marketing and selling programs.

And for the people you met, stay with them. Get their permission to add them to your database and communicate with them on a regular basis. Keep track of these new leads during the next one, three and six months. You never know who might buy later.

Trade shows offer significant opportunities if you know what you want to achieve and how to go about it. Think of the word "show." Like any stagecraft, preparing, rehearsing and putting on a good performance is what will deliver the ovation you are looking for – the opportunity to create dialogue and value for new customers.

Mikhail Prokhorov - SNOB website and magazine

Image via WikipediaMikhail Prokhorov is starting an invitation only website for millionaires who are self made called SNOB. He is also starting a magazine of the same title. The magazine is a great way for people who can not get a membership in the website to consume his product. It is also a way for people who ARE in the website to brag about it and get people to ask them about it. Then they can casually drop that they are a member. Americans do not like to talk about how they made their money. It is a cultural thing

but other countries do not feel that way.
Would you belong to SNOB website?
He says it refers to a self made millionaire.
Websters defintion is different.
Can he rebrand the name? Hi is using $150 million to do !