Trade Show Displays
Trade Shows - Can make you or break you!
Trade Shows are a great way to build your brand and generate leads. Depending on how you approach it can make you a lot of money or break the bank. Here are some helpful tips to maximize your trade show experience and maximize your profits.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Why are you thinking about a trade show?
Here are a few reasons you may be thinking of doing a trade show.​
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Build you brand
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Generate leads
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Sell products directly to consumers
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Support an organization or association
How much do you want to invest in a trade show?
Trade shows can be expensive and its important to maximize your return on investment (ROI). One thing you will want to do is factor your overall investment and then determine how many sales or leads you need to generate to not only pay for the trade show, but also make some money doing it.
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To help you figure out how to calculate your investment, add the cost of the booth, any travel/fuel, food, employees (if you have any), your display, and any promotional items or handouts. Another thing to consider is if you are offering any prizes. Once you add those up, divide it by your average sale price. This will give you your average cost per won opportunity and give you a baseline of what you need to close to break even and turn a profit.
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Another calculation to consider is your cost per lead. This is where you divide the total spent based on how many leads you will need to run to break even and turn a profit. This will help you come up with the right strategy on how you will get people to agree to an estimate or meeting.
Will my display or booth really make an impact on leads or sales?
Your brand is important and how your booth looks at a trade show is your first impression to that potential buyer. You may want to ask yourself a question to decide how professional you want to look, "Will you be more or less likely to stop by and talk to someone who has consistent branding, looks professional, and engaging compared to someone who is not?"​
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If you answered, "Yes!" then you should consider investing in a professional trade show display and trade show giveaways to increase your odds.
How do I make my booth look professional?
There are several ways you can make your booth look professional, but a big part of it is:​
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what is your booth size?
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how much are you wanting to invest?
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what all do you have to show or demonstrate?
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There are multiple ways you can have your booth stand out at a trade show. Here are some inexpensive and professional trade booth displays to get your creative juices flowing:
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Backdrop
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Rectractable Banner
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Sail Flag
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Popup Tent
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Tablecloth Cover
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Branded Chairs
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Branded flooring
How can I make my booth more engaging to generate more leads and sales?
DON'T BE that guy who sits down and stares at their phone all day wishing they could be doing something else or be somewhere else. Don't even hire that guy. Stay away as it will cost you thousands.​ Also don't be that guy where your first question is, "Do you need blah, blah, blah or do you have an issue with blah, blah, blah." It doesn't work!
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Be that booth where people congregate and creates a buzz. Here are some best practices for having a trade show booth that everyone else will be envious of. Keep in mind, most if not all of these can be branded.
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Have a spin the wheel for a prize
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Have a bean toss board
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Have a contest for someone to win a prize right away
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Distract the kids with some sort of game or activity where you can then talk to the parents
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Have multiple trade show giveaways to appeal to different types of people
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Use a giveaway as a way to lure people in to talk to you
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Always stand up and wear branded clothing
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Invite people into your booth
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Reward people for agreeing to an appointment or estimate
How to avoid being overwhelmed - power of delegating.
There are thousands upon thousands of items for trade shows and taking on a trade show display and coming up with the right giveaways can be a daunting and intimidating task. It's best to work with someone who can help you navigate through the waters of what works and doesn't work.
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Just like you are an expert in your field, rely on an expert that works with many, many companies for trade shows to help you with ideas to maximize your ROI.
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This is what we do! Let us help make your next trade show experience a great one!
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