At the beginning of the year, it’s the perfect time to look closely at the year stretching out in front of you. Making a tradeshow a part of your plans is a great way to expand your business. You probably have the basics down for tradeshows, but Riley & You can help you take your tradeshow experience to the next level by helping you take measured risks that could have big payoffs.
Starting the Process
We always want to start with the end in mind. For many tradeshow experiences, you are not writing up orders or striving to accomplish any deep selling with customers. Your focus must be on the impact or impression you want to make on the audience at the tradeshow. Additionally, we help you format your booth and presentation with the goal of customer engagement. We’re not only interested in talking about customer engagement at the booth, but also the art of getting the customer to take that important next step of visiting a showroom or making a commitment to an appointment following the tradeshow. It’s very important to keep your goals in mind throughout the process.
Take a Measured Risk
We don’t recommend going out and hiring a clown or a person that will be a walking billboard across the tradeshow floor. We recommend taking measured risks like creating a different kind of booth that sends a different kind of message. If your competitors are focused on their products, then you should consider focusing on the customer support you provide after the sale. If competitors are focused on showing the end result, then you should focus your booth on how you simplify the process. If you take a risk and go a different route in your presentation, it will be remembered, and it will pay off.
Measured risk is about engaging with creative teams who attempt to think differently with you about your presentation. While backdrops and other advertising materials may be necessary, you have other questions that must be considered: What message brings someone to your booth? What are the main issues that drive them to your solutions?
Unique Ideas for Tradeshows
Gathering information from customers is important, but the ultimate goal is to treat the customer to an experience unlike the competitors that surround your booth. We can help you display your notable message in a way that meets the needs of your audience by making your booth scream your message. Too many times companies assume that customers already understand what they want. However, the truth is that the customer really just understands their issues and is still trying to discover the solutions. We can help you bridge the gap with your message so they see that you “get it” and draw them to you, like a bee to honey.
One last idea that we implemented successfully at a tradeshow: if you have something great to share with consumers like fresh-baked cookies or food, then share it with the booths around you before the floor opens. This creates great camaraderie with other companies so that they can direct people to your booth when someone asks them where to find the cookies or what direction is your type of product located at the show. It really works!
