Thursday, June 23, 2011

Monday Morning Marketeer, Five Musts for Trade Shows to Put Your Best Food Forward




Hosted by: 
technogranny
Title: Monday Morning Marketeer, Five Musts for Trade Shows to  Put Your Best Food Forward

Time: 11/01/2010 11:00 AM EDT Listen to the archived show at:  http://www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com/player.php?IdChan=3&IdItem=13
Episode Notes: 
The Bare minimum five things that you need when spending your already strapped budget to attend a trade show. Don't leave home without them or you might as well throw the money you spent on the show out the window of an expressway going seventy miles an hour.

1.  Take your best people
Don’t send out the second string if at all possible.  Remember for most prospects, this is their first contact with your company, their thirty second impression so to speak.  Why waste your money sending in second or third string or interns.  They will be little better than window dressing and probably not as attractive as store mannequins.

2. Have information about your product or service
My flier for Techno Granny, free stuff, and premium service
Always let them know, “what else you do”
Samples of “what else you do”
NAWBO Day program
Make sure you have an offer,  TODAY ONLY,  two week deadline, they will forget about you after that.
3. Have something for free to attract people to your booth or table
Demonstration:  blood pressure scan, how to use quickbooks, 5 minute massage, galvanic spa treatment, chocolate dipped marshmallows that you dip yourself in the chocolate fountain as pictured here.

If you are selling jewelry have another vendor wear it at their booth and direct traffic to you
Candy is okay and you hope you can pitch them but if you can afford it a free ad specialty that will get them thinking about your business is a much better option.
Stress balls work great for alternative health or yoga practitioners.
Unique ad specialties can be found for your particular business, just google them or find an advertising specialty person in your area who will get to know your business and watch for unique items that help with your branding.
Computers, screen cleaner or canned air are great items because they are always used and most people don’t think to buy them.
Organizer, binder to keep all of your ad stuff in that you got at the conference
Business card holder for all of their conference cards that has your name on it
Pens are cheap and great but make sure that you get the kind that won’t dry up or leak, remember they are representing your business.
“How to Give Away” if you have no money, then follow up later, did you use my” how to.”  This will only cost you your time to write it and then print it.
On the follow up call, you can ask, “Is there any way I can I help you?”
4. Have a way to capture contacts—give away
Give away something they will want, could be one of your products, make sure it is something you can upsell if you do that.
Make sure you get referrals out of it
5. Always work the front of the table not the back, from the back you are like the sales girl that seems like she really doesn’t want to come out from behind the counter to assist you.
6. Enthusiasm and excitement is contagious.  Always be excited about your business. Remember, nothing happens until someone gets excited and it has to start with you.

This blog post can be reproduced in its entirety with the following information:
© Joanne Quinn-Smith 2011, Monday Morning Marketeer™ 412-628-5048

Or on its unique radio channel at:
Joanne Quinn-Smith is the Creative Energy Officer of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and an expert on Web 2.0 Branding.
Joanne has also been designated by the 2009 U.S. Small Business Administration as the Small Business Journalist of the Year for her work with information relevant to and advocacy of small businesses.
Follow at:  https://twitter.com/monmornmarketer


Phone:  412-628-5048

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