10 mistakes exhibitors make at trade show

10 Mistakes Exhibitors Make at Trade Show

10 Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Exhibit design• Booth staffing• Promotions• Lead management• Logistics

Mistake 1: Underselling Your Company With Bad Graphics

Mistake 1: Underselling Your Company With Bad Graphics• Poor fitting pop-up display graphics

Mistake 1: Underselling Your Company With Bad Graphics

Mistake 2:

ARETHESE

YOURDISPLAY

GRAPHICS

?

5 words, including the URL. Their name brand is already on their wonderful can and bottle packaging. Green light on clarity and a clear benefit.

5 words, including their company name. Green light on amount of words. They sell a service – and use photos of happy, confident people in their graphics.

Bold color. Image is a play on their company name.

8 words

Including logos. Words are bigger, and organized. Says who they are and what they do. But not why you should buy from them, other than the idea that the brand name Armor means protective. There is no benefit offered in the text. At 29 words it’s getting hard to receive a message quickly from this.

29 words

Strong single background color and product image photos maximize the visual footprint of your 10 foot display. Nice curve, nice visual texture. Type is very small. The words are not to be read unless you get close – the big blue image is meant to grab you, and the list of products is handy during a discussion. You could never read them from the aisle.

40 words

The lists of words are getting in the way of making a bigger impact. The idea is to use the 10 foot display to make an impact and get attention. Why put as many words as a brochure on the display, when you’ve got the brochures right at hand?

103 words

Mistake 3:Not Promoting Your Presence at Trade Shows

Mistake 3: Not Promoting Your Presence at Trade Shows

Pre-Show Mediums• Email• Direct mail• Phone• Social media

Mistake 3: Not Promoting Your Presence at Trade ShowsPre-Show Invite List• Show organizer• Previous show leads• Your database• Best sales prospects

Mistake 3: Not Promoting Your Presence at Trade Shows

Mistake 4: Depending on a Fishbowl for Qualified Leads

Mistake 4: Depending on a Fishbowl for Qualified Leads

Why Ditch the Fishbowl?• No engagement• Wrong people• No insight• No qualifying• No differentiation

Mistake 5: Not Training Booth Staff and Setting Expectations


Booth Staffer Expectations:• Total participation• Goals• Schedule


Train Staffers On:• Customers• Products• Booth staffing process• Lead management• Demonstrations• Promotions• Booth layout

Mistake 6: Not Listening to Your Prospects’ Needs

Mistake 7: Hauling Too Much Literature to Your Booth


• Write ‘show sample’• Have a few copies• Send literature after the show

Mistake 8: Not Planning for Trade Show Success

Two Kinds of Planning• Logistics• Marketing



Timeline: 6 Months Out• Review past objectives• Set new objectives


Timeline: 5 Months Out• Set budget• Select shows and booth spaces• Evaluate exhibit

Timeline: 4 Months Out• Select booth staffers• Research technology• Invite exhibit builders



Timeline: 3 Months Out• Review the ‘showbook’• Create promotions


Timeline: 2 Months Out• Arrange staffers’ travel• Order services• Choose your exhibit builder• Order promotions• Order uniforms

Mistake 8: Not Planning for Trade Show SuccessTimeline: 2 Months Out• Arrange staffers’ travel• Order services• Choose your exhibit builder• Order promotions• Order uniforms

Mistake 8: Not Planning for Trade Show SuccessTimeline: 1 Month Out• Send promos• Train staffers, part 1• Order more services• Order at-show promos• Ship exhibit


Timeline: 2 Weeks Out• Train staffers, part 2• Send more promos• Ship supplies


Timeline: 1 Week Out• Prepare fulfillment• Verify exhibit arrival• Collect documents and backup• Verify staffers• Love your loved ones

Mistake 8: Not Planning for Trade Show SuccessTimeline: At the Show• Be your best• Make it happen


Timeline: After the Show• Come home• Say “Thank you”• Fulfill your leads• Check costs• Measure and analyze• Report results

Mistake 10: Not Following Up On Leads!

Mistake 10: Not Following Up On Leads!

Speed Up Lead Fulfillment• Fulfillment packets• Pre-assign data-entry people• Import data file• Ship leads every day• Hire a temp

Mistake 10: Not Following Up On Leads!Speed Up Lead Fulfillment• Fulfillment packets• Pre-assign data-entry people• Import data file• Ship leads every day• Hire a temp

Thanks for Attending!

Sources: