It is said you need teamwork to make the dream work and that couldn’t have been more evident than it was at Affiliate Summit West. What a great show – full of energy, inspiration and team bonding.
As your business and brands expand, the focus shifts from building the product to positioning it within the marketplace. Exhibiting at a trade show is a natural next step in building visibility and credibility as a company and what better place to get your groove on that Sin City. It also provides you with the opportunity to showcase your team and the chance to network and work with qualified prospects.
Whether trade shows provide enough of an ROI to offset the costs, both monetary and time-wise – is a concern for most companies thinking of exhibiting and righfully so might I add. Setting clear expectations and goals for what you want out of the experience will help you evaluate your success after the event and serve as a template for future events. Whether it’s the number and quality of generated leads or the overall impact of your presence and branding, define your metrics to keep your team focused and your investment worthwhile.
Despite my initial concerns, this show turned out to be a truly valuable experience. My takeaway below from my first trade show with More Niche as an exhibitor:
The opportunities are strong…if you know where to look
Trade show organizers are quick to point out the benefits of networking and gaining face time with prospective clients. They’re not wrong: not only are trade shows pre-screened with people who are willing to pay to attend, attendees go into the event ready to speak to vendors and exhibitors…..for the most part :-). What’s more, a very significant amount of trade show goers have buying or decision making authority, which makes the interactions even more valuable. Make sure to research the trade show and its attendee list so you can leverage those opportunities to the fullest.
Be prepared to work for attention…..unless you are HOT
It can be hard to see beyond the walls of your own booth space as you gear up for the event and this can be expounded by the booth location. Your team will be focused on the details, so make sure you take a step back to think big picture. Don’t forget that your booth, no matter the size, is just one of hundreds – and that all the exhibitors there have similar goals. Realizing this before you get to the event will help you guide your team on ways to stand out from the crowd.
Rely on providing value over gimmicks and giveaways.
Big-ticket raffles are part of the trade show experience, but don’t rely on gimmicks and giveaways to generate traffic. Instead, trust your team’s ideas and let them get creative. Having a brand ambassador present, having actual product displays and samples or simply just be a badass and network like a beast.
Build relationships over giving the hard sell.
It’s easy to slip into sales mode when speaking to attendees, but keep in mind that they’re inundated with pitches throughout the conference. By having your team focus on building relationships instead, you will be able to nurture quality leads into real contacts. Use the opportunity to start a genuine conversation with the prospective client, which will last longer and yield more results than a sales pitch. It’s all about the narrative.
Figure out what works – and what doesn’t (and sometimes Who works and who doesn’t 🙂 )
Trade shows offer a unique chance to receive instant feedback from attendees – and pivot accordingly. For example, we found that our market was flooded with similar messaging and competition. Attendees said they couldn’t tell apart several different companies who all used the same rehearsed terminology. My team responded by avoiding buzzwords while explaining how we differ from our competitors. We have been putting some serious bank behind our brands and not so worried about the churn and burn offers that every other network seems to have. Be prepared to roll with the punches – how well and quickly you’re able to adjust can give you the edge when it comes to capturing that lead.
Capitalize on the event by hosting your own.
Attendees are usually from out of town, and welcome the chance to mingle after hours. Using the conference as a platform for your own event will give you more opportunities to network with prospects – as well as keep you memorable to the attendees who stopped by. Our invite-only dinner and drinks hotspot was a success due to effective networking: by building the attendee list with key contacts early on, we were able to keep the event exclusive and high-level, which boosted our credibility and eventual loyalty.
Motivate your team to reach new heights.
Foster the “fun” aspect of working trade shows, and encourage your team to work together and take ownership of the event. As my team got comfortable with engaging with attendees, their own enthusiasm added to their effectiveness. The trade show created a team mentality that was exciting and motivating – which enhanced their productivity and enriched the experience.
