Mistakes to avoid when participating in a trade show or exhibition

You don’t know what to do anymore to attract new customers. This doesn’t come as a surprise considering that distractions have increased and the market is starting to disappear. Customer tastes, wants and needs change all the time. If you can’t keep up, you’ll soon be out of business. Figure out what people want from you and get creative about meeting their needs. Most importantly, make sure that everyone sees your efforts. Become a show-off. Exhibit your products or services – you have nothing to lose, anyway. 

As opposed to other types of marketing activities, trade shows and exhibitions offer a great opportunity for brands that want to show off their products and services. And communicate their chief message. It’s important to be clear that participating in a trade show or exhibition doesn’t come without certain risks. The smallest mistake can cost you your success. So, after you confirm your presence, carefully read this article to find out what mistakes are best to be avoided. 

Bringing unqualified employees 

Needless to say, you should bring your A team with you. Only the best employees in the company should have the privilege to interact with prospects and attendees at the event. Trade shows and exhibitions are occasions when you get to meet new clients, reconnect with old ones, and, of course, show people what you have been up to lately. The success of your participation largely depends on the impression that your employees make. Employee personal brand and corporate brand are no longer disconnected. 

How your brand will be perceived by others depends on how your employees are perceived. One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is to have unqualified employees at the exhibition stand. Your staff needs to be able to stay motivated every single day and really make a difference. Having effective personnel in the booth is of paramount importance. Actually, it’s one of the key elements of your trade show or exhibition booth. Maybe the people in your organisation don’t have experience with events of this kind. No problem. That is what training is for. 

Not taking into account logistics 

There is so much to do and so little time. It might seem like you have all the time in the world, but it’s not quite so. Don’t neglect logistics. Get shipping estimates ahead of time to know if the shipping option will affect your bottom line. If you’ll be taking part in several events a year, get references from companies that you trust. Prices vary because of the shipment size, packaging differences, and time sensitivity. Make sure not to ship unnecessary items. For instance, you don’t need to send marketing materials such as business cards, catalogues, and brochures. 

You can have the marketing materials printed at the destination. It’s more important to send over the pop up stands. Pop up stands are fantastic to use as backdrops for trade shows and exhibitions. They create a professional look, not to say that pop up stands are portable. Maybe so, but attention needs to be paid to the fact that pop up stands are pretty heavy. If you don’t want to do any damage, you should better let an experienced shipping provider make the arrangements. Get in touch with the shipping company and let them know what you’re moving, where to and when. 

Not offering product demos 

If you have a high-quality product, prove it. A product demo will stimulate interest and offer tangible evidence that supports what you say. What you must understand is that people are visual learners, so they associate information with images. The point is that if people actually see your product, they will better grasp its value and potential. Display your product and allow them to test it. The trade show or exhibition has little value if you’re not able to engage potential buyers. Demonstrate your product in a couple of minutes. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to display the performance of your product. 

You should demo at trade shows and exhibitions. As a matter of fact, it’s a must. The best demo is one that is designed with a specific audience in mind. Imagine the following situation: you’re promoting medical billing software. It could be used in healthcare settings by anyone from doctors and nurses to administrative staff. At the event, focus on user-friendly features because this is the one aspect that will make their job easier. The product demo should always highlight the features the audience is most interested in. 

Failing to follow up on leads 

Just because someone attends a trade show or an exhibition that doesn’t mean that they are eager to buy your products or services. Or become a lifelong customer, for that matter. You must build relationships and generate leads. To be more precise, follow up with potential customers and give them reasons to do business with you. The ability to win over new customers depends on how fast you act. If you move too slowly, you’ll miss perfectly good opportunities. You have a list of names. What do you do now? You connect with them over email. 

Be clear that it’s a follow-up email. Some event organisers share the emails of their attendees, which is why prospects may not be eager to read emails from people they don’t know. Keep the message short if you want to get a response. One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is to neglect attendees that you don’t consider a proper fit. You have no idea who could possibly become a valuable purchaser. Let people know what is happening in your organization. Ask them if they would like to further receive news from you and even try to connect on social media. 

The bottom line is that the success of the trade show or exhibition is determined by how you get ready for the big event. If you stay away from the aforementioned mistakes, you’ll be just fine. Make the most out of your experience and keep ahead of the competition. Be bold and successful.