Last week, the Optify team attended and presented at the SMX East Tradeshow in NYC. This was the fifth SMX tradeshow I’ve attended as an exhibitor, and learning and developing best practices from each experience, I was reminded of tips I thought I would share.
Here are five tips your booth staff can consider to optimize your trade show investment.
1. Introduce yourself and get to know the conference staff. Even if you have the logistics for the event planned out months in advance, there is always the potential for unforeseeable obstacles. For example, the shipment of your booth can arrive late, the print outs you brought got lost at bag check, there is no Internet connected at your booth station. When things go unplanned it is vital to have an ‘insider’ to ask for help if you need immediate assistance
2. Be proactive and outgoing. As people walk by, make eye contact and simply say Hello. When you reach out rather than wait for people to walk into your booth, you’ll stop people in their tracks (everyone will say Hello back), which will result in the potential to acquire more leads. The purpose of exhibiting is to have conversations about your solution/product with attendees who are at the conference, so put on a smile and engage. And oh yeah, put that distracting cell phone away!
3. Think first, start at a high level then zoom in on detail per your prospect’s interest. When a visitor stops by your booth and asks, “What is [company]?” don’t immediately spew out a list of product features. This may be the first time they have ever heard about your company and you don’t want to overwhelm them with product information that is irrelevant to what they are interested in. Take time to learn about your visitors business, learn what their needs are, then share ideas about how you can help solve their problem. Typically the best post-show demos are from the times I had a conversation with the booth visitor to understand their business first. Also, know what you will say (also down to a scripted blurb) when you do describe your company and/or it’s offering.
4. Write notes on business cards about the conversation you had with the person you just met. During a trade show you might meet hundreds of people. With each conversation you spend time listening and learning about this new person. After the conversation, spend a few seconds to jot down notes about the conversation or something memorable about the meeting. These notes will help you stand out against the other connections they have made at the conference when you send a follow up email referencing your conversation or a personalized message on LinkedIn.
5. Leverage social media and follow up. Use Twitter to announce your attendance at the trade show (and check to see if there is a hashtag to include). On Foursquare, create offers to create additional awareness at the trade show and drive additional people to your booth. Take pictures and notes to post a recap on Foursquare. Go one step further and connect with your leads on LinkedIn. These social media tactics can be used before, during and after the trade show to maximize the level of engagement with prospects and leads.
