Author: Michele Bongiorni

My company is attending the True Value Fall Trade Show this coming weekend, the last trade show for us this year.  Having only been a part of this company for a few months, this will be my second trade show experience.

The first show I attended was a few weeks ago.  At the time, I had no idea what to expect.    For one, the days are excruciatingly long. I woke up at 7am and had to stand in a 10 x 10 space for 8 hours at a time, 3 days in a row, consistently portraying a sense of perkiness and charm. Not the most ideal way to spend a weekend, but educational nonetheless.

Here are a few tips on how to survive a trade show.Make friends with your neighbors. The business owners surrounding your booth will be your closest friends for those 3 days. You will be around them constantly.  I was able to talk to them about their products, their companies, families, likes and dislikes, and much more.  After everyone becomes comfortable around one another, the games begin.

When the show became “dead”, we all began teasing each other, sharing funny anecdotes, working on crossword puzzles, and swapping sample products. Never underestimate the effect of listening and showing true interest in what they do.  You might need the help of your new “friends” in the future.

Utilize your free evenings.  Even though I was exhausted after my first day at the show, I had a dinner event with some buyers and reps.  Probably one of the craziest nights I have ever experienced with company professionals.

In the world of big business, most huge deals are made over dinner outings and not in the office.  I made some great networks with influential people which wouldn’t have happened if I had decided to stay in that night and go to bed early.

Make your booth exciting.  When you are 1 of 1000 companies to exhibit at a trade show, there is a lot of competition to stand out.  I passed some booths that hired a caricature artist, displayed movies shown on 48? HD TV’s, and were giving away cars.

Though most small businesses don’t have the money to afford those type of promotions, there are ways to stand out.  Psychologists have found the 75% of Americans learn through visual stimulation.  Use props and samples related to your products that will draw the passerby into your booth.

Stand alone banners can be fairly inexpensive and when made correctly, tend to be more noticeable than banners that just hang along a back wall. Food, people love food. Even having a small candy jar will bring a buyer to your booth where you can then inquire about their knowledge of your company’s products.

Don’t just stay in your booth, mingle.  By the last day, I was so tired of being holed up in my little corner that I decided to walk around and try to meet other exhibitors.  In the process, I met two different retailers who gave me sample products and a business card to get a discount later (this will definitely help what with Christmas right around the corner).

I also decided to take a longer lunch and sat at a table with four different buyers.  While making small talk, I ended up telling them about my company and the products we sold.  I probably only mentioned our products for about 5 minutes before segueing into conversation about their stores, families, and other adventures.  Not two hours later, those four buyers came by our booth and ended up buying a hefty amount of products.  I was impressed.

If I have but one piece of advice for making sales at trade shows, don’t hassle the buyers. Let them come to you.  It also helps to talk more about them than yourself. Oh and don’t forget to smile, one of the smallest and most genuine gestures that can attract any client to your business.

Article Source:

Image Source