How To Do A Trade Show Of Any Size

Published January, 2008

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

1.    Featured Article: How To Do A Trade Show Of Any Size
2.    Born to Read Book Club: Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port and Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh.
3.    NEW! Featured Resource – Some weeks I’ll email you about a teleclass or trade show or course or conference that you might like to attend.
4.    Think about this Question. When you participate in a trade show, what will mean it was successful to YOU?
5.    Read My Blog called Marketing to Small Business– at http://www.trudyvanbuskirk.typepad.com

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TRUDY’S NOTE

Hi There

Trade shows are one way of marketing.  Before you say that you never do them becasue they are too expensive, they come in all sizes AND prices.

I’ve attended, participated in, trained about, and developed trade shows for 25 years and would like to help you.  I’ve got a document that I wrote and use called “Trade Show Training”.  It’s fr*e*e.  You just have to send me an email asking for it.

Learn how to particiapte in one of just the right size and outlay for you.  Read on.

(See my blog at http://www.trudyvanbuskirk.typepad.com for more of my thoughts on this and other things that relate to marketing for small business.)

Thanks for reading.

My Best Wishes,
Trudy
Organized Marketing Mentor and Teacher
mailto:trudy@smallbizbuilder.com   http://www.smallbizbuilder.com

Please print or forward this ezine to your friends and colleagues – I have lots to tell you and would like you to give this info as a gift to yourself and others. Enjoy.
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1. Featured Article. HOW TO DO A TRADE SHOW OF ANY SIZE

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A trade show can include everything from booths to tabletops.  You can spend alot or a little.  It may be your best type of marketing or your worst.

There are companies every year at the bridal show in Toronto because that’s where their leads come from for next year (if they follow them up).  There are tabletops that surround a conference or networking event that cost as little as $100.

Remember that like most marketing, you must do it more than once to see if you got your expected results that are financial, number of leads, or exposure or all three.  You decide if it’s worth the time and expense.

1.  SHOULD YOU DO A TRADE SHOW?

Ask these questions of the show organizer and be sure they fit with what you want for your business. How much does it cost you to exhibit? How much does it cost attendees to get in? Where will the organizer promote the show – in newspapers, online, on radio, emailing to lists (whose?)? Do they have a website with online registration? Who comes to the show (Does it fit your client profile)? How many people come? Do they have money to spend and DO they spend it (Do you need a decision maker who has authority?)? How long do they spend at the show on average?
There are many more questions but these are critical to you. I know because not only have I had booths in shows but have organized them from start to finish. The company that I co-owned in San Francisco developed and produced shows all over the U.S. as a business! So, ask me if you want to know more or want to hire me to advise you.
Before you begin anything, especially a trade show, set goals. That way everyone on the booth or table knows what to do and are also rarely disappointed.
What are your goals? Set them for everything. They should be as specific as possible. Do you want 50 leads who are ready to spend x dollars with you? If the show and all the booth accoutrements cost $2500 do you want to earn this much at the show? Within 3 months after?

2.  WHAT SIZE SHOULD YOUR TABLE OR BOOTH BE?

You’ve decided the show is for you. The next question to ask yourself is what size of booth (if you have a choice) to get.
If you’ve picked a fairly large show and it’s your first time there AND your budget is limited, you may have a small area. Many shows have an area filled with “kiosks” which means you get about 3 feet square but you don’t have to pay as much.
It’s also possible to share a booth with someone else with a similar product. This costs you less. Ask the organizer if both of your company names will be listed in the show program and if you can both have signage. CHECK THIS.
When you know the show gives you what you want, you could have a bigger area of 10′x 10′ or a double area of 20′ x 10′. That way you have more exposure and a larger area for people to see what you have to offer. This much space could hold either tabletops or your booth.
When you do a lot of shows that get you leads and sales, you may invest in your own booth to take with you everywhere you go.

3.  WHAT WILL PEOPLE BUY FROM YOU AT THE SHOW?

People will always spend at least $20. On each booth at the One of a Kind Craft Show in Toronto where I’ve gone many times, vendors have something inexpensive that you can get for yourself or give as a gift. They all have their more expensive things, too.
Decide what you want others to buy from you. You probably have many products or services but what do you really want to showcase?

4.  WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO BEFORE THE SHOW?

Get ready for the show. Promote yourself and the show. Don’t leave it up to the organizer. Email everyone you know that you’ll be there and probably have show specials.
Get everything ready. You may have a banner, your company signage, and product or service signs.
If you are taking payment, have everything you need for that.
Know who will be on the booth and when.
Walk through what people will do (virtually) to know what to take. And remember that things often break so have extras of everything you and your buyers will need.
5.  HOW WILL YOU BEHAVE AT THE SHOW?

This is very important. Be professional and friendly.
Here are a few dos and don’ts. 
DO … know your products and services, be honest if you don’t know, know the show which means having an idea of who’s there and where they are, be well groomed, be confident, keep booth tidy, and treat all visitors equally.
DON’T … smoke (this is not allowed most places), sit, drink coffee, tea or alcohol, talk with colleagues, leave your booth unattended (you could have a ‘neighbour’ talk to people), visit other booths while the show is on, knock the competition, or stand in front of things you’re selling.
6.  WHAT WILL YOU DO AFTER THE SHOW?

Follow-up. Follow-up. Follow-up. It can’t be said enough.
Call everyone you met. Just like fresh fish, leads will “smell” or be ‘bad’ after three days so do it within a week.
7. HOW WILL YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS OR FAILURE?
Great question. Decide before the show how and when you’ll do this and who will be involved. Do it immediately even before you follow-up.
Design and use some kind of system to collect your leads and sales at the show. It doesn’t have to be electronic but it should be easy to use by the buyer and you.
Now that you know how to do a trade show and how easy it can be, decide if it works for you. I’d like to be the buyer of your things. I love to shop!
** See my “Services” page on my website to get some of my time and I can tell you exactly how to do it! **
Keep learning, … and until next time.
© 2007 Trudy Van Buskirk

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2. BORN TO READ BOOK CLUB

Here are the two books for this issue. The first one is business and the second is spiritual. As always I own them both and have read them.

BOOK YOURSELF SOLID. The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling by Michael Port.
Would you like to grow your business no matter what size it is now? You can says Port if you just follow his system and 7 strategies.
Port has developed a system that when followed, DOES GET you more clients. He writes for those of us who are service professionals and that’s most of us. It’s also about having clients buy from you and remember you because you do everything with feeling not just words.
At the same time as everything he talks about doing is very practical, he writes from the heart. This book is full of things you can and should do like developing a brand and building trust and credibility.
Get this book and read and use it..
http://tinyurl.com/2mx3cc
BEING PEACE by Thich Nhat Hanh.
For a long time, I’ve been interested in Buddhism and the principles it teaches. I don’t call myself a Buddhist but I love to learn. Being Peace is down to earth as all books I choose on spirituality are, and can be read quickly.
This book was written in 1990 by a Zen master who is now in exile in France. In this book, Hanh has described Buddhism and its beliefs using stories and so he talks about how we can all use it. This a collection of the talks he gave as he traveled in North America in 1985.
He also explains why we ought to meditate, how to meditate, and how we can do it daily. In fact, the last chapter is called Meditation in Daily Life.
Each chapter teaches us more about Buddhist beliefs in a way that is not only easy to understand but how we may have and use some of these values each day and not be a practicing Buddhist.
This must be a good book because this is its third edition. And also, Thich Nhat Hanh has written several books.
Buy this book and read it and all that he has done.
http://tinyurl.com/ys5rj3
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3. NEW! FEATURED RESOURCE

As I mentioned when you received the last issue of Inspired Marketing, that in addition to the e-zine you receive every month I will send other emails called Inspired Marketing Resources in which I’ll announce sp~ecial offers such as new products, fr.e.e downloads, conferences, teleclasses, and workshops offered my trusted colleagues. I have tried each or know and respect what the organizers offer. You may receive one or two of these monthly as they become available. Some months you may not receive any. Enjoy!

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4. THINK ABOUT THIS QUESTION: When you participate in a trade show, what will mean it was successful to YOU?
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5. Read my blog at http://www.trudyvanbuskirk.typepad.com to learn more about marketing tips. I can write more often here and whatever comes up as it does.

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ABOUT TRUDY VAN BUSKIRK

Trudy Van Buskirk, is the founder of Smallbizbuilder. As a small business consultant, trainer, author, and resource, Trudy ensures that her clients get the results they want using her practical and disciplined system which motivates them to plan AND to take action.  She has built three businesses from the ground up in Canada and the U.S.; consulted with small businesses and professionals; developed and delivered training courses for entrepreneurs; given keynote addresses and authored four books for TVOntario’s Bits ‘n Bytes television series on computers in 1982 and Winning Women in 1992. 

CONTACT ME: Email: mailto:trudy@smallbizbuilder.com 
Voice: 416-778-9976 (Eastern time)
Web: http://www.smallbizbuilder.com

Copyright © 2007 Trudy Van Buskirk. All rights reserved.

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Reprinted from Inspired Marketing by Trudy Van Buskirk of Smallbizbuilder, a fr*e*e ezine published to educate and communicate Tips, Tools, and Resources to build your business or your professional practice.

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