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If you are like most trade show exhibitors you have talked to hundreds of visitors, handed out a lot of literature and accumulated a massive list of contacts. The many prospects that briefly stopped by your booth, also saw thousands of other products and talked to hundreds of exhibitors. Will they remember you, call you, or place an order? The answer is probably not. What you need is Trade Show Marketing!
Do not wait for them to call you. It will be up to you to turn those inquiries into sales. So, how do you do that? If you are considering sending out a form letter thanking folks for visiting your booth and a price sheet, YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME AND MONEY! Remember, you are one of hundreds of exhibitors who will be making a pitch, so you have to do something dynamic
This is where I come in, by offering professional outside objectivity; creativity and with five decades of automotive aftermarket experience in marketing, advertising, PR and sales promotion. I will work with you and your marketing team to develop a proactive comprehensive program specifically for your business, designed to reach and motivate your trade show prospects and maximize sales
√ Start with a Debriefing Session. While it is still fresh in everyone’s mind, we conduct a debriefing meeting with the staff that attended the show and had talked to buyers. The idea is to get a consensus on what “hot buttons” the market (potential customers) were interested in. This will help determine the follow-up strategy
√ Categorize and Organize Your Sales Leads. Trade inquires will range from hot prospective buyers, to varying degrees of interest. Obviously, you will want to concentrate on the hot prospects immediately. You may not have the time to individually contact each one by phone, so follow-up campaign options are discussed and a program specific to your responses will be developed
√ Create a “Buy Now” Incentive. We explore options to give prospects a reason to place an order! There are many options. There is no “one answer” for all marketers. This is where professional marketing expertise will benefit
√ You only have Two Windows of Opportunity. Because trade shows are held in November and December, you have only a small window, before the winter holidays to make contact and get sales commitments. This time should be spent following up with “hot” prospects. This is the first window. Anything sent after December 15th, gets lost in the holiday season mailings and activities. Don’t waste your time and money. The second window comes right after the first of the year. An organized follow-up campaign should be designed, produced and poised to launch in January. Throughout this campaign, the sales staff continues to qualify and categorize leads, spending time on the greatest potential prospects. Additional sales support elements may be developed as the sales follow-up dictates.
√ Coordinating your Advertising, Marketing, PR and Media Campaign is essential. You have invested a lot of time and money exhibiting at Trade Shows, now maximize your return on your investment and let’s turn inquiries into sales.
The Trade Show Follow-Up is a two-hour consultation at your location for a special fee of $300.00Contact me personally with any questions and to make an appointment. Tom Smisek is a Marketing Consultant based out of Orange County California.