| Trade shows can be a real boost not only for finding | | | | chatting with co-workers. Invite interest. Open your |
| prospects but for your overall visibility as an | | | | booth physically as much as possible; make it easy for |
| organization. Before you go though, you need to be | | | | people to walk in without feeling trapped. Once they |
| well prepared. Good prep means finding the right | | | | step in, tell and show them quickly what your product |
| audiences, setting realistic budgets, getting high-visibility | | | | or service can do for them. If you have a tangible |
| booth space and determining who and what will be in | | | | product, get it into their hands as soon as possible. |
| your booth. Now is the time to think about using good | | | | 5) Take photos. Invite notables into your booth and |
| public relations tools to boost your visibility and build | | | | snap their pictures surrounded by you and your staff in |
| your business. Here are a few items you may want to | | | | logo shirts with your booth in the background. These |
| put on your to-do list: | | | | will play well on your Web site with a descriptive |
| 1) Get the attendees roster in advance. Decide what | | | | caption. |
| constitutes a qualified prospect. Make a list of all of the | | | | 6) Make follow-up with attendees a fast but formal |
| companies you want to communicate with and assign | | | | project for the team. Use contact information while it is |
| each person on your team a share of the targets to | | | | fresh and prospects are still interested. Prepare a short |
| approach. Ask show organizers, current customers | | | | template follow-up letter in advance and have it ready |
| and colleagues to make introductions on the floor. | | | | to mail-merge with your list of new contacts as soon |
| 2) Cultivate press proactively: Get the press list a | | | | as you get back. Send follow - up letters within seven |
| week in advance if possible. Choose the top 10 | | | | days of the event. |
| reporters (start with trade publications your prospects | | | | 7) Send a follow-up email to all registered reporters - |
| read most). If you have news - or at least a product | | | | even those who did not attend the show. Call the ones |
| or service that is newsworthy - call ahead and try to | | | | you made contact with, offer additional information and |
| set up interviews. If you have a news release or a | | | | ask whether they plan to write anything. Keep track of |
| factsheet, put a stack in the press room - a fat press | | | | potential articles so you will see them when they are |
| kit is not necessary. | | | | published. |
| 3) The "Show Daily." Most big conferences distribute a | | | | 8) If it's the right show, your competitors will be there. |
| daily newspaper or newsletter to attendees. If you | | | | Now is a good time to see them up close. It's not |
| have news, give the information to editors at least | | | | spying; it's market research! Pick up their marketing |
| week ahead of time so they can publish it on the day | | | | materials and listen to their pitch. Nothing wrong with |
| you make the announcement. | | | | that -- you can be sure they'll be doing the same at |
| 4) Make your booth project professionalism and | | | | your booth. |
| business. Don't fall into a comfort zone of constantly | | | | |