Keys to Exhibiting with Success!
Want to learn more about how our shows can help you grow your business? Do you need other marketing and advertising tips? We have some valuable information we’d like to share with you:
Pre-Show Promotion
Connect with your target audience before the show even starts! Below you’ll find some tips on ways you can drive traffic to your booth and have potential clients seeking your booth out!
- Mail or give out show supplied invites
- Mail your own printed invitations
- Give your prospects a call and invite them to visit your booth
- Make sure your sales staff is talking about the show
- Post show signs or flyers in your store (you can request some posters from us)
- Issue press releases
- Invite prospects to a special demonstration
- Put a message on your voice-mail to attend the show
Creative Booth Displays
We’re giving you some helpful tips on how to get prospective clients to stop and engage with you at the show:
Exhibit Size:
Larger exhibitor displays will get you more noticed! The more space you have for your booth, the more salespeople you can have engaging with prospective clients. If your budget will allow for more space, go for it! You will see an increased amount of leads!
Creative/Effective Display Tips:
The main purpose of your display is to attract the prospect to you so that you can talk to them. You only have about 5 seconds to do this before they walk on.
Your display should:
- Attract Attention
- Build Interest
- Create Desire
- Demand Attention
Some main points to consider:
- Keep the booth open and inviting, it should invite them in!
- Signs are very important! You should purchase a banner; something the bride can read from a distance. Using the typical show ID sign will not attract as much attention. Use easy to read language and font styles.
- Make sure the booth sells who you are! They should be able to see, feel, touch, taste and/or smell your product. Make sure they can tell who you are at a glance. Don’t fill your booth with flowers if you are not a florist!
- Keep the booth neat and clean. We’d suggest not eating at your booth while potential clients are scanning the exhibitors.
- Show promotions, demonstrations, and contests can attract attention! If you have any of these additions to your booth – please let us know beforehand, so that we can use it in our promotion to reach brides! Just make sure you still have time to talk to the bride.
- You don’t want to attract too many brides, who aren’t interested in your services/products.
- Personally giving brides handouts will give you more of a chance to speak with brides, instead of laying out handouts for brides to take it and leave.
Salesmanship
You or your employees are your salespeople! Not only is the display important, but so is obtaining the right leads at the shows. These leads can be obtained by your wonderful salespeople! If you are your best sales person, be there, if you are not, hire someone!
Main points to consider:
- Be open and inviting, don’t sit or you will look bored and uninviting
- Body language is important, keep it friendly!
- Have a winning approach. Practice your opening lines. Never say “Can I help you?”
- Effective opening lines must break preoccupation, focus on the individual, create a bond between you and the bride and try to loosen things up, make them feel relaxed and have fun! Find out what the bride really is looking for. If they’re unsure – be as helpful as you can!
- Stay alert – even during slow times, don’t get into conversations with other vendors or staff and miss the bride who wants to talk to you!
- Staff working the show needs to know the value of what they are doing, be well trained and excited about the prospect of bringing your business more customers!
Follow-up After the Show
Why collect all those leads and not do something with them?
- If you want to increase your bottom line after the show, follow up with phone calls and direct mail. Make your letters personalized, remind them that you met them at the show and you are ready to help them with their wedding.
- Remember the ultimate success of your exhibiting in a bridal show lies entirely on you, follow the tips given on this page and you will be steps ahead of your competition!