Turn Trade Shows Into New Business Machines October 13, 2008
By Mark Sneider
With the economy struggling, referrals and networking slowing and the cost of travel increasing, using trade shows as a business-generating machine is a shrewd and fiscally sound approach for agencies. Whether it’s building your own internal effort or using lead generation programs, prospecting at shows can be a very productive use of resources for agencies.
However, most agencies know trade shows from only from the vantage point of their clients—designing booth graphics and/or attending shows on a client's behalf. And many say that at they often feel like they’re invading a prospect's space or find it hard to organize a plan that makes the show worthwhile.
The key to trade show success is to create a well-organized, consistent and compelling program that is highly likely to motivate prospects to want to meet with you—and then stick to it. Here are 12 steps to maximize your potential coming out of shows:
1. Identify the trade shows that are best aligned with your strongest categories.
2. Identify prospects off of last year's trade show list that you want to target.
3. Identify marketing prospects in these companies. Also call to confirm their attendance at the show.
4. Create a compelling/differentiating communication strategy (or "Brand Story") and carry that messaging throughout all outreach to prospects—letters, collateral, messaging.
5. Send prospects information about your agency via mail or e-mail.
6. Call and e-mail to alert the prospect know that you’ve sent them something.
7. Once you connect—or even if you don't—first try and engage them in meaningful conversation about their business and about your ideas/insights on how you can help.
8. Once you've engaged, see if they'd be amenable to a meeting at the show.
9. Send them a note thanking them and confirming the meeting.
10. Call and confirm just prior to the show.
11. Have a successful meeting.
12. Follow-up after the show. Usually the second hardest part about prospecting is closing the deal after the initial meeting. So the key is staying with the prospect after the show. Send articles, send collateral, make calls—just stay with them. They just met a lot of people at the show. Make sure you are first in their mind.
Mark Sneider opened RSW's U.S. office in 2005. Prior to RSW, Sneider spent ten years working for two top tier packaged goods companies, and 10 years on the marketing services side of the business. He started his career at DDB Needham in Chicago. Sneider is a graduate of Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Business with a major in Marketing and Economics.
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