1.     Have clear goals and know how to measure them: Why are you at the show or conference? Are you looking for leads, want to spread the gospel of your brand, launch a product or close sales? Answering “Yes” to all of the above is ambitious.  Instead, focus on one or two primary objectives for the show. By doing this, you will be able to better plan your staffing and concentrate your messaging, signage and promotional activities around your specific objectives, which will help your efforts be more effective.

2.     Have measurable goals: Do you know how you are going to gauge success? Are you looking to garner X number of leads or sales each day? Are you looking for Y percent unaided recall of a new brand or campaign? How or when are you going to measure these things? Don’t rely on serendipity; have a plan for what you think of as success and tangible ways to measure it.

3.     Reach out to your prospects before the show starts and have a buzzworthy booth: Don’t depend on customers to find you. Send a post card or email or buy an ad that lets people know where you will be and what you are going to talk about. This will help make your booth a must see. Do you have a cool giveaway? Can you provide a consultation with an expert or a demonstration of a new product? And don’t forget the press! Invite them to your booth to learn more about your company.

4.     Create a user- and visitor-friendly exhibit: Make your exhibit inviting and functional. Having a barrier between your staff and visitors hinders conversation. Instead, create an area where visitors can easily talk to staff. If you’re showing a video, make sure the video is visible from the aisle and garners attention, but place it inside your booth far enough so that it encourages intrigued prospects to step in to find out more about what it is showing. Are you demonstrating products or featuring static displays? Instead of crouching down on all fours to see how the widget interacts with the sprocket, elevate the display.

5.     Integrate your messaging: If your advertising, website, press releases and sales pitch ALL talk about how easy-to-use your product is, your booth should too. Make sure that the message you are conveying with your exhibit presence is integrated and complements your other messaging. It should look like it belongs to your company and should incorporate your logo, colors, slogans and other recognizable visual cues.

6.     Train your staff: Make sure that your staff knows your goals and how you intend to meet them. Review the products you are presenting, how to identify and qualify prospects, how to hand over leads to subject matter experts, how to deal with inquisitive competitors, etc. Give some thought to including some of your non-sales specialists as well. Maintenance techs and customer service representatives know how to answer the questions that may stump your sales guys, and it’s a great incentive for these staffers to be included.

With a little planning and preparation, a tradeshow will be a highlight of your sales and marketing year.

By Robb Clawson of Hargrove Inc.