If you are planning an appearance at a business trade show, you need to make sure that the whole event is as valuable as possible. There is no point in spending so much time and effort going to an in-person event, only to walk away feeling like you haven’t gained anything that is going to benefit your company. With this in mind, here are a few of the business trade show mistakes that you will need to sidestep to increase the odds that you will walk away happy.
Here are six business trade show mistakes you should avoid:
1. Not having clear goals in mind
Right at the top of the list, you will need to make sure that you have a clear set of goals in mind. What are you trying to achieve from the event? Perhaps it is increased visibility within the local business community. It may be that you want a whole network of new contacts that may drum up new business. Alternatively, you may be staking out a new market that you have not yet really explored. Whatever the case, make sure that you have the goal firmly in mind and this can determine your actions at the trade show.
2. Not having enough visibility
If you are going to be exhibiting at the trade show, you need to make sure that people are going to be drawn to you rather than your competitors or other companies that you may be facing up against. To begin with, you need to make your stand as eye-catching as possible complete with vinyl banners, marketing materials, and clear signage. You also need to consider the staff members that you put on the stand. They need to be warm, welcoming, and draw people in. You should also look at who you are going to be placed next to ahead of time. By avoiding these business trade show mistakes you can set yourself apart from the competition.
3. Looking too cluttered
The booth that you set up needs to have enough to it, but you also don’t want to look cluttered and disorganized. Otherwise, it is all too likely that people will think that this reflects badly on your company and they are probably not going to come to visit your stand. Throughout the day, you should take the chance to declutter the booth and bring it back to how it looked like in the morning.
4. Not bringing enough staff with you
When people are meeting and networking all day, it is all too easy for them to start getting tired and this can impact the impression that they are giving. You will also want to have some staff members who are walking around and meeting others. So, don’t fall into the trap of not bringing on board enough staff members. Otherwise, you may well find that you are not giving the impression that you would like towards the end of the trade show.
5. Failing to get enough new contacts
One of the main reasons why people attend trade shows in the first place is to develop a whole raft of new contacts. Therefore, you certainly need to do more to make sure that you are networking. Ideally, you will want to collect the data of everyone who comes to the stand, but you need to remember that everyone at the show will have exactly the same goal, so you need to do more to set yourself apart from them. At the same time, it is also worth giving yourself the chance to wander around the show and gain contacts at other businesses.
6. Not following up with the contacts after the show
Closely linked to the previous point, there is absolutely no point in attending a trade show if you are not going to follow up with the contacts afterwards. You also need to ensure that the email you are sending them is well-crafted and personalised enough for them not to simply delete it afterwards. Make sure that you don’t leave it too long before making this follow up attempt. People meet so many others on this day that you don’t want to risk getting forgotten.
If you avoid all of these common business trade show mistakes that are made time and time again, you will make it much more likely that your trade show appearance will be a successful one. This way, you can relax safe in the knowledge that you have squeezed every last drop out of the experience and done all that you can to build up new contacts, make people aware of your business, and develop your reach into different marketplaces as well.
