Against the Grain: Events

Ah, trade show season is upon us. Trade shows cost a lot of money – not only the time employees will be out of the office, but costs for a display booth, collateral materials, airfare, lodging, meals and miscellaneous expenses always come into play. That’s why the value your business gets from a trade show is more important than ever. But how do you measure that value? And how do you know if you’re at the right show?

Determine your show goals. Are you there to socialize and network? Are you there to sell?  Trade shows can be important for both reasons, but setting expectations before committing to a show is important. You might have a show that isn’t high on your priority list for sales opportunities, but your absence would be noticed.

Make use of the attendee list before the show! Yes, you have your customer list, and you’re probably going to set up appointments with those people while you’re out there. But that trade show you’re going to has a critical mass of potential buyers – connecting to them before the show via e-mail or direct mail can help set you apart from your competitors. Bonus points if you can find a creative way to drive them to your booth.

Work the floor! We’ve told you about this before – keep your booth and employees looking sharp and at attention for the next big customer.

Follow up on leads. Take time after the show to follow up with everyone you and your team met. Even if they said your product wasn’t the best fit for them, you never know if they might refer you to someone else. Plus, it’s important to develop lasting relationships to grow your business.

Measure and report. Let’s get back to those goals we mentioned earlier. If you set a measurable goal for sales, prospects, etc., take the time to actually report your results to the team. A lot of companies set a goal and never go back to see what was accomplished.

Last week, I attended the National AgriMarketing (NAMA) conference in Kansas City. The 2010 conference drew a record number of agri-marketing professionals and featured two days of social media, e-mail marketing and branding discussions. Armed with my beloved BlackBerry, Twitter app and the conference hash tag, I was anxious to catch up with old friends, meet new ones and share everything I learned with my Twitter followers.

I was amazed by the number of attendees I recognized by their Twitter avatars and how many conversations began with, “Hey, I know you! I’m @KeyleeP.” As I chatted with tweeps, I jokingly suggested our Twitter handles should be listed on our name tags. But seriously, they should’ve been! How opportunities to make a face-to-face connection with online “friends” did I miss because I didn't recognize them? Most marketers would agree that we're in a relationship business and the ability to network is key to unlocking new opportunities. The beauty of Twitter is that it creates an introduction, a virtual handshake if you will, to make real life connections that can help your business grow.

In addition to its networking perks, Twitter is a great platform to raise awareness about your company and promote your products and services. Some companies are fearful of using social media because they lose control of their messaging. But it’s time for these timid, late-adapters to be brave and log-in. Customers are already talking about your company, products and services and you'd better be monitoring what they're saying. Tweets can spread through the Twitterverse like wild fire and if the messages are negative, you’d better be ready to respond — STAT!

Social media has added a new dynamic to the marketing mix. You must get engaged in the online conversation to connect with your current and potential clients and monitor what they're saying about your brand. You never know who is listening. The next virtual hand you shake may just open the door to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Image courtesy of National Pork Producers Council and the 2009 World Pork Expo.

Trade show season is upon us and many companies are busy designing booths for the biggest events in their industries. There are several tactics that companies commonly use to lure traffic to their booth – food, interactive displays and games, and prize giveaways. But trade shows are only as valuable as you make them. If you actively engage attendees, you will identify new business prospects, re-connect with current customers and see a valuable return on your investment.

Consider these tips to make your trade show experience successful.

Perk up!
Grab some caffeine, get off your caboose and smile! Make eye contact with attendees and engage them in a conversation so they don’t stroll right on past your booth. Ask about their business. What is their role in the company? What are they looking to accomplish at the trade show? A knowledgeable sales person can explain how your products will meet their needs. You want customers to leave your booth with a positive impression that sets you apart from your competitors in the next aisle.

Drive traffic to your booth.
Send a mailer to your current and prospective customers a few weeks before the event to alert them that you will be at the trade show. Include your booth number and a free admission ticket to increase your return rates. The customer may not place an order during the show but they’ll probably stop by and say hello. This gives your salespeople the chance to promote the company’s new products and services. Another strategy is to schedule meetings with key customers to ensure you make contact during the show. This will help exhibitors use their time more effectively. 

Turn off the phone.
Smart phones are a great way to stay connected while you’re out of the office, but if you spend more time responding to e-mails than chatting with attendees, you’re bound to miss valuable business opportunities. Plan a mid-morning and mid-afternoon break to check your messages, and then put the phone away and focus on the task at hand.

Put down the food.
People will shy away from your booth if you’re finishing up lunch. Coordinate with your co-workers so everyone gets a chance to grab food without leaving the booth unattended. On that note, steer clear of messy foods or attendees will pay more attention to the stain on your shirt than your sales pitch.

Measure your ROI.
There are entry fees, travel expenses and productivity costs associated with attending trade shows. How will you measure your return on investment? Identify your goals and objectives before the show. Do you want to identify 25 potential new customers or place 10 product orders? How will you reach your goals? Develop a sales strategy to ensure a more rewarding experience.

When the trade show ends, the real work begins. Your efforts are all in vain if you fail to followup with prospects. It is critical that you make contact with potential customers within a week to increase your chance of closing the sale. Develop a plan to capitalize on this trade show season, put it into action and watch your business grow.

Sports. They're a part of the landscape of Americana. The biggest events are de facto national holidays and, while most television programs are declining in viewership, college football Saturdays and pro football Sundays are stronger than ever. It follows, then, that sports marketing is becoming an increasingly large part of the marketing mix for consumer and b-to-b marketers alike.

Sports marketing is traditionally associated with game-time media buys (radio, television, stadium signage, etc.). But the creativity of marketers and business-friendly attitudes of the teams is bringing other, just as important, opportunities to the forefront.

In-Game Entertainment Sponsorships
We've all seen them... two couples compete in a blindfolded tricycle race at half-court for cash and prizes. These in-game promotions can feature your product or service as a prize, your staff as the host or even put your product front and center for an entire arena of fans.

Appearances
Your affiliation with the team may very well open the door to player, coach, mascot or cheerleader appearances at your corporate event or grand opening.

Press Coverage
When you work with a sports team, you not only get access to the in-stadium fans and the broadcast audience, you get coverage-by-association everywhere the team does — newspapers, television news, etc. — extending your reach beyond the hardcore sports fan.

Ticket Opportunities
Your affiliation with the team should also earn you discounted tickets or access to hard-to-get tickets/games. Use them to reward employees or entertain clients, or as give-aways to local charity groups.

Team Apparel Sponsorship
Team sports are often underwritten by a sponsor whose logo adorns team jerseys and other gear. It's commonplace in European soccer leagues and after-work softball leagues, but has only recently been brought to the world of American professional sports. See the sidebar for a quick story about how one WNBA franchise is making this happen.

These and other sports marketing opportunities are a great way to round out your marketing mix and reach a captive audience by associating with an organization they're fiercely passionate about. And by no means are you limited to the big budget world of sports marketing with big market, big money teams. Minor leagues, niche sports (e.g. lacrosse, rodeo, extreme sports, etc.), college and even high school teams have become viable sports marketing opportunities. In addition, marathon, "fun runs" and other amateur events are also effective sports marketing opportunities.

To learn more about making sports marketing a part of your mix, drop us a line. We'd be happy to sit down and talk with you about getting involved.

With the new year approaching, many businesses are gearing up for another year of tradeshows. These events are perfect opportunities to get face time in with current and potential customers and can get you a great return on investment if you take advantage of the opportunity. Below are several suggestions to step up your game and get the best ROI possible.

1. Staff your booth. For whatever reason, many exhibitors set up their booth, only to abandon it for a majority of the time. Even if you have an eye-catching booth with handouts set out, people are unlikely to stop by if no one is there to draw them in or answer any questions they may have. It is always a good idea to have a few (but not so many that it’s crowded and intimidating) staffers on hand. That way, if someone needs to participate in some other networking engagement, the booth will still be staffed.

2. Staff your booth with friendly, knowledgeable sales people. All too often, exhibitors will sit in the corner of their booth, arms folded, waiting for someone to come to them. Unfortunately, that rarely happens. The exhibitors who see the best ROI are those who are standing at the entryway to their booth (not blocking it), greeting people as they pass by and even engaging some in conversation – even if it does not necessarily lead to a customer. You never know who the people you talk to know.

You may even want to make a rule that the chairs are only to be used at the table if meeting with a prospective customer. It is a good idea to have cell phones and laptops off, unless you are going over something with an attendee. Don’t forget what you are there for.

3. Give attendees a reason to stop by your booth. Use this opportunity to build your database. By finding a way to entice people to your booth, you have a great opportunity to build your database. Many exhibitors will give away small and fun trinkets, but also hold a drawing for a nice prize, which gives attendees a reason to give you their contact information. You can take it a step further by asking them to fill out a questionnaire to be eligible to win. This way you gather their contact information while getting some research as well.

Another way to look at it is that you can spend a couple thousand dollars in cheap giveaways with your logo that you give to everyone who walks by your booth or you can spend that money on fewer but nicer items that you use to entice potential big leads. One thing you can do is send a postcard or letter in advance to these leads, asking them to stop by your booth to pick up their item. For example, if you were to buy 20 nice desk clocks to give to the top 20 attendees that you view as potential big leads, send them a letter in advance telling them you look forward to meeting them and if they stop by your booth, they can pick up their clock. Make sure you include your booth number, where the exhibit hall is and what times your booth will be staffed.

When they come to pick up their clock, offer to have their name engraved. For those who take you up on that offer, deliver the engraved clock to their office personally and you have an instant in. Just make sure you call ahead to make sure they’ll be there and will have a few minutes to chat.

4. Be prepared. The show organizer has probably sent you correspondence with event details such as set-up times, loading dock rules, food/beverage rules, gift rules, how to order extra items for your booth, shipping information and other details. Do not ignore these letters or emails. By knowing what you are doing ahead of time, you will be better prepared the day of set-up and should have little or no problems. This will also help ensure you have your booth ready on time and are not setting it up when the show starts.

5. Follow-up. Once you’re back in your office, follow up with leads. Some are higher potentials, so be sure to pay extra attention to them, without ignoring the others. If you sit in your office waiting for the call, it’s unlikely to happen. If you’ve planned right, you should have all the contact information on potential leads, as well as knowledge of their decision-making status.

6. Look for sponsorship opportunities. Many shows offer sponsorship opportunities in addition to or in lieu of the exhibit hall. Do your research to make sure you aren’t missing any pertinent opportunities. You may even find that you’ll get better recognition from your audience as a sponsor rather than an exhibitor.

Once you determine what tradeshows to attend, follow these steps and you are on your way to a better ROI. Good luck with your 2008 events!