Whether you’re looking to build brand awareness, generate sales leads or keep current customers loyal, trade shows can be an effective tool. But, what are the main benefits that these events can offer?
The biggest benefit of trade shows is that they allow businesses to meet existing customers face to face. This is a big advantage because customers are far more responsive to people they can connect with in person.
Networking Opportunities
Trade exhibitions bring business players in an industry together at a single location. The chance to meet like-minded people in the same industry is invaluable and can open up new business opportunities. It is also a chance to network with current customers and business partners. In today’s world of emails and Skype calls, it is important to keep existing clients loyal to your brand and show them that you value them.
Following up on leads generated during the event is key to converting them into customers. Be sure to use different channels like email, LinkedIn, phone calls, and even handwritten notes to personalize your follow-up messages. Make sure to propose next steps based on the conversations you had with them. For example, if they said they would be interested in your products or services, suggest a meeting. This will ensure that they don’t forget about your business and will continue to recommend it to others.
Brand Awareness
Trade exhibitions give companies the opportunity to showcase their products and services to a large audience. They also provide an excellent opportunity to meet with potential clients face-to-face and build trust.
Attending a trade show is also an opportunity to observe how competitors operate and learn from their strategies. This knowledge can be applied to a company’s own operations.
Often, nonselling objectives are neglected when evaluating trade-show effectiveness. Meeting with current buyers, for example, can be an important goal in a business’s overall marketing plan and may be the primary reason for participating in a specific show.
The success of a trade-show exhibitor is determined more by the quality and attitude of its staff than any other factor. Choose team members who recognize the value of in-person interaction and who enjoy participating in trade shows. They will be more likely to convey the excitement of their business and inspire attendees to take interest in it.
Lead Generation
Using the right marketing strategies, businesses can generate valuable sales leads from trade exhibitions. They can use promotional giveaways to attract customers, and can even offer discounts or free samples on products and services. They can also ask visitors for their business card so that they can follow up with them later.
Attendees at a trade show are usually in a research or buying mindset, which makes them easy prospects. All the usual resentment and apprehension of traditional direct sales disappears. Capitalise on this and your sales team could come away from the show with a folder full of ready-to-buy sales leads.
However, choosing the right trade show is crucial for success. As well as attracting the right audience, an eye-catching booth design can also be critical. Leading exhibition designers, Quadrant2Design, explain that an effective booth is designed to capture and communicate the key messages of a brand in a memorable way. They also help companies to maximise the potential of their booth space and increase the number of leads generated by the event.
Customer Loyalty
In the modern business world, customer loyalty is key to keeping existing clientele and generating more revenue from their accounts. Trade shows offer businesses an opportunity to interact with their clients face-to-face, which can be a valuable way of strengthening these relationships and increasing loyalty.
Aside from providing networking opportunities, trade exhibitions can also provide valuable insights into industry trends. Many of these events feature presentations, workshops and seminars that allow companies to learn about new technology, products and services, and how they can be applied to their business.
Ultimately, trade shows can also boost the morale of staff members who have been selected to participate in the event. It can give them a sense of pride to be part of an event that can help their company grow, and this can lead to increased productivity back at the office. This can be a great way to boost employee satisfaction and increase brand loyalty.
