Ten Reasons Why You Should Exhibit at Trade Shows in 2019!
1) Showcase your latest products and services
A Trade Show is a great place to exhibit and sell your latest products and services directly to potential customers. There is simply nothing better for a consumer than to be able to see the product up close, try it out, taste, see and smell it and ultimately find out first hand why they have to have it! This will hopefully lead you to tonnes of direct sales on the day, or across the days of the Trade Show that you exhibit at. Some brands even find that they sell more in one trade show than they manage to do after months of trying to sell the same products online! So trade shows can be a great stepping stone for direct sales.
2) Gain New Customers and Leads
Whether you plan to bring you own ‘Join our mailing list’ sheets for customer to fill out or are totally tech savvy and scan attendees badges or you simply want to bring a bowl and ask passers by to leave their business cards in the bowl to be contacted with more information about your products – these are all great ways to extend your email and telephone database of future potential clients.
Of course let them know clearly that they will be added to your mailing list and then when you are back at the office after the exhibition event you can send them a courtesy email to thank them for visiting your stand and add their contact details to your database to receive future promotions, event invites and sale information for your brand.
3) Make Killer Sales!
Many attendees at Trade Shows are looking for great deals on products and services that interest them. Most trade and consumer shows are themed to a particular industry for example Olympia Beauty Show based in the UK focuses strongly on the beauty industry and The Pamper Sessions – Beauty, Fashion and Wellness Show based in London caters to Hair, Fashion, Beauty and Wellness professionals and consumers in London.
Attendees will of course know this and so are attending because they are looking to find particular products and services from these industries and ultimately buy at these events. So research first and be sure the Trade Show that you exhibit at, is the right fit for your brand, then bring the goods! It is also a good idea to check out the events statistics beforehand to ensure that you are ready for the numbers of people that will potentially attend and have enough stock to last the full course of your time exhibiting at that event.
There is nothing worse than running out of stock at an event where people are ready and willing to buy from you. In-case this does happen make sure you have an i-pad or tablet with wifi and a charger to keep you going so that you can take orders and payments online on the day if you run out of stock. That way, if you have stock available in storage you can get them out to people the next day and still have satisfied customers.
A card machine is a must also – many people no longer walk with cash and will want to do card payment on the day and walk away with the goods – be sure to give them what they need and want!
a. It is your job to attract the consumers to visit your stand, whether this be via eye-catching banners and visuals or via the amazing Brand Ambassadors and Sales Staff that you have smiling, approaching potential customers and selling at your stand at the Trade Show. In advance, decide what you want to sell and make sure that you create special deals and discounts to make these deals known and seen on the day. Use slogans like; “For One Day Only’ and “Trade Show Price Only” to entice customers to buy from you on the day, knowing that they may never get such a great deal again!
b. A great amount of impulse buys can happen at your stand at a Trade Show, other useful sales ideas include, “Buy More, Pay Less”; encouraging consumers to buy larger quantities to get a better deal, ‘Gift Bundles” and “Mix and Match”; where you can bundle together multiple products and do a deal or putting on a competition to get more people coming over with the chance of a freebie on the cards before they even begin to look at buying from your stand.
4) Clear out old stock and create space in your warehouse
A Trade Show is also a great way to sell all last seasons products and clear out your warehouse or storage space of old, unsold goods. You could alternatively use last seasons stock as competition giveaways, lucky dip prizes, goody bag samples or similar! Competitions can once again help you to build your database and goody bags can encourage reviews to be created using your products.
5) Meet Distributors, Wholesalers and Investors
Trade Shows can be a great place to meet all kinds of industry players and build your industry connections for great future business and deals. You can use some of your time at a Trade Show to expand your network face to face and build your relationships with other businesses and traders. Many vendors and distributors attend Trade Shows seeking out good products to add to their repertoire, they need you equally to your needing them! Wholesalers and Traders can also be found at Trade Shows, many of whom are exhibiting, giving you a great opportunity to connect with them directly, check out their goods and maybe even strike some great deals with them for your own wholesale needs. There may even be the odd angel investor or two in the building scoping out their next big investment opportunity – why not you? So make yourself stand out, be noticeable and totally invest-able!
6) Expand your brands presence in the industry
A good amount of exposure can be gained when you exhibit well at a Trade Show. Many Trade Shows also offer their exhibitors the opportunity to be featured in the Event Programme that goes out to all press and attendees at the event, on their ‘exhibitors’ page on their website and sometimes even in their email marketing and promotions which go out to potentially thousands of subscribers on their mailing lists, dependant on the events size and popularity. This can be great exposure for your brand and place many new eyes on your products and services. If you are not sure if the Trade Show offers this option always ask, if not it may be something that they will be willing to add and well worth the ask for what it could bring to the table.
As well as this it is always a great idea to bring your printed banners, posters and promotional material i.e brochures, coupons, flyers and business cards to the event with you and have them presented at your stand. That way even if someone doesn’t buy from you that particular day they can still take away a flyer or a coupon and buy something at a later date online.
7) Open your eyes to your competitors
It is always a good thing to know who your main competitors are and what they are offering. Trade Shows are a great place to find this out. Spend a little time scoping out the competition on the day. Make notes of the great things that they are doing that you think you could do well to introduce to your brand and also see where you may have an advantage over them and see if you can go forward and win even bigger with that. This is not about copying others at all, always stay original, it is simply market research to encourage you to up your game in any areas that require attention or improvements.
8) Expand your Global Network and Connections
Many Trade Shows have exhibitors and consumers alike flying in from across the globe to network, buy, sell and showcase their products and services to a wider audience. Attending an event like Beauty in Dubai for instance, can be a great way to put yourself in the right rooms with the right people that would lead you to expand your global portfolio and client base and begin to sell and promote your products effectively overseas, propelling your brand to a whole new level and standing.
9) Boost your Sales Confidence and Client Relationship Building Skills
Showcasing and selling at a Trade Show can be especially beneficial to businesses who sell mainly online. Exhibiting at a Trade Show will get yourself and your team out of the office and smack bang in the middle of the sales fun! Being face-to-face with your audience will push you to work your magic in direct selling, boosting your confidence and skills in face-to-face sales whilst strengthening your customer and client relationships. Its all win win!
10) Get Reviews and Feedback from linked Press, Bloggers, Vloggers and Influencers
If you want more presence for your brand on social media, in the Press and overall, a Trade Show can do wonders for these things if you meet the right people. Many Trade Shows have a list of confirmed Press, Bloggers and VIP’s attending. Some will provide special goody bags for accredited Press, Bloggers, Vloggers and Influencers and may ask your brand if you would wish to provide samples and material for these goody bags. Saying yes to this question could well lead to the press, bloggers and vloggers creating an article, review or video blog about your products if they like them and use them following the event.
So there you have it!
Our Top Ten Reasons why you should Exhibit at a Trade Show in 2018 and we wish you the very best on your quest!
Article Written by Crystal Emmanuel of Celebrity Creations Management
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