As the Fall Home Show season approaches, I get swamped by clients needing everything from extra marketing materials to full home show booths and signage. I also get a lot of questions about how to make sure the show is an effective use of the business’s time and money and how to judge said effectiveness.
Home Shows tend to be a large expense. Some can be as little as $100 – $200 or more than $1500 for a booth. The price, in most cases but not all, reflects the amount of traffic a show will get and the amount of advertising that is done, the venue type, and the extras the show will provide. Look at the price as you would any other advertising expense but remember that a show is direct, face-to-face contact with potential clients. Newspaper Ads, Flyers, and other marketing materials are not that direct so shows are actually a more effective use of your advertising dollar. Nothing beats that handshake and greeting you can offer a potential client while standing at your booth. But unless you are properly prepared and work the show correctly, it can be a massive waste of your time and money. So here are some points and tips to make a Home Show work for your business…
Get off your butt! I can’t tell you the number of times I have seen people at show booths sitting on chairs watching as people walk up to the booth. I have had vendors at my shows do this and they are the first ones to complain that the show didn’t work for them. The absolute WORST thing you can do at a show is to passively sit around in your booth and wait for people to come and talk with you. Get up, stand at the front of your booth and greet people as they walk by. Standing for hours on end is hard, so take a break now and then with a stool at the front of your booth but don’t stay there permanently and DON’T sit there eating your lunch!
Be Prepared! Do you know how to properly answer the questions people will most likely have when coming to your booth? Do you know what you want to promote or sell? You must have a clear idea as to your goals for the show and your entire presentation at your booth must reflect this. If you are there just to get your business name out and meet people, make sure you can answer basic questions about what you do and the benefits of your product or service in a clear, concise, and QUICK manner. You have a short period of time to speak with guests so make sure you are prepared for their questions.
Follow Up! The biggest mistake you can make when doing a show is to follow up too late or not at all. If you are collecting cards or information (through ballots etc.) you need to make sure to follow up within a week. Have a set script of what you want to say when you introduce yourself again to the contact so that you don’t sound unprofessional or nervous.
Be Professional. This point is so incredibly important. You need to have a professional booth presentation at all levels; your person, your booth, and your materials. I have seen many booths that are put together at the last minute with poor signage, printed marketing materials that look like they just got pulled out of a bag in the trunk of someones car, and the staff at the booth are dressed badly and look unkept. What a great way to present your business… You need to make sure that your booth looks professional!
- Get your signage printed professionally – you can get simple banners printed at your local printer for much cheaper than a vinyl banner if cost is an issue. Make sure the items that are in your booth are clean, look new, and are consistent.
- Get your marketing materials printed professionally, not on your home computer, even if your budget is tight. Marketing materials will be the lasting impression you leave with potential clients once they walk away from your booth. They may not remember you but will have your business card/flyer/brochure/postcard in hand. If it looks unprofessional do you really think they are going to call you?
- Dress the part. Make sure you are dressed appropriately for the venue and your guests. A suit may not be appropriate but business casual usually is. Make sure your person looks put together and clean with no funny smells etc. Have breath mints or gum on hand.
How can you tell if the show has been worth your time? This is a hard question as different businesses have different goals when doing a show. But, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when judging whether a show was worth it.
- Traffic does not dictate a successful show. If the traffic is down it can be a more intimate setting and allow for more time with each guest. So don’t be too quick to write-off a show simply because the traffic was not what you expected. That extra time might make a big difference in building a relationship with potential customers.
- Quality is always better than quantity. Did you give out a good amount of marketing materials to guests you spoke with directly? It’s great to go through 1000 business cards at a show but if people just grabbed them as they walked by and most likely will throw them out later, is that really effective? You want to track the number of cards you gave personally to people you spoke to directly.
- Did you network with the other vendors? That can sometimes be the best thing you get out of a show – building a relationship with other vendors. Whether it is for business or personal use, you should try to get to know a few of the other vendors, exchange marketing materials, and follow-up.
Shows can be a great expense with little or no results for your business if you take a causal, unprofessional approach to them. If you follow my tips above, your chances of having a successful show go way up! Take the time to prepare and I hope this show season is a good one for your business.
- The Small Business Place manages more than 5 home shows per year. Information on all our shows can be found on our website. We can also provide businesses with anything they could need for a Home/Trade show from marketing materials to signage and giveaways. Visit our website at http://www.thesmallbusinessplace.ca for more details.
I love your post and it’s so true. Keep up the great work