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MARKETING CORNER
involved in staffing the booth. Additional expenses may also include staff uniforms or matching attire for employ- ees to wear while on the show floor, promotional gifts, printed collateral and marketing materials to be given to booth visitors, Internet connection fees and more.
Showcase Your Business Trade show attendees have come to expect a lot from exhibitors—from interactive booths and entertaining traffic boosters (who doesn’t love an Elvis imperson- ator or an animal mascot?), to contests and memora- ble giveaways. These tactics force companies to spend more money to draw attendees in and hopefully also leave them with that lasting impression. Above all, your booth or exhibit space must be
inviting without being overwhelming. For example, building a giant display of termites chomping on wood will not only attract attendees, but it will also help you to sell your message. But large-scale pests hanging in and around the booth might also be a turn-off. If pos- sible, upgrade on booth space and the display instead. If you’re skimping on those items—it will show. Make the space and the display your own, reinforce your brand and don’t be afraid of gimmicks. Due to the nature of our industry, pest management companies have ample opportunity to be creative with their displays. Attendees tend to spread the word about “must-see” displays, so work with your display company to stay within budget while creating something eye-catching. Remember that show attendees have very little time to decide whether stopping by a booth is worthwhile for them; your display has to give them a reason to stop. Be sure to feature any show specials through your booth employees, on your giveaways, and in visible areas around your booth.
Make the Right Connections So your booth display has lured in the show attendees— now what? The ability of your booth representatives to determine which attendees are truly interested in hearing more about your services and which ones are simply collecting giveaways for their trade show bags is key to collecting customer leads. It is important to quickly establish why the booth visitor is at the show, the role professional pest management has or has not played in his/her life, and how you can assist the visitor in the future. This is also the time to answer their burning pest- related questions, and perform any type of show-and-tell to really drive your message home. Do not be shy about educating them about the need for pest management
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services based on the type of pests found in that region and during the time of year the show is taking place. While the attendees may be familiar with a variety of pests, most of them will not be fully aware of the risks they pose to health and property. If you aren’t spending the day at the booth with your
staff, be sure to check-in with them mid-day to find out how the booth visits are going and the type of interac- tions that have occurred. Find out how many visitors have stopped by, what the interactions have been, the types of questions they have asked and how many have expressed serious interest in your services. Repeat the same check-in at the end of the day. These conversations will allow you and your booth staff to determine which tactics are working and which are not, not just for this show, but for future ones as well.
Focus on Follow-Up After the booth has been taken down, the leftover give- aways boxed up and you and your staff have returned home, you should try to invest the time immediately after the show for follow up with the show attendees. While they may have enjoyed your booth experience and your giveaways, it is the all-important follow-up that can make a difference in whether they choose your services or that of your competitor. Whether you are a show veteran or an amateur, having the most streamlined and sophisticat- ed lead collection system is invaluable. Being able to hone in on the preferred method of communication, custom- ize the follow up email/phone call/mailer and deliver on any promises you made at the show will surely give you a leg up with those potential customers. Be sure to mention any specific pest questions or problems they’ve men- tioned in your follow up and possibly offer additional discounts or incentives in order to gain their business.
The Bottom Line Exhibiting at a trade show takes time, effort and money, but as many in our industry can attest, the investment can pay off. Direct mail gets thrown away, commercials are forgotten and door hangers are ignored, but the brief face-to-face interaction with an interested show attendee gives you a chance to sell your services like the other methods cannot. Whether you exhibit at one or 10 shows a year, the secret to trade show success is the same—drive traffic to your booth, engage and provide useful information to the attendees and always follow-up with show leads. If done right, those leads will become customers.
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