Exhibiting is not just a way to keep an eye on the competition and get out of the office; more than anything, it is a fantastic way to attract potential customers and provide increased exposure for your products and services.
BUILD BRAND AWARENESS Exhibitions provide unique opportunities to raise awareness of your business among the people who count. Think of your stand as a shop front for your business; it’s an opportunity to reflect all of your brand values in a way that you can never do in your office. Your brand’s message can be sophisticated but should also be brief and easily processed by the audience.
GENERATE NEW SALES LEADS With the right strategy, every exhibition is an opportunity to drastically expand your company’s customer base. With organisers advertising directly to your target market, every visitor is a potential client who may be interested in the products or services that your company offers, and they are often ready to commit to a deal on the spot. With this in mind, remember to interact with all visitors to your stand, as they could turn into future customers. Keep notes of all your interactions during the expo so that you can follow up after the event.
CONDUCT MARKET RESEARCH Market research for product development is a necessity, and what better place to do that than with all your customers? This is a good way to find out directly from your customers just what they are looking for – and help develop your next best product.
LAUNCH NEW PRODUCT A major driver for visitors attending exhibitions is that they want to keep up to date with all things new. This includes products, trends and ideas, as well as being able to interact with these products and experts in the field, all at the same time. Hands-on product demonstrations with the people who are most likely to purchase from you will not only create a buzz among the community about your new product, but can also provide useful information as to how a prototype might be modified or improved before its final release to market.
PUTTING A FACE TO A NAME Exhibiting is great way to get some much needed face time in any business. Research shows you can reach more sales prospects in three days at an exhibition than your sales team can in three months through correspondence. Meeting prospects and engaging face to face is also the fastest way to build relationships, which can always come in handy.
ESTABLISH BENEFICIAL BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS Taking time to explore an exhibition or tradeshow and talk to other exhibitors, as well as networking at any workshops and conferences at the exhibition, may reveal potential, mutually beneficial relationships with businesses that complement or are affiliated with your own.
GIVES YOU COMPETITIVE EDGE Exhibitions offer your company another opportunity to stand out from the crowd. You can outshine the competition with well-trained stand staff, great pre-show promotion, eye-catching stand design, and conscientious follow-up after the show. Also, event attendees use the opportunity to ‘comparison shop’. So this is your opening to point out where your product is superior – in performance, pricing or service.
