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Trade shows are events organized by businesses operating within a similar industry to showcase new products and interact with existing and potential customers alike.
Trade shows remain valuable tools in today’s business environment of emails and Skype calls, offering various advantages.
1. Exposure
Trade shows provide businesses and services the chance to present products or services directly to an engaged target audience, without fear of sales calls being intruding upon their focus on buying or researching.
Increase Brand Awareness
One of the main objectives of trade show participation is increasing brand recognition for your company and services offered. A branded booth and staff ensure attendees associate your name instantly with its products or services.
Takeaways such as branded lanyards and event-specific T-shirts can increase brand visibility by acting as voluntary billboards for your company. Email is another effective means of expanding reach.
2. Relationships
Trade shows provide businesses with an invaluable opportunity to meet customers face-to-face and form lasting relationships, something which cannot be achieved through email and digital marketing alone.
Companies should monitor competitors to gain insights from their booth designs, product displays and engagement strategies. This can be an excellent way to stay abreast of industry trends while keeping an eye out for new sales opportunities.
Many attendees at tradeshows are actively searching for new products and services, making them ideal targets for your business to target. Following up after each show with emails, calls or postcards is one way of further strengthening relationships post-show.
3. Networking
Trade shows are great places to meet people with shared interests and to expand your professional network. Attending seminars also gives attendees a chance to discuss industry trends and innovative strategies with new connections.
No matter the topic of conversation, attendees must practice their elevator pitches prior to attending any show to ensure a clear and effective presentation of their business. Furthermore, creating a list of potential customer profiles may help attendees target relevant customers more efficiently.
Utilizing an event networking platform like b2match gives attendees the tools to tap their networking potential and form meaningful relationships.
4. Education
Managers face a difficult challenge in gauging the success of tradeshows for meeting both selling and nonselling objectives. A company with strong customer loyalty may focus on connecting and strengthening relationships with existing customers in person, rather than selling directly.
Finding out their concerns, desires and needs instead of making sales pitches will increase trust among consumers, leading them to convert into buyers more readily. Furthermore, education sessions provide invaluable feedback that can be used to further develop and expand products.
5. Exposure to New Products
Trade shows stand out amongst business meetings due to their many unique benefits for both large and small organizations alike.
Trade shows are an ideal opportunity to introduce products and services to an engaged audience, leading to immediate sales as well as long-term interest post-show.
Meeting existing customers face-to-face is also an invaluable opportunity to strengthen relationships by expressing appreciation, addressing any concerns and providing tailored solutions. Such interactions often foster feelings of loyalty and connection among existing customers that encourages them to recommend your brand to others.
6. Marketing
Nowhere else do you have such an opportunity to observe and gain insights into your competitors’ marketing strategies and products. Your team can “mystery shop” them to identify any insights which could then be integrated into their own strategies.
Trade shows provide an ideal opportunity to connect with potential clients and customers who are actively in search of products or services, eliminating the time, expense, and inefficiency associated with cold calling.
Follow-up on all leads and contacts gathered at an event is crucial in turning leads into sales; follow-up emails, phone calls or meetings will nurture those potential leads into customers.
