The Benefits of Trade Shows

Let’s say you are a baker. Your muffins, cookies, and cupcakes are the best around. You choose your ingredients carefully and create your recipes from scratch. You know you have a good product, but with no client base to speak of, you need to reach out to others to get them to sell your delicious sweets. B2B telemarketing is used within companies as a way to spread your message and spark interest in your product. When thinking about this strategy, your mind probably goes directly to your first phone call. In actuality, you need to do a bit of legwork before you pick up the phone. Lead generation and lead qualification lay the groundwork for a successful marketing campaign.

Being the successful baker that you are, you already have a good idea of what kind of businesses could use your products. The real question is, where do you find these people? An exceptionally helpful venue to look for new leads could be one you that has never crossed your mind. Have you ever considered trade shows? These gatherings are not only a great way to show off your wares, but to meet others in your industry. You are able to trade information and get the exact type of leads you are looking for.

Like everything else in the business world, it is best to have a game plan before diving into a new situation. With trade show exhibiting, there are a few points you should always keep in mind:

Lay out your game plan: Make sure you do some research on the trade show you plan to attend. You want to be surrounded by people in your industry, so if your specialty is baking, attending a show dedicated to publishing might not be the best choice.
Do some prep work before the show: As with any new experience, it is best to be prepared for what comes next. If you are able to get a list of attendees from the previous year, you will not only have a good idea of who you should be speaking with, but you can also reach out directly and let them know you’ll be attending. This will also give you the opportunity to give out some basic information and your booth number so everyone knows where you will be. As the event gets closer, you should also update your social media pages to keep you name fresh in people’s minds to make sure they seek you out during the show.
Show everyone what you have to offer: People should be able to take one look at your display and know exactly what you are trying to sell. Don’t let anyone pass you by without showing them what you’re all about. You should also keep on mind that more times than not, you are going to have a fair amount of competition. Show businesses how you differ from others, and why they should choose you. Be creative and set yourself apart from the crowd.
Give people access to your brand: Whether you prefer business cards, mouse pads, or novelty pens, make sure no visitor walks away without your information. Trade shows are buzzing with different pitches and yours may get lost in the shuffle. When you have promotional end educational items at your disposal, you give others important details about your business as well as a way to contact you.

Everyone you meet at a trade show has their own reasons for attending. The more people you speak with, the better chance you have of finding someone who meets your needs. Along with giving out your information, get theirs in return. A simple business card will usually have all the information you need to reach out to someone later on. Collecting leads this way with give you a great starting point. From here you can move on to lead qualification.

You will meet a lot of new people at trade shows. In a perfect world, all of them will love you instantly and want to sell your products. Sadly, this is not a perfect world. Lead qualification will help you focus your efforts and gather all the information you need during your first phone call. It is essential to contact all your new leads to find out the size, location, and needs of each one. From here you can start to find people who you can realistically do business with. For example, if you use eggs in all your baked goods, the vegan dessert shop you just spoke with probably has no use for your brand. Fine tuning your list of leads from trade show will save both your time and theirs.

Trade shows are a goldmine for new leads if you know what you’re doing. Start by reaching out to companies before the date of the event. From there, you can start showing off what you can do for the industry. Once you’ve met a good number of people, you’ll be able to get a better idea of what they are looking for. After you leave the show, you will learn that follow up calls are always important in order to stay on people’s minds. You might be a new company, or you may have been in business for years. Either way you need new clients to keep moving up in the world. You know exactly how you can help others, try using trade shows to spread the word.