Watch our slideshow to gauge how your trade show sales execution stacks up vs.best-in-class performers.
We assess trade show excellence in 4 dimensions, and you can rate yourself against a number of factors in each of the following:
1. Pre-show marketing
2. Booth experience
3. Sales execution
4. Post-show follow-up
Trade Show Sales - How Do You Stack Up? Test Yourself
1. A live webinar by
TRADE SHOW SALES: TEST YOURSELFTRADE SHOW SALES: TEST YOURSELFTRADE SHOW SALES: TEST YOURSELFTRADE SHOW SALES: TEST YOURSELF
2. bit.ly/showsecrets
About Udi LedergorAbout Udi LedergorAbout Udi LedergorAbout Udi Ledergor
Four-time VP Marketing
Planned and managed
hundreds of trade shows
around the globe
Author of the #1 Amazon Best
Seller, The 50 Secrets of Trade
Show Success
5. Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #1111: Email Campaign: Email Campaign: Email Campaign: Email Campaign
6. • Turn prospects into
customers: send
interesting information
about your products
• Keep in touch with past
customers!
• Invite all to meet you at
the show
@
@
@
@
@
@
@ @
Best Practice #1 : Email Campaign (cont.)Best Practice #1 : Email Campaign (cont.)Best Practice #1 : Email Campaign (cont.)Best Practice #1 : Email Campaign (cont.)
7. Best Practice #1: Email Campaign (cont.)Best Practice #1: Email Campaign (cont.)Best Practice #1: Email Campaign (cont.)Best Practice #1: Email Campaign (cont.)
8. EEEE----mail campaigns: rate yourselfmail campaigns: rate yourselfmail campaigns: rate yourselfmail campaigns: rate yourself
A B
C D We do not email our customers
before a show
We maintain a segmented
database of customers,
prospects, suspects, and past
customers
Marketing automation
Specific campaigns per segment
We send promotional emails to
some of our customers/
prospects
No automation
We have a database of our
existing customers
eMarketing
9. Best Practice #2: Social MarketingBest Practice #2: Social MarketingBest Practice #2: Social MarketingBest Practice #2: Social Marketing
MAINTAINSHOWCASE
• Your presence at the show
• New products
• Campaigns
PROMOTE
• Your products
• Your customers’ achievements
• Your booth
10. Social marketing: rate yourselfSocial marketing: rate yourselfSocial marketing: rate yourselfSocial marketing: rate yourself
A B
C D We are not active on social
media
We do it all: Facebook,
Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter,
YouTube…
…with special emphasis on
upcoming shows: promotions,
new products…
We will mention the show on
Facebook
We have a some social
accounts, and we will probably
mention the show on them
11. Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #3333: Crafting Sales Campaigns: Crafting Sales Campaigns: Crafting Sales Campaigns: Crafting Sales Campaigns
Figure out your main goals
Sales volume
New product
introduction
Target specific retailers
Craft your campaigns
Discounts
Up-sell and cross-sell
Bundling
Promote campaigns before
and during show
Email
Social
Website
Booth collateral
Booth staff
12. Sales Campaigns: Rate YourselfSales Campaigns: Rate YourselfSales Campaigns: Rate YourselfSales Campaigns: Rate Yourself
A B
C D We don’t plan any special
campaigns
We do it all!
Plan, promote, and execute
trade show-specific campaigns
We offer the similar campaigns
every year, our customers know
We offer volume-based
discounts, and let our
customers know about it
14. Best Practice #4: InBest Practice #4: InBest Practice #4: InBest Practice #4: In----Booth ExperienceBooth ExperienceBooth ExperienceBooth Experience
• Make them feel welcomed
• Greeter/host
• Fast onboarding of new customers
• Be memorable: offer an
experience
• Shoe shine
• Massage for sore feet
• Attract from afar
• Nothing like the smell of
cinnamon/coffee/popcorn…
• Pre-show promotion comes alive
15. Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #5555: Booth Staffing: Booth Staffing: Booth Staffing: Booth Staffing
Hunters Farmers
Look for prospects
outside the booth
Take care of customers
inside the booth
16. Booth experience: rate yourselfBooth experience: rate yourselfBooth experience: rate yourselfBooth experience: rate yourself
A B
C D No special booth experience.
We give away candy or pens
with our logo
“Hunters” vs. “Farmers”,
prospects vs. customers,
unique & memorable booth
experience that everyone talks
about
Nice booth, but doesn’t stand
out. Great giveaways!
Excellent booth experience,
though we use the same staff to
handle customers and
prospects
18. Best Practice #6: New Customer AcquisitionBest Practice #6: New Customer AcquisitionBest Practice #6: New Customer AcquisitionBest Practice #6: New Customer Acquisition
Engage
Customers
outside booth
Ask & listen
to customer needs
& preferences
Quickly zero in
on relevant products
Offer new customer
introductory pricing
19. New customer acquisition: rate yourselfNew customer acquisition: rate yourselfNew customer acquisition: rate yourselfNew customer acquisition: rate yourself
A B
C D Customers and prospects are
handled similarly
New customer acquisition goals
Introductory pricing
Electronic, interactive catalogs
Capture new customers directly
into sales system at the show
New customer acquisition goals
Introductory pricing
Electronic, interactive catalogs
No goals for new customer
business, OR new customers don’t
get special pricing
PDF catalogs
20. Best Practice #7: Order TakingBest Practice #7: Order TakingBest Practice #7: Order TakingBest Practice #7: Order Taking
Save Time
• e-Catalog curated for the
show
• Promotions set in advance
• Barcode scanning for fast
product ordering
• Be prepared for limited WiFi
Eliminate Errors
• Eliminate paper work
• Immediate order confirmation
processing
Impress
• In-stock indicators
• Supportive information
• Immediate order confirmation
by email & hard copy
25. Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #8888::::
Continuously EngageContinuously EngageContinuously EngageContinuously Engage
Your CustomersYour CustomersYour CustomersYour Customers
and Prospectsand Prospectsand Prospectsand Prospects
Post-show follow-up
• Remind customers about the
gift you gave them
• Give customers another gift –
a coupon or limited-time
offer
26. Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #8888: Continuously: Continuously: Continuously: Continuously EEEEnnnnggggaaaaggggeeee YYYYoooouuuurrrr
Customers and Prospects (cont.)Customers and Prospects (cont.)Customers and Prospects (cont.)Customers and Prospects (cont.)
On an on-going basis:
Add your new leads
Collect qualifying information
which will help you segment
Use social promotions to find
new customers
Keep in touch with timely,
relevant offers
27. Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #Best Practice #9999: Missed Meetings: Missed Meetings: Missed Meetings: Missed Meetings
Missed meetings do not have to mean
lost business!
Send link to online catalog on
B2B e-Commerce site
For existing customers, send limited-time
quote based on past orders and show
promotions
28. AnalyzeAnalyzeAnalyzeAnalyze show resultsshow resultsshow resultsshow results
New Vs.
Existing
Customers
Total Sales
by Customer
Total Sales by
Rep
Average
Order Size
Sales
Campaign
Effectiveness
Sales
success
Marketing
success
Sales rep
evaluation
Total Sales
by Product
29. Don’t forget: Your Trade Show ROIDon’t forget: Your Trade Show ROIDon’t forget: Your Trade Show ROIDon’t forget: Your Trade Show ROI
At-Show sales
+ Future sales originated at show
- Investment in show
= Trade show ROI
30. PostPostPostPost----show activities : rate yourselfshow activities : rate yourselfshow activities : rate yourselfshow activities : rate yourself
A B
C D
Follow-up on missed meetings
Send quotes to existing customers
Enrich/enlarge leads database
Measure and track ROI
e-Marketing
Use social media to engage
Prepare for the next show
Enrich/enlarge leads database
Measure and track ROI
e-Marketing
Social media engagement
Follow-up missed meetings
Follow-up and develop new
prospects
e-Marketing
31. Sum it up: how are you doing?Sum it up: how are you doing?Sum it up: how are you doing?Sum it up: how are you doing?
At least 6 As
Rock Star!Rock Star!Rock Star!Rock Star! (Top 5%)
Best-in-class trade show execution,
employing best practices &
advanced technologies
At least 5 As / Bs
ProProProPro (Top 20%)
You employ many of the best
practices, some room for improvement
At least 5 As/Bs / Cs
CompetentCompetentCompetentCompetent
You employ basic practices, and have
lots of opportunity to boost your
trade show performance
3 Ds or more
NoviceNoviceNoviceNovice
If trade shows are a strategic sales
channel, allocate more attention (and
budget…) to trade show excellence
32. • Complete: mobile order
taking, CRM, merchandising,
and B2B e-Commerce
• Configurable
• Choice: all devices
• 1000+ customers