Wednesday, February 25, 2009

5 Tips on Attracting Customers to Your Trade Show Display

By Amy Nutt

When an individual or group of individuals embarks upon any business venture, one of the most important things they have to cultivate is name recognition. Indeed, one can make the best darned cherry apple cobbler on the market today, but if no one knows about it, this fact does the magnificent pie baker very little good.

A trade show is a great place to get your name out there and establish a foothold in your chosen industry. This is an especially beneficial marketing tool if the goods you are trying to market are unique but extremely useful to the buying public.

Thing is, trade shows can draw hundreds of entrepreneurs who are trying to do the same thing as you - obtain interest in their product.

With so much competition in this varied arena, your product can end up getting lost in a sea of business enterprises. You can avoid this however, by taking a few steps towards making your display booth rental eye catching and alluring.

Below are five tips you can utilize to make that happen.

1. Giveaways - Think about it. As a consumer what interests you the most? The ability to try something for free of course. To be sure, giving away samples is a great way to bring the buying public to your booth. Prize drawings and contests are also enticing as they give the consumer a promise of something in return for giving a little of their time to your sales pitch.

2. Sweeten the pot - Another thing that people cannot resist is something tasty. With this idea in mind, candy and edibles would be a welcome treat and a reason to stop by your table. If using candy, do not fill your bowl up as consumers will most likely beeline towards your table in an effort not to miss out on your free sweets. If giving away baked goods, only display a few of your wares at a time for the same reason. Be sure to keep a ready supply of the foodstuffs nearby however, for refills when reserves get low.

3. Interact and get involved - Many trade show goers sit behind their exhibit and wait for interested parties to come to them which is a mistake. People like to engage with individuals who are outgoing and fun, which is why major companies pay millions to celebrities with charismatic personas to endorse their products. If being happy go lucky just isn't in your nature, see if you can hire an attractive female model that has PR experience to address the crowd.

4. A dash of color - human beings are visual creatures, and we respond to colorful things far more often than not. This is why to adding dots of color throughout your display is a marvelous way to attract attention. Make sure to do so tastefully, as too much color can end up being confusing and distracting. A vibrant, easy to read banner or a nice, brightly colored tablecloth is a great way to add pop without being overbearing.

5. Presentation boards and visuals prompts -- a wide screen monitor with a power point or slide presentation of a large presentation board can be one way to draw interested crowds towards your table. If at all possible, make the presentation interactive, for example, if utilizing PowerPoint, allow the public access to the mouse so they can move through the presentation at their own speed. If your presentation is stationary, the rule of color would definitely apply.

Above all have fun - people who appear relaxed and happy are most likely to bring interested consumers to their large format banner stand on a consistent basis. If this is kept up, the business will create the name recognition and appeal that is so essential in helping any new company thrive!

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