7 Key Plays to Help Score a Touchdown at Your Trade Shows
The football season is upon us – both college football and the pro’s are going full speed, and some of us are even lucky enough to have winning teams so far this year!
To celebrate this potentially very brief moment in time, we thought we’d share some trade show advice by using football preparations as an analogy. It’s not that big a stretch – preparing for a trade show and gearing up for a big game are more similar than you might think — despite the drastic differences in attire!
After all, you need lots of electrolytes, a strict workout routine, detailed knowledge of the opposition, and a good game plan to get through either event. So check your play book before you head to your next big show and make sure you have these essential plays lined up to help you bring home a win.
Image via Flickr by Football Schedule
Make it Easier to Man the Zone with the Right Setup
A great booth design will draw a lot of interest, which helps when you don’t have enough staffing to immediately connect with every person. Set up your expo displays so your customers have lots to explore while you’re working your way over to talk to them. Trade show attendees love to play, so give them something they can get their hands on. Set up prototypes, feature large interactive touch-screen displays, or set out tablets with a hands-on sample queued up.
If your table top displays offer nothing but stress balls and brochures, visitors will quickly move on when you’re too busy to talk to them right away. Make sure your booth can do a lot of the talking for you so you can effectively man the zone, even when you’re outnumbered.
Go Man to Man as Often as You Can
While the zone defense can work with a state-of-the-art booth design, a man to man approach is better when you can pull it off. Staff your booth well so you can keep up with the flow of traffic. You want more sales reps available at peak times.
If you’re overstaffed during slow hours, have your extra reps head somewhere else or at least look busy. Expo displays with four or five eager reps bouncing on their heels as they look for the next passer-by is a little too intimidating. Keep your rep to customer ratios as even as possible for this defense scheme.
Plan a Flat Route
It’s easy to identify the flat of the football field, but somewhat trickier to find the deserted areas on the trade show landscape. Do your research and look for those smaller shows that your competition is overlooking. While it’s important to have a presence beside other big brands in your area, you can quickly corner a niche market by positioning yourself as the only option available there.
If you don’t have a staffer who regularly researches new trade show opportunities, assign this task to someone immediately. Don’t stick with the same staples year after year without considering your other choices. You biggest sales could come from new shows or vertical markets that fewer competitors have discovered.
Go Up the Middle
There are many ways to approach your trade show booth design. Look at the tactics that your competitors are using and see if there’s a gap somewhere in your industry. If everyone is focusing on technology, you might distinguish yourself by making your expo displays all about personal face-to-face attention.
Look for the gaps in your competitors’ defense and go up the middle where there’s less opposition. Don’t follow the pack and avoid going head-to-head in an area where you might not measure up. Follow a completely different path instead.
It’s easy to get caught up in using this play to shame your competitors by showcasing a weak spot. If you focus too much on pointing the finger at those other companies, you can come out looking snarky and rude. Remember to focus on the client’s need first. What does he want that others aren’t providing? Find the gap in his service plan and offer a plug for it. The shaming part will come on its own.
Use a Misdirection
Sometimes the best way to bring customers over to your trade show stands is with a distraction. Use something bright, shiny, and eye-catching to draw trade show attendees in. Flashy television screens and interactive display, innovative new prototypes, or high value giveaways have immediate appeal. Whether your sales pitch really builds on these elements or not, you’ve achieved your first goal by drawing the customer in.
Once you have attendees lined up to see what the excitement is about, you can work around to using your sales tactics and letting them know what you can do to solve their problem or fill their need. Since pulling trade show attendees over is a big part of the battle, this play can help you make real progress toward your goal. The right misdirection will even hold the customer’s interest for a few minutes while you work your way over to him.
Work with an Option Offense
A strong Plan A is a good place to start at your trade shows, but you shouldn’t go in with a single play in mind. An option offense is the best plan so you have several possible paths available to you. Go in knowing what you’ll do if the customer pulls back, hesitates, or flat-out refuses, as well as how you’ll close quickly on a hot lead.
Revisit your preferred options before each trade show, taking into account the unique clientele you’ll meet at each location. Revise your booth design, staff, and product offerings to match the show and expected clientele. Certain trade shows will produce a lot of commonalities. If you don’t know what type of buyer you’re most likely to face at your next event, it’s time to do some digging into who showed up during earlier years.
Have a Quarterback Sneak Up Your Sleeve
The quarterback sneak loses its sparkle if you use it too much, but you should always have this play at the ready for those special cases. When you only need to close another few yards, you should pull out that special add-on or exclusive service plan that you just don’t show to everyone. The quarterback sneak won’t get you all the way down the field, but it’s perfect for a short distance sprint.
You really can – and should – train for your trade shows just like the best teams train for a game – lots of planning, practicing, and scouting. The variables will always come at you fast and hard, but the right moves will help you score again and again.
For more, check out how to be a better manager or check out our guide for managers.