Showing Big in a Small Booth
 Sometimes,
showing from a 20' x 10' booth or smaller can seem discouraging
or overwhelming. The big guys seem to get all the attention
while smaller booths blend into the background. But the fact
that you're not the biggest on the block doesn't mean you can't
be effective. As Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop
describes it, "If you think you're too small to have an impact,
try going to bed with a mosquito."
The mosquito creates buzz. It’s persistent. It won’t be
denied in spite of its diminutive size. So it should be with a
small-booth exhibitor. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in
perseverance. Let’s look at some possibilities.
Before the show
During the days and weeks prior to a show, everyone
is on a level playing field. No one knows whether you’re a big
exhibitor or small. Here’s where your ingenuity can sparkle.
Remember, your primary goal at this stage is to make qualified
visitors want to visit your booth. You can accomplish this
several ways: build anticipation about an exciting new product
or service, create suspense by promising something they may not
expect, offer something free – a giveaway item, or better yet, a
chance to win something of value. Once you’ve carefully chosen
your tactic, making sure it’s related in some way to the benefit
of your product, and start getting the word out.
You don’t need to spend large amounts of money to get the
word out. Some techniques cost a few dollars, some are virtually
cost-free, and reach just as many qualified prospects as flashy
ads the big guys buy. Here are a few suggestions.
Publicity: Larger shows are covered by all the major
publications that serve the market. Feed information to them.
Send news releases about new developments and activities that
will be going on in your booth. Remember, news releases must be
informational, not just blatant advertisements for your brand.
Make them interesting, lively, and informative. And remember to
send them plenty early. Include photos if possible. Include them
in a cover letter (or email) telling the editor what’s attached,
and why it’s of legitimate importance to his/her readers.
Post Cards or Mailers: Think about interesting ways to
build anticipation in one or more direct mailings targeting
identified prospects. Often, we recommend up to three mailings,
similarly designed, over a period of 4-6 weeks. Post cards are
economical and easy for the prospect to read. A folded post card
can include a tear-off reply card. On the other hand, a direct
mailer in an envelope can contain more information, or build on
a theme. For example, we’ve used a magnifying glass enclosed
with the mailer, with a message about a solution the prospect
had been “searching for.”
Email: Nearly cost-free, send one or two emails to
your prospect list just before show time, to reinforce the
message in the direct mailings. As much as possible, personalize
the emails, and be careful to avoid techniques that may get the
emails tagged as spam.
Invitations: consider special invitations to a
demonstration, hospitality function or other attraction of your
booth. Some companies have very successfully used hand-delivered
invitations to preferred prospects. What a great way to get
attention.
Display Design: always remember that your goal is NOT
to be like the other booths around you. Your competition at most
shows isn’t your business competitors, but the other small
booths surrounding yours. To be visible in the honeycomb of
small exhibitors, you need to be different. Interrupt the normal
flow of attention with a large, 8’ color photo, either of
satisfied customers enjoying the benefits of your products, or
something stunning enough to stop them in their tracks.
During the show
Consider in advance what you’ll be doing within the
booth to keep traffic flowing smoothly without losing qualified
prospects. Remember, you can do virtually anything in a small
booth that the big guys do in their large ones -- just not all
at the same time.
Traffic Management: Consider your objectives. Do you
want people to pass your booth in an orderly flow, pausing long
enough to view your message, pick up some reference material,
and move on? Or perhaps you want a few select prospects to step
in to the booth, and spend time talking with one of your
staffers. If so, have a small space designated for that
conversation.
Product Demonstration: If you want to do product
demonstrations, do them near the front of your booth. Do it
often, and make the demonstration short – no more than 5-7
minutes. Here’s where individual talent can be useful – maybe a
magician or juggler interacting with the crowd, delivering your
product story while performing and without taking up much space.
Narrow Focus: To give your key message most of the
play, feature only one or two products, not your entire product
line. Focus your entire message on that product.
Floor Space: Use your precious booth space wisely. Use
corner space for displaying product, and display them on
pedestals. This leaves the middle of the floor open for
interaction, and raises the importance of the products. Plus,
enclosed pedestals can usually be used for storage of
literature, giveaway items, etc.
Staffing: Make sure you have adequate staff on-hand at
all times to handle traffic flow, without tripping over each
other. One rule of thumb is one person per 50 square feet (two
staffers per 10 x 10-foot booth).
Location: Certain booth locations can contribute to
greater visibility or greater privacy for prospect meetings. If
you select a booth on the corner of a crossing aisle, you’ll
enjoy greater visibility than if you were embedded in a row of
identical 10 x 10’s. On the other hand, choosing a booth in a
corner can offer greater privacy if you hope to hold discussions
with prospects in the booth. Another technique is to extend a
wall forward from the back corners toward the aisle, creating a
barrier between your booth and your neighbor. Be careful here,
though. Most shows have strict guidelines on how high those
walls may be, or how far forward they may extend.
After the show
Here is where you have the greatest of all
opportunities to make your trade show investment pay off big
time. Two words describe the way you should handle leads after
the show is over, the exhibits are packed and shipped away, and
the weary feet are rested. “Be relentless!” Research shows,
believe it or not, that 80% of all trade show leads receive no
follow-up at all. Create your follow up process before the show,
and take no excuses until every lead has been qualified, every
contact made, and every report submitted.
Have a good show! |
