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10 GREAT REASONS TO EXHIBIT AT SURFACE WORLD 2023
If your business is attracting new customers from advertising and word of mouth, it can be very tempting to write trade shows off as something that you don’t need to do to attract new customers. But trade shows can be one of the most rewarding forms of marketing when approached with the right strategy. Trade show veterans will attest to the fact that the ROI (return on investment) achieved from a successful trade show is often impossible to match in comparison to other forms of marketing. 2. Strengthen your bond with existing customers
So before you write off trade shows as secondary to your current marketing tactics, it pays to learn about their benefits. Here are ten reasons which explain why trade shows should be at the top of your list.
1. Meet and connect with prospective customers
One of the greatest advantages of exhibiting at a trade show is that it allows you to meet and connect with prospective customers in person instead of communicating with them over the phone. Research has shown that in-person meetings are 34 times more successful than those made via email or by phone. When meeting in person, you become someone that they know, recognise, and want to connect with. Another advantage is the trade show host uses their database to invite prospective customers to the event, using various marketing tools on your behalf to get footfall through the door. Where else can you meet hundreds of prospective business opportunities all under one roof?
Just like trade shows give you the opportunity to better connect with prospective customers, exhibiting at a trade show also allows you to meet your existing customers face-to-face. While most of today’s business is conducted over email or phone, face-to-face meetings are undeniably a fantastic way to do business. Trade shows are often a place for customers to approach you with their long term plans and big orders – orders that can be incredibly lucrative for you as an exhibitor. Utilising your attendance to plan meetings at the show will save you valuable time and money, rather than trying to see each in turn at their place of business. 4. Meet new companies that can help your business
3. Learn about new developments in your industry
When your business attends an industry event, it puts you at the centre of the action. Trade shows are a place for businesses to announce and display their latest innovations and developments. In a competitive industry, would you rather be aware of your competitors or out of the loop? Exhibiting at a trade show doesn’t just give you the opportunity to make new sales and connect with existing customers, it gives you the chance to look at cutting edge developments in your industry and the opportunities they also create for you. When you are at the show take a few hours out of your stand and see what other exhibitors are doing, this helps to keep you up to date with new technologies, techniques, products and industry trends.
Your attendance gives you the chance to network with both prospective customers and prospective vendors. This makes a trade show more than just an opportunity to expand your distribution, but a chance to expand your supply chain. While your sales and marketing team focus on connecting with prospects to make new sales, your Purchasing Manager can connect with new vendors and contractors that can help your business grow. This makes a trade show a two-sided opportunity for your business – to expand sales, and to expand supply chains.
5. Close deals with new customers during the show
There are few situations more tense than the average outbound sales call. From the
endless objections of the prospective customer, to the stress of losing a valuable sale, it’s natural to face rejection and nervousness as a salesperson. At a trade show, however, the atmosphere is different. Almost half of trade show attendees make purchases at trade shows. A staggering 91 percent of all trade show attendees claim that shows are ‘extremely useful’ to their product and service sourcing efforts. When you speak to a Purchasing Manager or Director on the phone, you’re often dealing with someone that’s already juggling a variety of obligations and deals in their mind. As such, they’re understandably disinterested. At a trade show, you’re dealing with prospective customers that have made the journey to fulfil a requirement they currently have. Unlike traditional outbound marketing, in which rejection is the norm, trade shows are one of the few environments in which your sales team benefits from an audience of prospective customers that are genuinely interested in buying your products and services.
6. Strengthen or establish your brand
Trade shows are one of the few environments where you have the same amount of access to prospective customers as your larger competitors do. This makes them a valuable opportunity not just for direct sales and marketing, but for strengthening your brand and positioning your business as a leader in its industry. From free giveaways to trade show displays, there’s no better opportunity to give your brand a sizeable boost than a trade show. If you create an exhibition stand that attracts the right type of attention, a single exhibition can be all it takes to change your brand from up-andcomer to an established industry leader.
7. Learn what your competitors are doing right
In the world of business, it pays to keep your customers close and your competitors closer. Exhibiting at a trade show allows you to observe what your competitors are doing right and apply their tactics to your own business. Is there a particular competitor in your industry that seems to be growing at a rapid pace? While your sales team uses the trade show as an opportunity to meet existing customers and connect with prospective ones, spend a moment looking at the other exhibitors to see what they’re doing differently from you. Great businesses are aware of their competitors, and trade shows are one of the best opportunities to connect with competitors and understand their sales strategy, their pricing, and the reasons for their success.
8. Rapidly expand your database of sales leads
While skimming through the phone book might give you thousands of unqualified phone numbers, nothing gives you qualified leads quite like a trade show. While cold calling and online marketing might not have the same initial expense as a trade show, there’s no greater way to fill your contact book with prospects than a successful trade show effort in a much shorter time frame.
9. Speak directly to your target market
Email surveys are a fantastic way to learn more about what your customers want and don’t want. Unfortunately, their low response rate makes them useful only to businesses with a large enough email list to tolerate very few responses. Trade shows allow you to solicit a huge amount of feedback by talking directly to visitors that have been invited to attend from various avenues within your industry. You can then use this valuable information after the show to help your business expand and improve. A great way to get useful feedback and valuable sales leads at the same time is by conducting a short survey on your exhibition stand, and rewarding participants with vouchers or gifts from your business. Where else but a trade show can you generate new leads and valuable feedback at the same time?
Trade shows are an excellent opportunity to expose your sales team to hundreds of different prospects in a short period of time. A perfect opportunity to test new sales tricks and marketing strategies in a very responsive environment. If you want to test and optimise your lead generation strategy, you’ll find no better place than a trade show. Try several different sales pitches on prospects and you’ll quickly learn which ones work and which ones don’t, allowing you to perfect your sales strategies in just a few days. You can then use these honed skills when out on the road or at future trade events.
The next Surface World is to take place on 4th and 5th October 2023 at the NEC in Birmingham. Reservations are already being taken. If you are interested in exhibiting at the show or would like to advertise in the Surface World magazine or on the website, please call Nigel Bean on +44 (0) 1442 826826 to discuss your requirements. Or you can send an email to nigelbean1@aol.com.
Surface World – Re-Connecting The Industry
