Whether it’s your company’s first one or you’ve been to a ton of them so far, trade shows are an excellent way to expand the reach of your business. However, showing up to them doesn’t mean you see instant increases in your sales. In fact, some mistakes could even hurt your business. This article will cover some of the more common trade show mistakes you should avoid.
Going Too Big
This first problem is one that more first-time trade show vendors run into, but veterans can also make this mistake at times. It’s very possible to go too big with your display. Paying more money to have a larger space isn’t always worth it. Sure, you’ll be easier to see, but if you don’t know how to garner interest or close on sales, that extra money and effort will all go to waste.
It’s better to keep things smaller initially. Scope out what trade shows are like and get a feel for what you’re doing. Once you have more experience and knowledge, things will go much better. Also, even if you’ve been at this for a while, you don’t have to go big every time. Pick and choose which events you want to work toward.
Lacking a Target Focus
Too many companies go to trade shows thinking they will sell to everyone who comes to their booth. Even though these events are full of people who make up your target market, that doesn’t mean you should try to bring them all in. Try to find people who seem genuinely interested, but know when to move on if someone doesn’t seem intrigued.
Having Nonsensical Giveaways
Free items and prize drawings are both great ways to grab the attention of people passing by. However, that doesn’t mean you should do these things. If your free items have nothing to do with your business, people aren’t going to remember you. The same thing goes for your grand prizes. If the items are good, they will draw people. But if they aren’t relevant or you don’t try to get them interested in your paid products or services, then they are essentially a waste of time.
Not Preparing for the Environment
One thing to remember is not all trade show venues are the same. Sometimes, the booths will be indoors, while others will be outside in the open air. If you don’t investigate the venue beforehand, you might go completely unprepared.
This is especially bad when your booth is outside. While you probably have a canopy tent for advertising purposes, not having the right equipment could be disastrous. If you don’t have what you need to keep your tent grounded on a windy day, you’ll spend most of your time fighting the weather instead of talking to potential customers.
Failing To Follow Up on Leads
The biggest mistake companies at trade shows make that you need to avoid is not following up on leads after the event ends. Just because an interested party doesn’t make a purchase at the show doesn’t mean they never will. If you don’t take the time to reach out to them afterward, you’ll miss out on tons of possible sales.