Top athletes train months ahead, focus during the event, and then check in afterward to make sure they are on track with their goals. You, too, need to be at the top of your game when you attend an eCommerce trade show.
To cap off our eCommerce trade show blogging series, I have put together a trade show checklist you can reference that touches on everything we have been talking about the last couple of weeks.
Click each title for a more detailed explanation of the before, during, and after steps of the eCommerce trade show success.
Before
1. Practice Your Pitch
Remember to prepare both a brand and a sales pitch so you can hook customers with your company’s story and then give them a rundown of how your products or services can make their lives easier.
2. Market Yourself
Don’t wait until the show to start marketing. Use social media to reach out to clients and potential prospects to let them know you’ll be there. When you know how to generate your own leads, you start miles ahead of your competitors.
3. Organize Paperwork
Don’t let months of preparation go down the drain. Get all of your eCommerce trade show confirmation receipts together, and have your marketing materials organized.
During
4. Look Sharp, Be Sharp
Be assertive, talkative, and approachable, and have your staff actively engaging with customers throughout the show. Remember to keep your booth clean and professional - this is the minimum effort for finding leads at trade shows.
5. Respond Quickly
Reach out to prospects ASAP, even if you do it during your break. Use Facebook and Twitter during the day to give shout-outs, and if you can, set up appointments during the show. ECommerce trade shows are meant to spark new ideas and foster new connections, but this will only happen for you if you follow up with leads.
6. Have Fun
Don’t leave your humor at home! People will appreciate your attempt to make everyone’s experience more enjoyable with (appropriate) jokes and a good attitude, and you’ll find people genuinely enjoy stopping by. Finding leads is easier when you’re attracting people to your booth.
After
7. Keep Your Promises
Be the 20% of people that follow up on their trade show leads. Give special attention to the people who requested more information, but don’t forget about the cold leads either.
8. Measure Your Success
Evaluate your goals both right after the trade show and a few months down the road. Make adjustments for upcoming eCommerce trade shows, and measure how effectively you turned those leads into sales.
9. Publish Your Experience
Share your experience at the trade show on social media. Tag clients and companies in relevant posts and comments to say thank you and to help them remember your brand.
Bonus Tip
10. Give Something Away
Give attendees something tangible to walk away with, something that will remind them of your brand after the show. Most booths will give away free stuff. The trick is giving away a trinket that represents your product or service and is functional enough that eCommerce leads will actually use it.
Use this checklist and share it with your team to be ready to win at the next trade show!
What are some other items we could add to this list?