Tips to exhibitors of the Women's Resource Fair for marketing after the show. Originally presented in 2006.

1. Walworth County’s Newspaper
WOMEN’S RESOURCE FAIR
TIPS FOR MARKETING AFTER THE FAIR
Presented by: Patricia Bladow, Sales & Marketing Director, The Week
THE IMPORTANCE OF FOLLOW UP!
80% of exhibitors make no attempts to follow up on leads from trade shows.
43% of prospective buyers receive materials after a trade show and after they’ve already decided to
buy.
18% never receive the requested materials.
95% of customers who perceive service to be immediate will do business with you again.
“The longer you wait, the less likely you are to close.” (Guerilla Trade Show Selling)
Statistics provided by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.
HOW TO FOLLOW UP
Send information you promised.
Have sales literature packets made up before the show or during the show.
Send a postcard thanking them for stopping by.
Email a follow up message.
Create a variety of form letters before the show, signed with a long-hand note on the envelope,
“Here’s the information you requested.”
Order an attention-getting promotional product to include with follow-up literature
Develop and order a creatively packaged follow-up gift.
After the gift or letter is sent, call them.
Visit them.
Follow up on hot leads within 2-3 days.
Follow up on the rest with one week.
DON’T ignore them!
CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP
Instead of just one post-show mailing, serialize your mailings or emails.
If a show special was featured, send a sequence of offers with escalating urgency.
Establish a regular form of contact by either email or mail; send brochures, newsletters,
invitations to other shows, holiday cards, birthday cards and other promotional items.
Build the customer and keep the current customers loyal for life.
FOLLOW UP IS THE MOST CRUCIAL PART OF THE TRADE SHOW MARKETING
EQUATION!

2. CREATE IDEAS FOR:
Follow Up Gifts Promotional Products Contests
RESOURCES
www.epromos.com (select education)
www.frugalmarketing.com
www.marketing.about.com
www.thetradeshowcoach.com (articles by Susan Friedmann)
www.allbusiness.com (champions of small business)
www.marketingtoday.com/shows/index.htm
www.exhibitoronline.com
www.knowthis.com/groups/tradeshow.htm
OTHER POST-FAIR PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Announce contest winners; photos, press releases, announcements.
Place a thank you ad or include a thank you message in your current advertising; print, radio,
TV
Know the value of a new customer
If invitations were sent to current customers and they didn’t visit the trade show, contact them
again and let them know you missed them. Send them the promotional item or encourage
them to come in a get one.
REMEMBER: All the advertising you can afford isn’t worth the customers you already have.
AND REMEMBER: What is it that you have or do that your competition does not have or
cannot do? With that answer you are positioning your business relative to your competitors.
7-Up; No caffeine. Never had it, never will.
Printer; Bloomington’s only 24 hour printer, and we deliver.
Florist; Smith’s full time florist. We deliver love seven days a week.