Learn how to turn your trade show into a lead generating machine.

1. Customers
Leads
Prospects
Turn Your
Trade Show
Exhibit Into A
Lead Generating Machine
Marketing Humans Love.

2. It takes proper planning and
a solid foundation to turn
your trade show exhibit into
a
Lead generating
machine
It’s more than just the
Trade Show
Exhibit
Customers
Leads
Prospects

3. This ebook covers 6 steps for building a solid foundation of
proper planning to turn your trade show exhibit into a
Lead Generating Machine
 Budgeting For A Trade Show
 Set Up A Tiered Gift Program
 Pre-Promotion
 Brand Image In 3 Seconds
 Attitude & Etiquette
 Lead Generation

4. It takes proper planning to turn
your trade show exhibit into a
Lead generating
machine
Putting together a
Budget

5. Budget Considerations
 Printed Collateral
 Company Branded Apparel
 Staff Name Tags
 Trade Show Giveaways
 Exhibit Display & Graphics
 Shipping of Exhibit Materials
 Travel & Meal Expense for Staff
 Space Rental
 Onsite Services
 Hospitality
 Pre-Show Marketing & Direct Mail
 Follow Up Marketing & Direct Mail
Download A Budget Template

6. Add value to your company by
showing gratitude for
attendee’s interest
Motivate attendees to
learn more
Set up a tiered
Gift Program

7. Set a goal for the number and types of
prospects you want to contact. For
example, if you are a financial company
targeting the health-care industry, you may
want to attract 40 leads – 10 of which are
CFOs or other hospital executives.
Set realistic goals.
Set Goals

8. Determine what each tiered lead is worth to your company.
Consider your sales funnel. It may look like this:
Top tier, showing some interest
Mid tier, research/education
Bottom tier, qualified and ready to buy
What’s It Worth To You?
What are you prepared to invest for each tiered lead?

9. Event attendees are 52%
more likely to stop by your
exhibit if you have appealing
promotional items to give them.
Source: Incomm Center for Trade Show Research and Sales Training
FACT

10. Set a budget
Choose tiered gift items within your budget.
The items you select should appeal to your
target audience and help you achieve your
objectives for the trade show.
Download Ideas
For Your Next Trade Show

11. Shout It From The Mountain Top
Shouting the details about your gifts from the mountain top may, or
may not, be the best way to deliver information. Create an effective
way to publicize the gift or reward best suited to your audience.
Include the information in your pre-
show mailer to qualify prospects and
promise a gift when they return it to
your booth during the trade show.
Base the gift on participation in a
booth activity, such as a game,
demonstration or meeting with a sales
representative from your company.
Ideas

12. Set up a method to measure the gift programs results and
tweak the program for the next trade show accordingly.
If your gift program doesn’t help
achieve your objectives, then you
are just giving away free stuff at
the company’s expense.
Measure Measure Measure

13. Can you convey a
consistent brand image
In the first three
seconds?
Brand
IMAGE

14. 3 Seconds…
Can you capture someone’s
attention in that short amount of
time with your trade show exhibit?
That may be the difference between
a lifetime customer and a lost lead.

15. What Message Are You Sending?
What do you want to convey about your company?
 New Products/Services
 Competitive Advantage
 Brand Image
Think billboard, not bulletin board when creating the
design for your signage. It’s better to go for impact.
Keep it simple and consistent. Remember, less is more!

16. 83%of exhibitors agreed that
“Building, expanding brand awareness”
is a high priority marketing-related
objective for trade shows.
Source: CEIR Changing Environment Study
FACT

17. Capture Attention With
Promotional Items
Use promotional giveaways that draw attention and entice visitors
to your booth. Consider different gifts for visitors and leads.
Memorability Recognition Communicate
Motivate Promote

18. Selecting Hot
Trade Show Giveaways
Developing a hot giveaway takes thought and creativity.
Consider what your target audience wants:
1. What will help them do their job better
2. Make their life easier
3. Cool industry specific gadgets
4. What they can’t get elsewhere
5. Product/service related
6. Educational products

19. Your exhibit should convey your
company’s personality. It should
create an emotional reaction with
your leads and customers.
Humans buy for emotional reasons.

20. The shapes, materials,
surface treatments, colors,
images and even the
typography you select help
convey your company’s
brand image.

21. A company that wants a high
tech aviation look should
have a completely different
exhibit than an exhibit for a
wedding cake bakery.
One Size Does NOT Fit All

22. It’s time to have the talk with
your staffers
before the trade show
Attitude And
Etiquette

23. Hello! My Name Is…
Wear your badge on the right hand
side of your shirt or jacket. When
worn on the right hand side,
whomever is shaking your hand can
clearly see your name.

24. If you do not know the answer to a
question, say so. Take advantage of
the situation and use it as an excuse
to follow up after the show with the
correct answer when you locate it.
Riddle Me This…

25. Make only those commitments that you and others
can keep.
Visitors remember staffer commitments…
especially those that are not kept.
Say What You Mean &
Mean What You Say

26. GO TEAM!
Exhibiting is a teamevent.
Other staffers are counting
on you and you on them.

27. Visit with prospects only.
A crowd of staffers does not
attract a crowd of leads.
Keep Your Eye On The Prize

28. 67% of all trade show
attendees represent a
new prospect and
potential customer for
exhibiting companies.
Source: Exhibit Surveys, Inc.
FACT

29. Smile
90% of the time, if you
smile, someone will
smile back at you.

30. The exhibit is your office away from the
office. As visitors see your environment, they
see your company and make a judgment of
whether they want to do business with you.
Office Sweet Office

31. Start letting your prospects,
leads and customers know about
your exhibit
before the trade show
PRE
Promotion

32. Pre-Promote On Your Website
Advertise that you will be attending the trade show
on your company’s home page so all your visitors
will see.
It may be a good idea to consider adding an
“Upcoming Events” page to your website as well.

33. Pre-Promote With Social Media
Utilize your company’s social media pages to distribute
information leading up to the trade show. Plan a
schedule of status updates with different verbiage to
generate excitement. Be sure to include pictures.

34. Pre-Promote With Blogs
Remember to keep your personas in when selecting topics.
Target your blog topics relative to
the products/services you will be
highlighting at the trade show.

35. Pre-Promote With Direct Mail
Send direct mail to your customers, leads and prospects by utilizing
your database and/or purchasing a list of company addresses that
match your targeted criteria.
You can send a variety of pieces, including:
 Postcards
 Letters
 Trifolds
 Packages

36. Pre-Promote With Traditional Advertising
Balance your inbound marketing
with traditional advertising by utilizing
your existing media schedules. You
will need to tweak the scripts by
adding a tag or scroll to let your
customers and prospects know you
will be exhibiting at the trade show.

37. Your investment in the trade
show should have a defined
Purpose
Lead
Generation

38. Train your staff how to
capture information in
the interview process.
What information should
they be seeking that
would be beneficial for
lead conversion.
Practice Makes Perfect

39. 7 out of 10
attendees plan to buy
one or more products
at a trade show.
Source: CEIR
FACT

40. Good…Better…Best
Discipline your staff to categorize the leads
A, B or C as they are generated. Review
these each night of the trade show for
completeness and make any additional
notes that will be helpful to the sales staff.

41. Before You Leave The Trade Show
When the show ends, how does
your lead system get fulfilled, who
is responsible for the transmittal
letter, the lead management
reporting?
When and to whom does the sales force report their results?

42. The biggest mistake we see
companies make is failure to
follow up with their leads
appropriately AFTER the show!
After The Show
Lead Follow Up

43. Timing Is Everything
Time your follow up so it arrives the week after the
trade show when your leads are getting back to their
offices so they have time to clear their desks of work
that were generated the day(s) they were at the show.
This will give you a better chance of them
devoting time to reviewing your follow up letter.

44. Resources
Get Serious
Request Quote
Print Materials
Download
Trade Show Budget Template
Request Quote
Direct Mail Programs
Request Quote
Promotional
Items/Gifts/Rewards
Request Quote
Blogging/Social Media
Speak With A Trade Show
Marketing Specialist

45. Learn how to beef up
your marketing with
B2H Marketing Group.
Our Marketing Specialists
can help you grow your
company with our inbound
marketing tool box.
Turn Your
Trade Show
Exhibit Into A
Lead Generating Machine
www.B2HMarketing.com