| Sending out a pre-show mailing to attract trade show | | | | But what is overlooked at so many trade shows is the |
| attendees to your booth is a powerful technique for | | | | importance of women and non-traditional male-buyers. |
| leveraging your marketing promotion budget. Because | | | | How many times have you seen a salesmanblow off |
| you are using direct mail or email, you can target your | | | | a person stopping by their trade show booth, simply |
| message to reflect your audience. | | | | because that person doesn't fit the buyer profile? |
| This last article in our series on trade show | | | | But, what about the referral profile? How many times |
| pre-promotion focuses on how to attract the referrers | | | | do we focus on that? What is the profile of your |
| to your trade-show booth. | | | | referrals at a trade show? Do they have to |
| The first step in determining how to segment the | | | | understand in-depth what your product does? Do they |
| referrers is to review that pre-show attendee list. | | | | have to repeat verbatim your sales shtick to their boss |
| Generally, referrers are more difficult to select by title | | | | or to the person at their company who could buy your |
| than decision-makers, but sometimes you can use | | | | product? |
| your industry experience to determine relevant | | | | Hardly. The person needs to: |
| selection criteria. Many of the pre-show lists will have | | | | - Like your sales staff. (They did pay attention to her, |
| "industry type" or some similar field you can select | | | | right?) |
| from; possibly your company has better luck in | | | | - Understand your brand's key benefit to their |
| targeting leads by geography, so you can select in that | | | | company. |
| fashion. | | | | - Leave her contact info to enter the drawing. |
| If the pre-show list has very few fields to select from, | | | | - Know who to pass on the information to in their |
| and you are promoting to a referrer base, then you | | | | company. Booth staff should tell her the title of who |
| may want to consider an alternative channel to deliver | | | | that might be. |
| your offer to your prospects. You might place an ad in | | | | If you want her to refer, then follow-up after the show |
| the trade show guide attendees receive, or produce a | | | | with a mail piece or an email or possibly a phone-call, if |
| stand-alone insert to be placed inside the bags | | | | sufficiently pre-qualified at the show. Your sales staff |
| attendees are given. Or, you might purchase a | | | | needs to supply your potential referrers with a smile, a |
| sponsorship package which includes point-of-show | | | | soundbite about your company, a warm handshake |
| signage. | | | | while repeating the person's name, and just a couple |
| Once you select your audience, you need to choose | | | | minutes of good-natured, light-conversation. |
| your offer. For the referrer, we recommend you utilize | | | | So, what about that choice in giveaway we mentioned |
| the chance to win a physical product via a drawing, | | | | above? We suggest your offer be "Enter to Win Your |
| rather than the guaranteed gift in exchange for the | | | | Choice of Grand prize A or Grand Prize B". Grand |
| person's time. | | | | prize A might be golf clubs, B might be a complete |
| There are many giveaways out there, and about half | | | | high-end cookware set. Or A might be a vacation to |
| of them are oriented toward the male-audience; | | | | Vegas, and B to Orlando. The key is to offer two |
| typically golf. Of course, free electronics are perennially | | | | different grand prizes to attract a wider audience. |
| popular: a few years ago PDAs were the rage; lately, | | | | You can offer a higher-priced grand prize if you target |
| ipods are a hit. | | | | smarter. Pre-mailing actually helps you achieve far |
| But, there's one element overlooked by most exhibitors | | | | more bang from your marketing budget, because you |
| giving away a product to entice people to stop by: | | | | can reduce your promotional costs by smarter, more |
| Choice. | | | | focused prospect targeting. |
| We don't suggest you present a plethora of products | | | | Remember: People (customers and employees) + |
| for prospects to pick from; that can actually depress | | | | Package (your Face to the Customer) + Brand (who |
| the response to your pre-show mailing. Choice is good; | | | | you are) = Marketing Success. |
| overchoice is overkill. | | | | |