The Secret Weapon Every Savvy Exhibitor Should Use
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by Susan Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach
- Turn strangers into friends.
- Turn friends into customers.
- Turn then ... do the most important job
- Turn your customers into sales people.
- Be Honest - Tell your best customers how much you appreciate them and how much you would value having more customers like them. It's no secret that you're in business to make money. No one thinks you're at the show as a philanthropic endeavor. Appealing to your customers to spread the word carries with it an implied compliment: You're reinforcing the fact that you think they're important, by extension, that other people think they're important, and that their opinion of you matters.
- Encourage Referrals - Do you know how often your customer thinks about your company? It's probably less than 1% of their daily life -- after all, they have their own companies to worry about, and their own customer base, not to mention their own personal lives and world events. Sometimes people need a little prompting to spread the word -- otherwise, it might never, ever occur to them.
- Offer Incentives - If you want your customers to do something for you, you need to do something for them. Godin's idea is that by offering superior products and services, in a remarkable fashion, you'll transform customers into fans. Having strong advocates and supporters never hurts. Offering incentives for spreading the word can be a simple thing -- an attractive discount on their next order, for example -- or something more elaborate. Remember, as tradeshow attendees skew younger, they may be motivated by more than financial savings or benefits to their company. Consider offering something more personal: a gift that would appeal to your target audience.
- In Conclusion - Transforming customers into fans may not have been the top priority on your exhibiting list -- but it should be. Recruiting an all-volunteer sales force to augment your existing efforts is one of the most cost effective ways to get your marketing message out there.
It's time for a visualization exercise. Are you ready? Picture this: You're standing, with your booth staff, in your exhibit at a large tradeshow. This is one of the best shows you regularly participate in as it attracts a sizeable number of your target audience. Your team is prepared. Your display looks terrific. You've got interactive demonstrations, you've sponsored a speaker, and your giveaway items convey your marketing message, appeal to your target audience, and are in plentiful supply. Looks good, right? There's something in this scene, something I haven't mentioned yet, that could make it all even better. Something that will not only boost your ROI, but will create that most vital of marketing tools. What is it? It’s a secret weapon that’s more than come of age. In fact, it’s been around since the beginning of time but only now is it realizing its full potential. This build up and suspense is all about "word of mouth marketing" and how you can use it to your advantage on the tradeshow floor. I've recently read Seth Godin's Flipping the Funnel, and it really brought home the concept of how underutilized tradeshow attendees are as a marketing tool. Attendees are more than prospects and contacts: they're a potential sales force, just waiting to be tapped on your behalf. According to Godin, we should:
