Looking Forward – With 11 STEPS TO SUCCESS

Guru Exhibitips Looking Forward – With 11 STEPS TO SUCCESS

According to recent retail sales figures, things are picking up as we enter 2014, with our country under new management. And in 2014 the opportunity is even greater than ever to get in front of those who matter, whether they be influencers, buyers or decision makers – all looking to develop new business partnerships.

Exhibitions will continue to play an important role in helping you meet your audience in a condensed, efficient format. Buyers come to you face-to-face, as distinct from the complex world of online communication – but not all companies will be successful.

Selling by Colour

Selling is all about the art of persuasion. And colour is probably the strongest visual cue. Colour has a profound psychological and physiological affect on people. Studies have shown that the most popular colour that is both easy to look at and inoffensive is blue. Another colour to consider in the sales process is orange, which influences impulse purchases.
Choose colours with your prospects in mind, not your own personal preferences.

At this time each year we hold our company conference and ‘crystal ball’ the needs for the year ahead. So I thought it timely to share some of my thoughts, so you can see how they come into play with your business too.

In my opinion it will be a year of ‘differentiation’, where companies need to focus further on what and why doing business with them makes them different to others in the marketplace. It won’t necessarily centre around price. Service, quality and support from real people will be major factors.

It won’t matter what your marketing strategy dictates. Your flexibility and options in meeting clients’ needs will be the determining factors for success. Applying the appropriate time to pre plan your presence at an exhibition and involving relevant staff is essential to ensure your opportunities are maximised.

The following 11 steps will help guide you in 2014:

Now is the time to set objectives for your exhibitions. It still amazes me how many companies fail to do this. Having a map of where you’re going and what you want to achieve is a critical starting point. It also allows you to review whether the event was successful.
These goals/objectives need to be:

–	Specific – what do you want to achieve, eg, collect a database of 400 names
–	Measurable – how will you collect and count the names
–	Attainable – have you put in place the necessary tools to achieve the set goals
–	Realistic – can you collect 400 or would 250 be more realistic, given the days and opening hours of the event
–	Time sensitive actions – the conversion time during the event and follow up action after the event, say within three months.

Once you have set your goals, you need to build your budget to ensure you can achieve them. There is no point having goals you can’t achieve because you need to compromise on the execution.

Plan your strategy and ensure you have the resources available to implement it.

Involve your staff in the process, not only might they suggest good ideas, having a buy-in from them helps ensure your goals are met. Also devote the time to train your staff. The exhibition environment is very different from a normal sales call and even seasoned veterans need to be refreshed and reminded of how to handle every prospect.

Put an emphasis on benefits to the visitor in everything you do and review this.

Don’t treat the exhibition as an isolated activity. Consider how to dovetail other company activities and marketing opportunities into your time on the floor.

Use the media relations around the exhibition to heighten awareness of your company, its products and services.

Be prepared to adapt and adopt at the exhibition, depending on the audience and their buying patterns. Your display isn’t fixed so you can make changes after the first day if something isn’t working to plan.

Take pictures and keep notes on what worked and what didn’t.

10.

Have a plan to follow up leads and ongoing communication. Too many companies fail to take advantage of the results directly after an exhibition.

11.

Compare the outcomes against the original goals and look at why you were or weren’t successful in each goal. Then ensure the lessons learned are documented. This will make you even better prepared for next time.

To sum, 2014 will be what we make it. And after so much negativity, it’s time to look to how we can grow opportunities and achieve greater business success together.

I look forward to seeing you on the floor this year,

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