If you ever visit one of the big trade shows, you can’t help but be impressed with massive booths featuring video walls, specialized carpet and floors and squadrons of brand ambassadors. Plus, these are setups that can run upwards of $50,000. These are out of reach for a bootstrapped startup where you eke out every penny.
However, the truth is, trade shows are still one of the highest-ROI lead generation channels, for companies with low budgets.
Analyze and pick your shows carefully
Not all trade shows are worth your time or your money. Check out attendance, exhibitor fees and your fellow attendees before you commit. If there’s a regional event, those are often times better worth than any (national conferences). Concentrate on shows where your true customers come — not just the big names in an overcrowded industry.
Begin by visiting as a guest. Walk the show floor, talk to exhibitors and consider if the crowd in attendance closely represents your target audience. This is the price you pay for a reconnaissance mission and it saves you from making costly mistakes in future.
Work your booth like a pro
The physical set-up counts, but it doesn’t cost thousands of dollars. Start-ups opt for retractable banners that can easily move from one networking function to another and still look professional. Those portable displays fit flat in a car trunk and set up in minutes, not weeks or month-long custom booths that need to be broken down by shipping crews.
Maintain a welcoming, open space. Teach your team to ask open-ended questions, not just deliver canned sales pitches. The idea is to open conversations, not to sell on the spot.
Keep focus on maximizing pre-show marketing
Generally speaking, show organizers submit attendee lists a few weeks before the event. Use this time wisely. It pays to send personal emails to prospective attendees, prearrange meetings and promote your booth location on social media.
Develop a small reason to visit your booth. This might be an offer for a discount, a valuable resource or being entered into a draw. Just make it something that’s relevant to your brand and doesn’t draw in tire-kickers who’ll waste your time.
Master the follow-up
The actual work starts after the show is over. It’s never to early to organize your contacts while the dust of a conversation is still fresh.
Classify leads on basis of quality and interest. Hot opportunities get calls, warm leads get added to automation, and everyone else goes into your newsletter string.
However, HelloPrint solves this problem with affordable printing options for startups that need professional-grade materials without a premium price tag, such as business cards and those must-have retractable banners that give your exhibition stand an established look.
Trade shows may be exhausting and require preparation, but they’re still one of the quickest ways to establish business relationships. Strategic Bootstrap founders who invest their time into these events, often reap rewards that are exponentially greater than the resources they initially invested.
