CALCULATED CONTEMPLATION
“Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action comes, stop thinking and go in.”― Napoléon Bonaparte
However, before going in you need to have a solid strategy in place.
"Napoleon was successful on many battle fields; and he may have been a master of campaigning. However, in modern strategic terms, he was a failure principally because he never succeeded in transforming a defeated enemy into a willing ally. He won wars, but he never won the peace." Jonathan Riley, author, Napoleon as a General.
Jonathon RileyIn today's marketing parlance, Napoleon was a master campaigner, but a failed converter. Why? He failed to read the signs of the times.
The seemingly endless French invasions finally mobilized the other great powers of Europe to unite. After a series of failed alliances, they came together in the Sixth Coalition.
Between the driving determination of Tsar Alexander of Russia; the international influence of Austria; the freshly mobilized and experienced armies of Prussia; and the financial and military power of Great Britain, this alliance was finally able to push Napoleon’s troops back into France and defeat them there.
He had offended too many people, leaving his nation without potential allies. The Coalition finally brought together enough strength to bring him down.
However, before going in you need to have a solid strategy in place.
"Napoleon was successful on many battle fields; and he may have been a master of campaigning. However, in modern strategic terms, he was a failure principally because he never succeeded in transforming a defeated enemy into a willing ally. He won wars, but he never won the peace." Jonathan Riley, author, Napoleon as a General.
Jonathon RileyIn today's marketing parlance, Napoleon was a master campaigner, but a failed converter. Why? He failed to read the signs of the times.
The seemingly endless French invasions finally mobilized the other great powers of Europe to unite. After a series of failed alliances, they came together in the Sixth Coalition.
Between the driving determination of Tsar Alexander of Russia; the international influence of Austria; the freshly mobilized and experienced armies of Prussia; and the financial and military power of Great Britain, this alliance was finally able to push Napoleon’s troops back into France and defeat them there.
He had offended too many people, leaving his nation without potential allies. The Coalition finally brought together enough strength to bring him down.
CONTEMPLATING THE SIGNS IN 2023
In the 2022 State of B2B Marketing Budgets Survey report released by Integrate and Demand Metric, a reported 60% of B2B marketers say they are facing reduced or stagnant budgets for 2023.
THE RELIABLE QUESTION OF THE THE DAY — Will there be a recession? The mantra of “plan for the worst, hope for the best” seems to hold true for yet another year. All the variables that dotted the time scape in 2022 will continue to daze market prognosticators into 2023, as is evident in the headlines:
- See more at: http://www.historytoday.com/jonathon-riley/how-good-was-napoleon#sthash.mb4iPZgt.dpufWhat is the truth? Only time will tell.
But, before you get prepared, put your strategy in place as to how you will come out as a winner.
THE RELIABLE QUESTION OF THE THE DAY — Will there be a recession? The mantra of “plan for the worst, hope for the best” seems to hold true for yet another year. All the variables that dotted the time scape in 2022 will continue to daze market prognosticators into 2023, as is evident in the headlines:
- The word 'recession' is coming up more frequently. But there can be silver linings – NPR, 09 October 2022
- IMF cuts global growth forecast for next year, warns ‘the worst is yet to come’ – CNBC, 11 October 2022
- It's looking more likely that any recession next year will be shallow and manageable – Business Insider, 10 November 2022
- See more at: http://www.historytoday.com/jonathon-riley/how-good-was-napoleon#sthash.mb4iPZgt.dpufWhat is the truth? Only time will tell.
But, before you get prepared, put your strategy in place as to how you will come out as a winner.
ONCE YOU HAVE DETERMINED THAT trade show exhibiting is right CHOICE for your company, here are 21 questions to pinpoint your trade show strategy
As we hit the last chapter in 2022, more and more, data insights and intelligence are driving the development of shows and portfolios.
"We are done with debating whether or not “the future is digital.” It is, and we are creating it as an industry. What some still call “hybrid events” is really just the smart adoption of technology and data to make the face-to-face marketplaces we run more successful for the buyers and sellers on and off the show floor."
Before, you get bogged down with the logistics of trade show marketing materials here are 21 questions to go over for a successful trade show marketing implementation
1. Are you a new company, concept, product or service?2. How does the show integrate with your overall marketing strategies and plan?
3. What sales volume is expected to be generated from this event or from leads from this event?4. What is your BRAND position in the industry? (your perception and that of your clients)
5. What are your current channels of distribution? (How do you get to your target market?)6. What are the characteristics of your prospects/clients buying behavior? Preferences? Needs?
7. What is the market potential relative to the audience?8. Describe your products/services in terms of: — Applications, Benefits, Relative Price
9. What are your competitive advantages? How can they be communicated?10. What are your market weaknesses? How can you minimize them?
11. What is most memorable about your product?12. Who are your competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses? How will they communicate their strengths?
13. Why should a prospect consider purchasing your product?14. What key words communicate the most about your company, its products and services?
15. What can you use to gain attention to your exhibit? Why do attendees visit you?16. How will visitors interact with your staff? What do attendees want to do when they visit your exhibit?
17. HOW MAY a meaningful demonstration be integrated into your exhibit? Does providing proof and benefit through a demonstration add value to the exhibit dialogue?18. How will you measure the results of the event?
19. What role will management play in the execution of your show plan?
20. What results will management want you to report on, post-show?
21. Who is responsible for the planning, coordinating and execution of the entire event to assure its success?
"We are done with debating whether or not “the future is digital.” It is, and we are creating it as an industry. What some still call “hybrid events” is really just the smart adoption of technology and data to make the face-to-face marketplaces we run more successful for the buyers and sellers on and off the show floor."
Before, you get bogged down with the logistics of trade show marketing materials here are 21 questions to go over for a successful trade show marketing implementation
1. Are you a new company, concept, product or service?2. How does the show integrate with your overall marketing strategies and plan?
3. What sales volume is expected to be generated from this event or from leads from this event?4. What is your BRAND position in the industry? (your perception and that of your clients)
5. What are your current channels of distribution? (How do you get to your target market?)6. What are the characteristics of your prospects/clients buying behavior? Preferences? Needs?
7. What is the market potential relative to the audience?8. Describe your products/services in terms of: — Applications, Benefits, Relative Price
9. What are your competitive advantages? How can they be communicated?10. What are your market weaknesses? How can you minimize them?
11. What is most memorable about your product?12. Who are your competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses? How will they communicate their strengths?
13. Why should a prospect consider purchasing your product?14. What key words communicate the most about your company, its products and services?
15. What can you use to gain attention to your exhibit? Why do attendees visit you?16. How will visitors interact with your staff? What do attendees want to do when they visit your exhibit?
17. HOW MAY a meaningful demonstration be integrated into your exhibit? Does providing proof and benefit through a demonstration add value to the exhibit dialogue?18. How will you measure the results of the event?
19. What role will management play in the execution of your show plan?
20. What results will management want you to report on, post-show?
21. Who is responsible for the planning, coordinating and execution of the entire event to assure its success?
1. Are you a new company, concept, product or service?
HOW TO BETTER DISPLAY YOUR PRODUCTS IN YOUR BOOTHAccording to Exhibitor Magazine, about 80% of their exhibiting subscribers make physical products. That’s a big reason manufacturers exhibit in the first place – to bring their products to show them to potential buyers.
And from the other side of the aisle, buyers go to trade shows because they want to get their hands on the real thing, see it in action, and compare multiple manufacturers at the same time.
The variety of products exhibitors bring into their trade show booth is as diverse as the over 10,000 trade shows in North America.
To display your products for your modular custom exhibit design, start drawing up your RFP by asking these questions:
1. How big — or small — are the products?
2. Do they sit on the floor, or go on shelves, racks, tables, or podiums?
3. Do they need to be secured or locked up?
4. Who will be demonstrating them?
5. How many staffers do you need to bring?
6. Do you have a star or new product to emphasize?
7. Do your products need power? How much?
8. Do you have a non-physical / service product to promote?
2. How does the show integrate with your overall marketing strategies and plan?
AN INSPIRED DECADE OF PREACHING, PRACTICING, LEARNING, AND LIVING! -- BECOME A GRAND MASTER OF EXHIBITING COMMUNICATION 😜
Trade shows require an attention to detail and awesome organization skills. But if marketing is ignored, you may get a dull display delivered on-time to an empty booth space at the wrong show.
The pitfall here is that because the logistic needs must be attended to, the marketing opportunities are left until later, and then left undone.
When you apply your marketing and your organizational skills, you create a custom modular trade show display that appeal to your buyers, who are the people walking down the aisle, and whose attention you caught with a great reason to visit you before or during the show.
Trade shows require an attention to detail and awesome organization skills. But if marketing is ignored, you may get a dull display delivered on-time to an empty booth space at the wrong show.
The pitfall here is that because the logistic needs must be attended to, the marketing opportunities are left until later, and then left undone.
When you apply your marketing and your organizational skills, you create a custom modular trade show display that appeal to your buyers, who are the people walking down the aisle, and whose attention you caught with a great reason to visit you before or during the show.
3. What sales volume is expected to be generated from this event or from leads from this event?
Has your company been exhibiting at the same trade shows for the past 10+ years simply because that’s how it’s always been?
Maybe your business is dealing with budget cuts including trying to cut back on trade shows this year; and therefore, thinking about going the obvious way and cutting whichever show is the most expensive solely based on the floor space investment?
Or are you considering adding a new trade show to your list because it is close by?
Have you ever thought about expanding your horizons to new shows? Although it is tempting to stick to your usual lineup of trade shows, this strategy might be killing your exhibiting opportunities and not giving you the best ROI. While these yearly shows might have produced great results in the past (or not) that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re still the best option now.
Maybe your business is dealing with budget cuts including trying to cut back on trade shows this year; and therefore, thinking about going the obvious way and cutting whichever show is the most expensive solely based on the floor space investment?
Or are you considering adding a new trade show to your list because it is close by?
Have you ever thought about expanding your horizons to new shows? Although it is tempting to stick to your usual lineup of trade shows, this strategy might be killing your exhibiting opportunities and not giving you the best ROI. While these yearly shows might have produced great results in the past (or not) that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re still the best option now.
4. What is your brand position in the industry?
— Your perception and that of your clients
Brand perception is the sum of a consumer's feelings, experiences, and thoughts about a product or service. It's what people believe a brand represents, rather than what a brand says it represents.
PERCEPTION MAKES WAY FOR LIMBIC CONNECTION
In a visual marketing bazaar such as trade fairs and conventions, every visit to your booth space leads to a build up of pre-conceived notion that is carried on every subsequent encounter that your clients might have with your products and or your services. Be very purposeful as to how you want your brand to be perceived. You walk into a space of clutter, confusion and mundane; the products and services that you peddle will be perceived as such
Here's how to measure brand perception:
- Conduct brand perception surveys to learn what people think of your business and how it stacks up against competitors. Ask questions that touch on emotional, cognitive, and action-oriented factors, such as these examples from Qualtrics:
- When you think of [the brand], what comes to mind first?
- Which of the following words describe [the brand]?
- What kind of feelings do you experience when you think of [the brand]?
- How would you describe your level of emotional attachment to [the brand]?
- How would you describe [the brand] to a friend?
- How would you describe your last experience with [the brand]?
- On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend [the brand] to a friend or colleague?
- Track online mentions using social listening tools or Google alerts. You want to monitor social media comments, online reviews, relevant hashtags, forums (i.e. Reddit and Quora), and news mentions. As the brand grows, so will this dataset. I recommend creating a system to handle negative mentions as soon as possible and stay on top of talk about your brand, products, and marketing campaigns.
- Do a brand audit to evaluate how your brand perception compares to competitors'. This should include research on primary and secondary target audiences, a competitive analysis of your products or services, a thorough evaluation of your communications strategy, and a deep dive into your brand positioning. (brand audit guide from Visme).
- Collect data from customers at each point of the buyer's journey. This can include how buyers research information, evaluate products, compare between competitors, interact with customer support, make a purchase decision, onboard, and interact with the brand post-purchase.
5. What are your current channels of distribution?
— How do you get to your target market?
5. What are your current channels of distribution?
— How do you get to your target market?
CHANCES ARE, IF YOU ARE A GLOBAL BRAND OR NOT, YOUR CUSTOMERS, AND YOUR PROSPECTS ENCOUNTER YOU THROUGH ARTFUL SEOS, CALL CENTERS, JUNK MAIL "COME-ONS OF VARIOUS KINDS" AND OTHER FORMS OF SCAMMY SOCIAL ENGINEERING
https://exhibits.skybay.com/exhibit-design-and-marketing/3-major-trade-show-exhibit-design-pitfalls-to-avoid
How to Build a Content Distribution StrategyResearch your target audience
Audit your content Choose your content distribution channels Decide on your content types Set your content distribution KPIs and goals Build an editorial calendar Create your content Distribute and market your content Measure and analyze your results |
How to Build a Content Distribution Strategy
HubSpot Medium PR Newswire HARO ClickToTweet GaggleAmp AddThis Mention SharedCount Outbrain WiseStamp |
6. What are the characteristics of your prospects/clients buying behavior? Preferences? Needs?
A target audience is a group of consumers characterized by behavior and specific demographics, such as female extreme athletes between the ages of 18 and 25. Target audiences are a pillar of most businesses influencing decision-making for marketing strategy. Target audiences often determine where to spend money on ads, how to appeal to customers, and what product to build next.
COVID-19 has transformed the lives of consumers. What do they value? What will it take to serve them? How will your business adapt?
11 Types of Customer Buying Behaviors
COVID-19 has transformed the lives of consumers. What do they value? What will it take to serve them? How will your business adapt?
11 Types of Customer Buying Behaviors
7. What is the market potential relative to the audience? — What gross sales/revenue level can you expect from this target market?
Market potential is the valuation of the sales revenue from all the supplying channels in a market. Market potential is the number of people that is interested in the product/service that is being made or offered by an organization. In other words, market potential is the potential money making capability of a brand if it capitalizes all advantages and everything goes its way. It is usually measured in sales units/sales volume or the potential revenue.
8. Describe your products/services in terms of:
— Applications, Benefits, Relative Price
Features are what the product or service does, describing which attributes set it apart from the competition. Benefits describe why those features matter and how they help the target audience. For marketing messages, it's typically better to go with a benefits-heavy approach, because benefits are what compel consumers to purchase.
Both terms are useful and give customers important information they'll need during their buyer's journey, such as design, price, and real-world relevance. Ultimately, the benefits of having a product or service are what make consumers purchase, which means it is often best to highlight benefits over features when writing marketing copy. This paints a picture of what life will look like after the customer purchases the product or service. If you do decide to highlight features, you'll want to make sure consumers understand how they'll benefit from those features.
At Skyline, our product is portable modular booth. Feature of the product is 'portable and modular'. Benefit is lower shipping and drayage cost.
Both terms are useful and give customers important information they'll need during their buyer's journey, such as design, price, and real-world relevance. Ultimately, the benefits of having a product or service are what make consumers purchase, which means it is often best to highlight benefits over features when writing marketing copy. This paints a picture of what life will look like after the customer purchases the product or service. If you do decide to highlight features, you'll want to make sure consumers understand how they'll benefit from those features.
At Skyline, our product is portable modular booth. Feature of the product is 'portable and modular'. Benefit is lower shipping and drayage cost.
9. What are your competitive advantages? How can they be communicated? — What elements are positioned in the prospect or buyers mind that render all other competitors second to you?
MAKE IT CHARACTERISTIC, BREAK AWAY FROM COMPETITION
Jack Welch said, “If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.”
A competitive advantage is a characteristic or factor a company possesses that allows it to bring more affordable, higher-quality, or more innovative products or services to market than its competitors.
How to Identify Your Competitive AdvantageResearch your competition — understand who your competitors are, what they're charging, who they're trying to appeal to, and how well they're performing. All of those factors — among others — are key components that will help you get a feel for your industry landscape and help you pin down where you'd like to be within it.
Review your prices and expenses, relative to your competition — You need to know your industry's pricing standards and what you can viably charge if you want to find the right competitive advantage. If lowering prices will radically undercut quality, slash your margins, and take a toll on your employees' well-being, pursuing a cost leadership advantage probably isn't your best bet.
Connect with your customers — find out why they chose and stuck with you and your offering. Conduct some outreach. Having a feel for why real customers picked you over your competitors will give you a sincere, human perspective on your product or service's value. That kind of insight can be a major asset when determining your competitive advantage.
10. What are your market weaknesses? How can you minimize them?
DESIGN IN THE AGE OF DISRUPTING MACRO ECONOMIC SET UP
“A weakness isn’t necessarily a weakness if all the competitors in a market suffer from it,” Forbes notes. When assessing both weaknesses and strengths, it’s best to “zoom out and evaluate SWOT components from the entire market’s perspective.” This helps you gain insights into how things look from the perspective of your intended customer base.
Some questions to get you started include:
“A weakness isn’t necessarily a weakness if all the competitors in a market suffer from it,” Forbes notes. When assessing both weaknesses and strengths, it’s best to “zoom out and evaluate SWOT components from the entire market’s perspective.” This helps you gain insights into how things look from the perspective of your intended customer base.
Some questions to get you started include:
- What is your competitor doing well? (Products, content marketing, social)
- Where does your competitor have the advantage over your brand?
- What is the weakest area for your competitor?
- Where does your brand have the advantage over your competitor?
- What could they do better with?
- In what areas would you consider this competitor a threat?
- Are there opportunities in the market that your competitor has not identified?
11. What is most memorable about your product? — What are your differentiators? How can you communicate your uniqueness?
Design - Dare to reimagine your trade show exhibit design
"Differentiation does not refer solely to the assets you own, like your brand, products and services, or what you say you intend to do in your mission or vision statements. Differentiation involves what you do every day throughout your organization to serve your customers better than the competition."
Theodore Levitt, a professor at Harvard Business School, wrote in his book The Marketing Imagination that "differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which companies must constantly engage."
Mapping our the Differentiation Process. Using a cross-functional employee group, identify all the steps a customer takes from awareness of your solution to discontinuing use.
Your analysis should address: how customers become aware of their need for what you offer, how they find you, how they make purchase decisions, how they process orders, how they pay for orders, how you deliver and install the product, how the customer uses your solution, what support the customer requires, and what happens when the customer no longer uses your solution.
The unique selling proposition (USP) summarizes what sets your company apart from your competitors. Do you offer a specialty, guarantee, unique tool or exclusive methodology? A slogan may or may not contain a USP. Nike’s “Just Do It” may be a memorable slogan, but it describes no unique benefit. However, the FedEx slogan, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight” provides an excellent example of a USP.
By differentiating you from your competitors, a strong USP helps drive sales and simplify communications. All audiences will understand the unique capabilities your brand delivers.
Theodore Levitt, a professor at Harvard Business School, wrote in his book The Marketing Imagination that "differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which companies must constantly engage."
Mapping our the Differentiation Process. Using a cross-functional employee group, identify all the steps a customer takes from awareness of your solution to discontinuing use.
Your analysis should address: how customers become aware of their need for what you offer, how they find you, how they make purchase decisions, how they process orders, how they pay for orders, how you deliver and install the product, how the customer uses your solution, what support the customer requires, and what happens when the customer no longer uses your solution.
The unique selling proposition (USP) summarizes what sets your company apart from your competitors. Do you offer a specialty, guarantee, unique tool or exclusive methodology? A slogan may or may not contain a USP. Nike’s “Just Do It” may be a memorable slogan, but it describes no unique benefit. However, the FedEx slogan, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight” provides an excellent example of a USP.
By differentiating you from your competitors, a strong USP helps drive sales and simplify communications. All audiences will understand the unique capabilities your brand delivers.
12. Who are your competitors? — What are their strengths and weaknesses? How do they communicate their strengths?
Competitive market research focuses on finding and comparing key market metrics that help identify differences between your products and services and those of your competitors.
Broadly speaking, there are 3 types of competitors in the business.
1. Direct competitors
A direct competitor are brands whose businesses offering is similar (or identical) products or services in the same market. They also vye for the same customer base.
Some famous examples of direct competitors include Apple versus Android, Pepsi versus Coca-Cola, and Netflix versus Hulu.
Since direct competitors sell similar products in a similar manner, this type of competition is often a zero-sum game — meaning, a customer that buys a competitor's product won't buy yours.
2. Indirect competitors
Indirect competitors are businesses in the same category that sell different products or services to solve the same problem.
For example, Taco Bell and Subway fall under the same category — fast-food — but they offer entirely different menu options. While they both seek to solve the same problem (feed hungry people), they provide different products to solve it.
Indirect competition isn't necessarily a zero-sum game. Consider, when is someone buying lunch, they are catering to different taste buds.
2. Replacement competitors
A replacement competitor offers an alternative to the product or service that you offer. You both seek to solve the same pain points, but the way you do is different.
For example, Hubspot versus Salesforce and both are in the CRM business:
Hubspot comes with a free version that’s more than capable of tackling the CRM needs of small and medium businesses. On the other hand, Salesforce is more suited for enterprise-level companies.
These competition in this space is fierce and potentially dangerous if there's more than one way to solve the same problem you seek to resolve. In our example, Hubspot is clearly the winner because, it captivates prospects with free version. (disclosure: we use Hubspot)
As you work to identify your competitors, you may discover more than you anticipated. Don't get overwhelmed. Remember that not all competitors are built the same — some are less of a threat than others. Thus, every brand can benefit from regular competitor analysis. By performing a competitor analysis, you'll be able to:
Broadly speaking, there are 3 types of competitors in the business.
1. Direct competitors
A direct competitor are brands whose businesses offering is similar (or identical) products or services in the same market. They also vye for the same customer base.
Some famous examples of direct competitors include Apple versus Android, Pepsi versus Coca-Cola, and Netflix versus Hulu.
Since direct competitors sell similar products in a similar manner, this type of competition is often a zero-sum game — meaning, a customer that buys a competitor's product won't buy yours.
2. Indirect competitors
Indirect competitors are businesses in the same category that sell different products or services to solve the same problem.
For example, Taco Bell and Subway fall under the same category — fast-food — but they offer entirely different menu options. While they both seek to solve the same problem (feed hungry people), they provide different products to solve it.
Indirect competition isn't necessarily a zero-sum game. Consider, when is someone buying lunch, they are catering to different taste buds.
2. Replacement competitors
A replacement competitor offers an alternative to the product or service that you offer. You both seek to solve the same pain points, but the way you do is different.
For example, Hubspot versus Salesforce and both are in the CRM business:
Hubspot comes with a free version that’s more than capable of tackling the CRM needs of small and medium businesses. On the other hand, Salesforce is more suited for enterprise-level companies.
These competition in this space is fierce and potentially dangerous if there's more than one way to solve the same problem you seek to resolve. In our example, Hubspot is clearly the winner because, it captivates prospects with free version. (disclosure: we use Hubspot)
As you work to identify your competitors, you may discover more than you anticipated. Don't get overwhelmed. Remember that not all competitors are built the same — some are less of a threat than others. Thus, every brand can benefit from regular competitor analysis. By performing a competitor analysis, you'll be able to:
- Identify gaps in the market
- Develop new products and services
- Uncover market trends
- Market and sell more effectively
13. Why should a prospect consider purchasing your product?
😅 6 insights on why a prospect should even consider your offering --
Their Experience with your Brand
Your prospects will judge your worthiness based on how you make them feel. That includes how well you communicate, your performance at live events and trade shows and your content depth.
And always remember you are marketing to people first, so build the human bond by remembering personal details and listening carefully.
Your Product Service and Benefits
According to MarketingProfs, there are two basic reasons people purchase anything: to increase pleasure (e.g., glowing health, freedom, popularity) and to decrease pain (e.g., stress, financial problems, poor health).
Focus on your product or service's most compelling benefits as you communicate with your target audience—then, make sure you deliver on your promises. Be specific.
Your Trustworthiness and Good Name
You have built a brand. Spend time and effort to protect your good name, and do everything in your power to ensure that your customers, prospects, friends, employees, and colleagues view you as a brand of value.
Your credibility, plausibility, and truthfulness will win you far more customers than exaggerated claims and viral videos.
The Value They Validate
Yes, most customers are price-conscious. Yet, the vast majority do not consider price alone when making their buying decisions. Rather, they consider value: the difference between what something costs and its worth to the buyer.
What does value look like in the world of trade show marketing and event marketing?
Answer: design for emotive engagement, experiential interactives, and personal connections.
Are your Safety Measures Worth their Effort?
People are more likely to hand over their money when they perceive the risk as minimal. It's best to reassure potential customers with robust guarantees, a solid privacy policy, and secure payment procedures.
How Well do you Address their Pressing Concerns?
To market effectively, you must get into your prospects' heads.
Listen carefully to your target audiences' expressed opinions and feelings—particularly as they relate to your products or services—and address them directly.
14. What key words communicate the most about your company, its products and services? — Can they be communicated through graphics? Can you add them to a show dedicated landing page on your website? Ask us how
WHY WORDS ARE NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER?IN A CULTURE OF VISUAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL MOBOCRACY, WE HAVE FORGOTTEN THE POWER OF WORDS. Yet, the greatest of the great were always aware of the strength of the words. And they harnessed it with superior charm and considerable acumen.
Most of us would agree that, Nelson Mandela is an icon of freedom and a powerhouse of forgiveness and statesmanship. However, did you know that during his prison days it was unlawful even to quote him (for the fear of massive uprising). And, here is why?
On 10th February, 1985, he was offered a release, if he renounced violence. And, he replied: "Only free men can negotiate; prisoners cannot enter into contracts." (It stops you right on your track. Doesn't it?)
After his release, he said, “It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are, and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die.”
Decide on how can you give wings to your words and activate emotional response.
Most of us would agree that, Nelson Mandela is an icon of freedom and a powerhouse of forgiveness and statesmanship. However, did you know that during his prison days it was unlawful even to quote him (for the fear of massive uprising). And, here is why?
On 10th February, 1985, he was offered a release, if he renounced violence. And, he replied: "Only free men can negotiate; prisoners cannot enter into contracts." (It stops you right on your track. Doesn't it?)
After his release, he said, “It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are, and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die.”
Decide on how can you give wings to your words and activate emotional response.
15. What can you use to gain attention to your exhibit? Why will attendees visit you?
Are you about to design a brand new exhibit? Or maybe you are about to completely change a current trade show booth. Whichever it is, you should be extremely strategic about the design process. Not only do you want to consider the customers you are trying to reach and the objectives you hope to achieve as a result of the exhibit, but you should also put yourself in the shoes of those target audience.
5 FUNCTIONS OF YOUR BOOTH DESIGN FOR EMOTIVE ENGAGEMENT
1. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN SHOULD TELL VISITORS, YOUR STORY2. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN SHOULD TELL THE AUDIENCE WHAT PROBLEM YOUR BRAND AIMS TO SOLVE3. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN SHOULD COMMUNICATE WHAT MAKES YOUR BRAND UNIQUE4. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN SHOULD ACT AS A 'VALUE COMPASS' TO NAVIGATE THE COMPLEX MINDSET OF YOUR ATTENDEES5. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN IS YOUR CHANCE FOR YOU TO RE-CONNECT WITH HUMAN EXPERIENCE
5 FUNCTIONS OF YOUR BOOTH DESIGN FOR EMOTIVE ENGAGEMENT
1. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN SHOULD TELL VISITORS, YOUR STORY2. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN SHOULD TELL THE AUDIENCE WHAT PROBLEM YOUR BRAND AIMS TO SOLVE3. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN SHOULD COMMUNICATE WHAT MAKES YOUR BRAND UNIQUE4. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN SHOULD ACT AS A 'VALUE COMPASS' TO NAVIGATE THE COMPLEX MINDSET OF YOUR ATTENDEES5. YOUR BOOTH DESIGN IS YOUR CHANCE FOR YOU TO RE-CONNECT WITH HUMAN EXPERIENCE
TRANS — FORM YOUR MODULAR EXHIBIT INTO A 3D SALES FUNNEL
"The three main components of an effective B2B marketing funnel are: build awareness, persuade, convert. If you've done your job at the trade show, building awareness of what you have to offer, post-show your job to persuade them to buy — that could mean anything from a live demo of your product/service to a meeting with higher-ups at the company. Make sure that your call to action is specific in the goal you're looking to accomplish in order to get the attendee to the next step." — HOWEVER, STILL THAT DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE SALE.
5 STEP PROCESS TO ESCAPE FROM THE SLAVERY OF SAMENESS
Doing the same thing over and over again makes us agents of mediocrity. "Complacency sets in and very soon we slip into irrelevancy."
"The three main components of an effective B2B marketing funnel are: build awareness, persuade, convert. If you've done your job at the trade show, building awareness of what you have to offer, post-show your job to persuade them to buy — that could mean anything from a live demo of your product/service to a meeting with higher-ups at the company. Make sure that your call to action is specific in the goal you're looking to accomplish in order to get the attendee to the next step." — HOWEVER, STILL THAT DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE SALE.
5 STEP PROCESS TO ESCAPE FROM THE SLAVERY OF SAMENESS
Doing the same thing over and over again makes us agents of mediocrity. "Complacency sets in and very soon we slip into irrelevancy."
16. How will visitors interact with your staff? What do attendees want to do when they visit your exhibit?
Marketing - Communicating about Communication
When you are 'high' on technology, (which, most of us are), you forget to talk to real people, with their unpredictable quirky ways.
STIMULATING CONVERSATION IS THE COMPLETE CONTRAST OF SILENT STIMULATION THAT ONE DERIVES FROM TECHNOLOGY.Instigating Conversation:
FEELS LIKE 'HARD WORK,' — WITH MANY INVITATIONS, IMPREGNATED WITH TREACHEROUS, IMPERFECT NUANCES — OFTEN, THE CREEPING ANXIETY OF LOSS OF CONTROL, SPATTERED WITH UTTER BOREDOM.Yet, trade shows and events are about making talk happen — That is the reason why you are spending bunch lead of money and that is exactly the reason why your attendees are coming to visit you.
ESTABLISH MORE ROI BY 'LIVING MOMENTS OF MORE'.
You see, in person, we have access to the messages carried in the face, the voice, and the body. You listen intently to another person and expect that he or she is listening to you; where a discussion can go off on a tangent and circle back; where something unexpected can be discovered about a person or an idea. Online, we settle for simpler fare: We feel our power, because, we get our efficiency and our chance to edit, and we get the luxury to ponder on the questions that a return email can answer.
STIMULATING CONVERSATION IS THE COMPLETE CONTRAST OF SILENT STIMULATION THAT ONE DERIVES FROM TECHNOLOGY.Instigating Conversation:
FEELS LIKE 'HARD WORK,' — WITH MANY INVITATIONS, IMPREGNATED WITH TREACHEROUS, IMPERFECT NUANCES — OFTEN, THE CREEPING ANXIETY OF LOSS OF CONTROL, SPATTERED WITH UTTER BOREDOM.Yet, trade shows and events are about making talk happen — That is the reason why you are spending bunch lead of money and that is exactly the reason why your attendees are coming to visit you.
ESTABLISH MORE ROI BY 'LIVING MOMENTS OF MORE'.
You see, in person, we have access to the messages carried in the face, the voice, and the body. You listen intently to another person and expect that he or she is listening to you; where a discussion can go off on a tangent and circle back; where something unexpected can be discovered about a person or an idea. Online, we settle for simpler fare: We feel our power, because, we get our efficiency and our chance to edit, and we get the luxury to ponder on the questions that a return email can answer.
17. How may a meaningful demonstration be integrated into your exhibit? — Does providing proof and benefit through a demonstration add value to the exhibit dialogue?
The average effect of a demonstration at trade shows is higher because most demonstrations studied are interactive so the visitor actually “practices by doing.”
Effective demonstrations are planned and integrated into the entire exhibiting event so that the remainder of the event reinforces the demonstration and vice versa.
A demonstration is a good attention getter and an even better vehicle to assure information retention. It accomplishes the former through action and the latter through involvement.
They work because:
- There is action or motion.
- The benefits are easy to discern.
- It delivers proof that the product works.
- There is involvement by the attendee.
- There is greater understanding through learning.
- They involve all the senses which makes them memorable.
HOW ADULTS LEARNRetention Rates
Lecture — 5% Reading — 10% Audiovisual — 20% Demonstration — 30% Discussion Group — 50% Practice by Doing — 75% Immediate use of Learning — 90% |
AVERAGE MEMORABILITY FOR MOST COMMONLY USED EXHIBIT METHODS
Formal Product Demonstrations — 80% Informal One-on-One Demonstration — 79% Static Displays — 71% Attention Getting Techniques (mimes, magicians, robots, models) — 67% Average of All Types — 75% |
18. How will you measure the results of the event?
Weebly - Marketing - POST SHOW STRATEGY TEMPLATE TO IMPRESS MANAGEMENT
WANT TO SUCCEED IN YOUR NEXT TRADE SHOW MARKETING?
LOOK BACK AT THE LAST TRADE SHOW EXHIBITING THAT YOU DID....
Within a few days of returning from a trade show, it’s important to get together with your team to review the event’s successes and failures. Your booth staff will have fresh memories of what went well or wrong, and those staff who didn’t attend the event will likely have early impressions of any resultant sales or leads.
To ensure you capture this feedback in a way that can guide next year’s exhibit, we’d like to offer up the following list of staff questions.
DECIDE WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED TO MAGNIFY, ENHANCE AND JUSTIFY, AS YOU EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY👍
WANT TO SUCCEED IN YOUR NEXT TRADE SHOW MARKETING?
LOOK BACK AT THE LAST TRADE SHOW EXHIBITING THAT YOU DID....
Within a few days of returning from a trade show, it’s important to get together with your team to review the event’s successes and failures. Your booth staff will have fresh memories of what went well or wrong, and those staff who didn’t attend the event will likely have early impressions of any resultant sales or leads.
To ensure you capture this feedback in a way that can guide next year’s exhibit, we’d like to offer up the following list of staff questions.
DECIDE WHAT IS IT THAT YOU NEED TO MAGNIFY, ENHANCE AND JUSTIFY, AS YOU EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY👍
19. What role will management play in the execution of your show plan if any?
Marketing - Trade Show Planning for Hassle Free Experience
With all of this data coming in from so many different sources, businesses need a way to gather, organize, and analyze it so that they can put it to use. This can be a huge undertaking, as it’s not just a matter of running the analysis once and then moving forward. It’s important to keep track of the ever-changing trends in the market, and customer interests evolve every day. If you do not have a buy-in from upper management, here is how you do it. ENGAGE WITH A clear vision The initial step in getting buy-in is to develop a clear vision of what you want to achieve. Formulating a vision entails: Define the problem Providing examples of the solution. Mention what competition is doing or, not doing. Frame your solution. If people see how it can fit into the organization's bigger plan, they may be more likely to support your idea. Provide data and metrics to support your solution Convey the risks in your plan
20. What results will management want you to report on, post-show?
Weebly page: How to be slick about lead management and follow up
Yes, there are lots of benefits of exhibiting at trade shows. Trade show participation opens a multitude of doors for companies seeking to expand their industry presence. By exhibiting your products at industry trade shows, you can showcase your company’s latest products, attract new customers, and maintain a competitive edge in your field.
Having thus said, usually management likes a report on demand generation, brand awareness, and new product ideas:
1. DEMAND GENERATION — MAKING AN ENDEAVOR TO GO AFTER QUALIFIED LEADS2. BRAND PROPAGATION AND PRODUCT MULTIPLICATION3. RELATIONSHIP REVELATION AND RELATIONSHIP AUGMENTATION
Having thus said, usually management likes a report on demand generation, brand awareness, and new product ideas:
1. DEMAND GENERATION — MAKING AN ENDEAVOR TO GO AFTER QUALIFIED LEADS2. BRAND PROPAGATION AND PRODUCT MULTIPLICATION3. RELATIONSHIP REVELATION AND RELATIONSHIP AUGMENTATION
21. Who is responsible for the planning, coordinating and execution of the entire event to assure its success?
Who is responsible for the planning, coordinating and execution of the entire event to assure its success? If the answer is YOU, don’t worry.
We are here, to help you with valuable resources to help you strategically plan and organize everything that comes with exhibiting at a trade show.
Give us a call.
Stay Inspired! We are here to help you trade
We are here, to help you with valuable resources to help you strategically plan and organize everything that comes with exhibiting at a trade show.
Give us a call.
Stay Inspired! We are here to help you trade