Preparing for a Tradeshow

Hi babies!
So recently I had the chance to travel to my first trade show abroad on behalf of HollywoodWeaves.com and also the Franchise VirginHairDepot.com that I work with. I got to visit Hong Kong China. I must say this was an amazing experience and great business investment for our company. Soooo, if you know me, you know that I suffer from anxiety at times. The closer this trip got, the more anxiety I had. I actually was sick for most of the trip and the distance was definitely hard on my body, but it was still was worth it all.

Anyway, in my preparation for this show I came across a great read on preparing for a trade show.  Our company did not exhibit in this show, but it still was great information to use when you decide to exhibit. The list is a small to do list in taking your first steps in branding your business, and investing in yourself by participating in a trade show. I recommend, if you are serious about the longevity of your business, that you find trade shows in your industry and participate. I have found that the success of your business depends on visibility, and brand strength.

Take a look for yourself at a few items:

3-6 months before the tradeshow

• Have a goal. Although there are many benefits of attending a show, you need a primary goal. A goal helps you make the decisions below and provides a yardstick for whether the tradeshow was “successful,” and therefore whether you should do more. Examples:
  • Make a sale on the tradeshow floor
  • Get at least 20 genuine prospects
  • Talk with 10 industry leaders
  • Find 10 good recruiting prospects
  • Find 3 serious investors.
  • Ask potential customers 3 specific things (market research)
• Schedule a vendor presentation. Most shows allow vendors to give presentations, sometimes for a fee. Always do this. Even if just 20 people come to your talk, that’s 20 people you get to talk to in depth for 45 minutes — far more valuable than talking to 100 of people at your booth for 5-60 seconds. I frequently get a few sales just from the presentation.
• Decide on your main message. Just like your home page, you get 3 seconds to convince someone to stop at your booth. You’ll need this message elsewhere (e.g. banner) so you need to decide what it is early on. Remember the goal is to get people to stop, not to explain everything about who you are and what you do! Boil it down to a single, short sentence.

......continue reading at http://blog.asmartbear.com/tradeshow-tips-checklist.html