10 tips for attending a Trade Show in Kelowna

When attending a trade show or convention, the greatest challenge can be rising above the visual roar of neighbouring booths. You need to convey your message forcefully and effectively in just the few seconds that someone spends walking by your trade show booth. Follows are some tips to contribute to a successful show:
1. Promote your participation – this will increase the number and quality of attendees who stop at your booth to discuss your products and services.
· Personally invite your key prospects – Over 50% of attendees come because an exhibitor has invited them. Phone invitations can triple attendance.
· Advertise - let people know that you will be participating in a trade show. Letting them know about a show promotion will give them a reason to visit your exhibit

2. Use graphics, signs and products to clearly state the purpose of your exhibit, to clearly show what your company does. Your booth has two main functions:
· To gain the visitor's attention
· To support your sales message.

3. Set measurable goals – measure – follow up
· Set a goal – Whether it is a dollar value for sales made that day or the contact information collected. This will allow you to measure the shows effectiveness. Follow up on leads.

4. Choose the right location for your booth – try to consider these points when choosing a location
· Close to the center of the exhibition area as possible
· On the right side of the exhibition area. Most attendees start on the right and get tired by the time they get to the left side of the venue
· A corner location will give you access to cross aisle traffic
· Avoid dead end aisles
· Avoid adjoining booths with distracting demonstrations

5. Set a call to action – why should they buy now rather than later
· Offer a bonus for buying now – a special price, a free gift

6. Have a draw or contest – Having some kind of prize draw or contest is a great way to collect contact information from booth visitors. You can give away promotion items to encourage people to participate.

7. Plan your booths layout in advance
· Find out the dimensions of the are you will be allocated
· What will be included – a table, a table skirt – is there any kind of a back drop, electricity
· How will you display your literature

8. Create an interactive display- Use an interactive display, such as a quiz or game on a computer, a contest draw, a product demonstration. Get them to cluster around your trade show display rather than the others. Remind your sales staff to sell, they are not there just to enjoy the special activities.

9. Use promotional items - Small items that people can take away and use (while being reminded about your business) are best. Be sure you place these items in a location where people will have to walk into or through your trade show display to get them.

10. Make it easy for booth visitors to get information - Use signs in your trade show display to give information about prices, minimum orders, shipping costs, or any other basic information they might need to know, to save them the trouble of having to wait to ask when you're busy with another potential customer.

Follow up promptly - Send out email, regular mail, or make the phone calls to follow up on the contacts and leads you made during the trade show as soon as possible. The faster you send them out, the more your business will stand out from the rest.

Trade shows can be incredible sources of contacts and customers for your business - if you choose your trade show venue carefully and plan in advance to have a successful trade show experience.

Speedpro Imaging
135-1855 Kirschner Road - Kelowna, BC - V1Y 4N7
Phone: 250-763-8868 - Fax: 250-763-8768
speedproimaging@shawbiz.ca
http://www.speedprokelowna.com/

Kelowna Signs

6 Essential Tips for Ads That Get Results in Kelowna

You don't need money to create a memorable message.

One of the toughest jobs for any startup is to produce stellar ads without the help of a big-budget ad agency. The key is to engage your target audience, because for advertising to succeed, it has to be remembered. Even on the tightest budget, you can create successful ads by following these six vital tips.

1. Design for the ad environment. There are literally hundreds of forms of advertising—from billboards, websites and taxi-tops to ads on supermarket clocks. And ad environments sometimes differ within a single medium, such as when magazines offer four-color display advertising and small-space shopper ads. Become familiar with the nuances of the media you choose, and design your ads to meet their specific visual and editorial requirements.

2. Address the right audience. How well do you understand your target audience? Your ads should immediately appeal to prospects and speak to them in their own vernacular, including buzzwords. The ads must ring true, without the use of gender or cultural stereotypes, or exaggerated claims, so prospects automatically understand that your offer directly relates to their needs and wants.

3. Have a visual focal point. Unless you’re creating a sale ad for a newspaper featuring multiple products, use a single, eye-catching visual to provide the central focus. Competing visuals can make a small-space print ad or online ad appear cluttered. With so much competing advertising, make your ad stand out by virtue of clean, clear design, with an appealing focal point and simple elements.

4. Create an “aha” moment. If you’ve ever wondered why the word “new” is used so often in advertising, it’s because our brains are actually alert for new information. One of the most exciting parts of creating advertising is that great ads have the ability to open minds. Your ad can show your customers a new way to achieve a goal or provide unique insight. The rewards will be greater audience attention and elevated response rates.

5. Make something happen. Any ad worth its salt should move a prospect to take some kind of action. If you highlight a strong benefit in your headline and include details in your body copy, your prospects will be excited to learn how to take advantage of what’s promised. It’s essential to close by providing a call to action that takes prospects to the next step, whether that means making a purchase or visiting your website to learn more. Great ads build interest, are remembered and get results.

6. Present a powerful benefit. Want to create a headline that pulls in readers? Use it to highlight a desirable benefit or offer. Understand what your customers want that you can provide. Put your promise up front in your headline, then use your ad’s body copy to explain how you’ll deliver that benefit.

By Kim T. Gordon Entrepreneur's StartUps - June 2009

Speedpro Imaging
135-1855 Kirschner Road - Kelowna, BC - V1Y 4N7
Phone: 250-763-8868 - Fax: 250-763-8768
speedproimaging@shawbiz.ca
http://www.speedprokelowna.com/

Kelowna Signs