FIDUCIAL

February 2010

Generate new business with an effective trade show display

Showing off your stuff at a trade show can generate new business and help you reach customers that otherwise might pass you by. On the other hand, a hastily constructed and shoddily maintained display booth can drive potential customers away and may even damage your business reputation. In trade show marketing, as in so many other aspects of business, it pays to focus on the details. If you're planning to use a display booth to exhibit products or services, here are five well-tested tips.

Keep it simple. Customers should know right away what your company sells. They shouldn't have to guess. Signs and literature should have clear, visible headlines that answer frequently asked questions. At a trade show your business may be competing with hundreds of other firms — all of whom are vying for the attention of potential customers. So remove clutter.

Use color — but not too much. As a general rule, choose no more than three colors for your display elements. Again, the goal is simplicity. If your booth looks like an Andy Warhol painting gone bad, it's time to scale back.

Graphics are great. Prominently display photos of completed projects. Lay out a notebook with professional glossy pictures that customers can browse. Show how your product is better than the competition by using bar charts, pie charts and tables. Set up a laptop computer with a slide show that lets customers see the benefits of your company's offerings.

Keep it fresh and clean. Throughout the day, take time to straighten up product samples that get moved around, brochures that fall to the floor, and customer coffee cups that end up on your display table. If your booth includes glass or acrylic display cases, periodically remove fingerprints and smudges with glass cleaner and a rag.

Don't trap them. Setting up a table at the booth's entrance may not be the best choice. Consider using an open exhibit, a space that people can enter comfortably without feeling like they're in a cage.

Of course, the best display in the world won't compensate for sales staff who are pushy or rude. So train your staff to greet onlookers with a smile. Allow customers to browse without pressure. And be sure to use your materials to answer questions and encourage sales.