Using an iPad at Your Trade Show Booth

Sure, everybody wants an iPad. They’re cool. They’re fun. They’re still (gasp) relevant. But did you know there are lots of different ways you can use an iPad at a trade show that make that iPad a bona-fide business expense?

First off, an iPad attracts everyone’s attention, so using it as a way to show a slideshow of photos about your company is a great application (pun not intended) for the iPad. You can also show videos of product demonstrations, interactive demonstrations, and videos with your company information.
Speaking of interactive, you can use the iPad to record visitor information, and to even set up a Q & A where people can walk up to the iPad, type in a question, and get an answer from a program that you’ve already pre-programmed.

What makes an iPad such a great trade show asset? The screens are big, so you could potentially show your printed materials on the iPad and save yourself the printing costs, so long as it is material that you don’t need for the visitor to take away.

The capabilities of the iPad make it possible for the Q & A mentioned above, as well as interactive demos, scheduling appointments, and one-to-one agendas that can make scheduling the post-trade show meetings a breeze.

Finally, if it is in the budget, an iPad makes a great prize or giveaway. Obviously you can’t give one to everyone who comes in, but you can certainly buy one for a special prize or raffle. If people know you’re giving away an iPad, you can guarantee booth traffic. Just make sure you wait until the very end of the show to give it away, and use that time with the people visiting your booth to let them know why your product or service is just as cool.

3 Step Trade Show Selling

This sounds simple but in practice there is more to it – follow 3 simple steps to maintain your trade show focus: Plan, Qualify and Follow Up.
Do these three things and you will maximize your trade show impact, and best of all, your competitors are probably only doing one of these (at best).

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

You can never start planning your trade show soon enough. This is where you paint the ‘big picture’ and set goals and responsibilities. Blue Sky Thinking is fine, but you also want to know just what you are really doing exhibiting in the first place. Once that is set, you then move on to be very specific about setting targets; how many sales, how many qualified prospects, how many sales demonstrations, how many sales appointments or presentations will be achieved.

Planning is continuous – it never stops. But if you know where you are going, you have a far better chance of getting there.

Qualify Attendees, Do Not Try to Sell to Everyone

Be clear – not everyone attending the trade show is going to be someone you want as a customer. Resist the urge to try to sell to everyone you meet, and remember basic sales principles. The first step when you meet an attendee is to qualify them: do they have a need or problem your business can help them with; do they have the authority to make the buying decision or can they put you in touch with who that person is; and finally, do they have the budget or the means to pay for whatever you’re selling.

If you have “yes” to all these questions, you have yourself a hot prospect you want to spend time with.

The End of the Trade Show Day is Not the End of the Work – Follow Up

This is where many exhibitors fail – they relax after the show and do not follow up in a prompt and professional manner. All the information you have collected on potential prospects and customers should now be put to good use. Phone calls and mailings need to be performed so the people you spoke to see you are professional and looking to do business. Don’t forget that these same people will also be dealing with your competitors from the show – stay ahead of them by doing the follow up and keep the promises you made at the show.

At a trade show the most important element is not your product or how your trade show display is set up. The most important element is your staff. Your trade show staff is the key to having a successful show. They are the ones who represent your company and have the responsibility of prequalifying the visitors to your exhibit. They are also the ones who convert prospects into buyers.

The ideal staff will truly believe in your company and products. They will have to have good customer and communication skills and know what the goals and objectives are for the trade show. Your staff should have extensive training before the show. It is helpful to use a practiced script that greets the visitors, introduces the staff member and has a brief overview of the company.

Everyone who is going to be working in your exhibit should know exactly what is going on and what you expect out of them. They all should know when to arrive, what to wear, and how long they will be on the trade show floor.

One important thing to remember is not to over staff your trade show exhibit. If your area is too crowded it may keep visitors from coming into your area. You should also have a plan for doing follow-ups right after the show ends. Each staff person should have a list of people to follow up with. Effective ways to do this include sending out marketing materials, phone calls and letters.

To get the most out of your trade show exhibit you need to have an excellent staff. They are the key to closing sales and getting new leads to follow. You can have the best displays and the biggest trade show exhibit. However, if you don’t have a friendly and knowledgeable staff your trade show will not be as effective.