Making Your Company Shine

As you are starting the New Year, there are things you can do to create an image for your company that will shine above the rest. Every day you can find stories on the economy, unemployment rates, and business success. There's no doubt that business owners and consumers are leary. In a difficult or unsure economy, one of the things businesses do first is cut back on their marketing budgets. Instead of cutting back, keen business owners should be taking this opportunity to outshine their competition. When trying to figure out what you would like to do with your company this year, here are a few pointers to keep in mind.

1. Develop a plan. It is always surprising how many small companies neglect to do any kind of business or marketing planning. Figure out where you want to go and how you are going to get there. Then, write the plan down and update it periodically.
2. View marketing as an investment. The more you strategically market to the people who need your product or service, the more customers you will attract.
3. Evaluate what you are currently doing to make sure the money you are spending is working for you. Don't use strategies just because they are part of a traditional marketing program. Focus your efforts on what gets the best results.
4. Stop using strategies that are not working and always remember to test and measure so you know whether you are effectively reaching your target audience.
5. Review your marketing message. You want to be certain it clearly and concisely demonstrates "What's in it for me?".
6. Don't forget to have fun. If you love what you do and are having fun doing it, you will have no choice but to succeed.

Getting the Most Out of a Trade Show or Event

Any event, whether it is a trade show or local arts/crafts show, takes deliberate planning to be a success. From pre-show promotion to post-show follow-up, every detail counts. To help you make your trade show a complete success, we’ve put together some great tips. These tips can be used by any business - regardless of size or what you are selling.

How much time and money do you expend making one sales call? Most small business owners would not be able to answer that question and yet they are working hard every day to reach out to as many people as they can hoping that one or two might jump at an offer. I would venture to say that once you calculate your hourly rate (for those who don't typically bill by the hour for their time) and figure in how much time you are spending to identify and reach out to prospects as well as how much money you are spending to market to them, you will be shocked at what it costs to gain a new customer.

Comparatively, you will find the expense of a sales call at a trade show can be a fraction of the cost associated with making direct sales calls. A trade show is the ideal setting to introduce your products and services to your target audience. If the trade show or event has been carefully selected to enhance your business product/service, you will have a captive audience. Statistics show, on average, it takes only one follow-up to close a lead that was generated at a trade show exhibit. Having exhibit space at an event can bring you a lot of inquiries, leads, referrals and sales - but only if you’ve taken the initiative to pre-plan your event.

Here are some suggestions for getting the most out of a trade show or event.

Advertise your appearance:

If you opened a store in a shopping mall, would you advertise and promote your business get people in the door? Of course you would! Well, while the type of advertising might be different, the same is true of a trade show. Send letters, e-mail, and postcards to both existing clients and prospects. If the event producer provides you with printed or electronic flyers of the event, put them to good use. If they don't provide this type of media as a general course of promoting the show, ask them if they would send you what they've prepared. Consider including teasers in your mailings such as coupons, discounts or prizes and let the recipients know they can be picked up at your exhibit.

Design your exhibit:

If you've never attended a trade show or event before, it is very important to know how you will set up your exhibit beforehand. Whether you are a "newbie" or a seasoned exhibitor, periodically take a look at your display and ask yourself, Does my exhibit have extraordinary eye appeal and stopping power?"

You want to build your display around your product, but you should avoid a lot of clutter on your table. You also want to create a way to capture names and contact information for the people that will stop by to talk with you. Finally, make sure you have a brochure and business card easily accessible on your table so someone can get your company information if you are busy speaking with another prospect.

Try to get someone to work with you at your exhibit:

Having an extra person at your exhibit will be very helpful, especially when you have a number of people that are interested in what you are selling. There are some key things to remember about staffing your booth though:

• Make sure your staff knows the product and can answer typical questions they may be asked. Prepare a 30-second description of what you do and make sure everyone knows the script. Make sure the description is concise and lets prospects know how your product or service can solve a particular problem for them.
  
• Choose a person (or persons) who will be enthusiastic when talking about your product or service.
  

During the event, greet visitors the right way:

Whatever you do, don’t sit down! I know, your feet get tired and at the end of the day, you can barely stand, but don’t do it. Also, don’t look bored, cross your arms, read, or eat at your exhibit table. You should take time for a break and if you have someone working with you, you can take turns with breaks throughout the day. As a little side note - do NOT take off your shoes during a break. You will not be able to get them back on and if you do, your feet will hurt even more.

Enough with the don’ts - here are some do’s. Do make sure your table is manned at all times. Smile and look approachable. Finally, engage visitors in conversation so you can make sure they are properly qualified as a prospect.

Qualify, qualify, qualify your leads:

Did I mention that you should qualify your leads? This step is very important. You want to engage a visitor in conversation so you can qualify their interest in whether they would like to buy now or later. Use lead sheets to keep track of potential customers. To qualify the leads, ask pre-determined questions and make note of the answers. Remember to ask if it is acceptable for you to follow up with them and find out how they would like you to make the contact (phone, email, mail). Code the sheets to place a level of priority and make notes of any specific requests.

Bring the right materials:

As mentioned earlier, you should have some sort of brochure that explains the benefits of your products and services. You should also have a good supply of business cards. We’ve found some terrific companies for printing and promotional items. So, if you need to have anything printed, contact North Central Jersey Printing. Would you like to give away some logo’d items? Michael Schleifer at All-Ways Advertising is the expert to call on promotional items. Finally, would you like to give away a gift basket as a door prize? Contact Bellisimo / The Giving Basket (named one of the top 50 gift basket companies in the country). If you contact any of these professionals, please tell them you were referred by Eagle Soars Marketing. These companies can handle orders from anywhere in the country so don't hesitate to contact them because of distance.

Don't Forget Another Must - Evaluate/Debrief:

After each show day, assess the leads generated and sort them for follow up. Schedule time during the days after the show to follow up with your qualified leads. For less urgent leads, try sending a simple "Thank You" note for stopping by your Booth. Invite them as Special Guests to visit your business or offer incentives. Save the mailing list. Give some time and follow up again. They just may be ready to do business.