It happens way too often. An attendee visits your trade show exhibit and asks for more information. But when you follow up the following week, the attendee doesn't seem sure which exhibitor you were or which products they were interested in learning more about.
The problem is that after two days of frantically attending educational sessions and visiting booths, the attendee's memory failed her. She really meant it when she said she was interested in your product—but after visiting twelve more exhibits, it's all become a blur. She can't remember which exhibit and conversation correlates to your company.
The solution: Give every attendee an experience they won't forget. Here's how:
Eight Tactics to Maximize the Memorability of Your Trade Show Exhibit
1. Exude unique brand ambiance. The more distinctive you make your trade show exhibit design and marketing, the more likely it is that your booth will be the one that attendees remember after they've returned to the office.So rather than following the latest design and materials trends, try something unique that they can't possibly confuse with what your competitor did.
2. Give them something to talk about. Select a single aspect of your trade show exhibit to go all out on. It could be a dynamic architectural or sculptural element, a fabulous must-have giveaway, an experiential demo—anything really. Just make it unique enough that your salespeople can mention that aspect to jog the memories of prospects after the show. For instance, who could ever forget the exhibit where they got the golden retriever print socks? Or the booth with the giant garden tools?
3. Simplify. It's far more memorable to select a single point to focus on in your booth than it is to clutter your space with too much product and too many messages. This is one of those instances where less really is more. Think Apple Store and keep it clean, neat and organized.
4. Be interested in them. While discovering each attendee's needs, don't forget to get to know the person in front of you. He could be the contact you'll be working with if this lead eventually becomes a sale. Greet every attendee like you're really glad they're there and use personality and anecdotes to make them feel both comfortable and important.
5. Customize the conversation to their needs. Most exhibitors greet attendees with a canned pitch. "This is what we'd like you to know about us…" Stand out by making the conversation not about what you want the attendee to hear—but by making the conversation about hearing what the attendee wants.
6. Provide hands-on interaction. What people hear only sticks with them to a certain point. What they can physically see and touch is more likely to stick with them in the long run. Get them hands-on so they experience what you have to offer for themselves and you're likely to hit the bulls-eye. This can be a technology activation or an old-school hands-on experience. Both approaches work.
7. Include an image with your follow-up email. Precede your follow-up call with an email that includes an image that will refresh the attendee's memory. It could be an image of your booth, a demo they engaged in—or even a product they were interested in.
8. Take detailed notes. If you can remind the attendee of the conversation she had in your exhibit, you'll both jog her memory and show that your company really is listening. The ideal is to capture each attendee's challenge they are looking to solve, as well as a summary of the solutions you discussed with them and their reactions to each of them. Project date, location and scale information is useful too as you confirm the project specs.
These are just a few tactics you can use to increase the memorability of your trade show exhibit. What tactics do you use? We'd love to hear.
