Trade Show Promotional Products ? Boosting Booth Traffic

I was about seven or eight years old when I learned the value of promotional items at trade shows. I just didn't know it yet. I was at a home show with my parents. As we walked through the hall it was held in, I noticed people walking around with yardsticks. I really had no need for a yardstick, but seeing them made me want one. So, to make me happy, my parents kept an eye out for the booth passing out the yardsticks. I got my yardstick, and my dad got a deck from the contractor who was passing them out. I use that example to paint a picture that promotional items can and do work at trade shows- although the target audience usually isn't a third-grader with a $10/week allowance!

The whole idea of a trade show or seminar booth is to gain new customers and perhaps repeat business from past customers. The whole idea of using a promotional item at your booth is to attract people to your table, generate interest and hopefully provoke questions. However, promotional items can also be dangerous. Why? Because people love free stuff- so you have to do this properly.

You cannot confuse an effective giveaway with a 'freebie'- many trade show attendees love to walk around and simply collect everything in sight. You do not want this to happen at your booth. But, some trade show booth workers are quick to just lay the items out and sit back and read the paper, while qualified leads walk away with the stuff. A few suggestions to avoid that are to keep your giveaways out of arm's reach. Then, when people approach your table, grab one and hold it, and strike up a conversation by asking a question. Then, hand them the item. Perhaps the conversation will even continue. This way, they will be walking away with the item, but also with a message about your business. Or you can offer an item to people walking by, and when they approach you to take it you can surprise them by asking qualifying question to strike up a conversation.

Another way to utilize giveaways is to create a theme for your booth, and incorporate your promotional items into that theme. Your whole booth will stand out, and will make a lasting impression. Perhaps you are an HVAC dealer. You could use the theme "Stay Cool This Summer" and have people sign up for a free air conditioner. As they fill out their entry forms (which you will use as leads), you can pass out cheap plastic sunglasses with your name on them. Or, perhaps you can even hand out bottled water with your label on it. The whole theme idea is a cohesive way to build leads, build recognition and even excitement.

There is also a lesser-known way to promote your trade show booth. You can actually promote your giveaway before the show even happens. You can send out an invitation to customers you know typically attend the shows, and on that invitation you can say, "The first 100 people to stop by our booth will get a free travel mug!" This will build traffic before the show even opens. Another way to do this is to send out a note to current or potential clients with a small item, such as a pen or magnet and then asking them to drop by your booth. They may feel obligated to since you already gave them something.

The secret weapon here is not just in the product itself, but how it is distributed. With the right product and the right salesperson working the booth, promotional items can be a very powerful tool. The leads and follow-up business will prove it!

Cindy Carrera is a freelance creative author who's written numerous articles about PR including: business promotional items, custom promotional products and wholesale promotional items.

---

Customer Lifetime Value - The Key To Maximizing Your Profits!

The greatest asset to your business is your Customer, specifically,... Read More

Niche with Passion and Reap Your Financial Rewards

One of the keys to creating a successful business is... Read More

SMS for the Estate Agent - Targeted Marketing Tool, or Legal Minefield?

Imagine having at your disposal a means to immediately inform... Read More

Ten Easy Marketing Tasks You Can Do NOW

Who says scientists can't market? Here are 10 easy marketing... Read More

Are You Overlooking Your Hidden Profit Centers?

There are other names given to "Back-End Selling". You may... Read More

10 Important Marketing Tips

Each of the following Ten Marketing Tips is based on... Read More

The Day I Learned to Start Saying No

It was the fall of 1998 when I had just... Read More

The Seven Deadly Sins of Ineffective Nametags

Your nametag can be your best friend. It can be... Read More

The Marshall Plan -- Or, Customer Aftercare: How To Spend Less & Sell More

My wife likes to shop at the local Safeway. Is... Read More

Features vs. Benefits vs. End Results

If you've been in the copywriting realm for very long... Read More

How to Save Thousands on Your Marketing

Marketing can be expensive. It doesn't have to be, but... Read More

Marketing Strategy - Whats Your System?

Where Do Most of Your Clients Come From?Is it from... Read More

Are Corporate Awards and Corporate Gifts Beneficial for Your Business?

With the increased challenges that all companies are faced with,... Read More

Neuromarketing: Smart Marketing Or Jedi Mind Control Trick?

In the international bestseller "Blink," Malcolm Gladwell explains why our... Read More

Guerilla Marketing Lesson 2: Why Do People Call Me?

Before we begin, I want you to think about how... Read More

How to Make Profits With a Commission Mailing Business

There are many mailorder publications that will list... Read More

Future of Marketing Part 2

In Part 1, I discussed how traditional marketing is no... Read More

Universal Principals That Guide Business Growth

Universal principals are those "self-evident" truths that have guided brilliant... Read More

3 Ways to Gain and KEEP Customers Using Postcards

In today's competitive (sometimes cutthroat) marketplace, savvy business owners need... Read More

10 Surefire Ways to Add Sizzle to Your Brochures

Businesses rely on brochures as their front line in communicating... Read More

Are Your Prospects Walking Out on You?

After 11 years in sales, I've put together and delivered... Read More

Mail Orders Most Common Mistakes

THE GREAT MAIL ORDER MYTH There are a number of... Read More

19 Ways To Attract Higher Paying Clients

Some people have little difficulty attracting and maintaining clients who... Read More

5 Steps for Developing a Marketing Tag Line for Your Product, Business, or Website

A marketing tag line is the one or two line... Read More

Terrific Titles, Happenin Headlines

You've probably heard the slogan, "You never get a second... Read More

Value Proposition is the Key to Success

Value proposition is treated as the standards or service that... Read More

D.A.N.C.E. With Me

Recently, a client asked what he could do to help... Read More

The 30 Incredible Ways To Sell Your Products Now and Sell More

How to sell more and sell quickly online for your... Read More

Consumer Thinking And Search Marketing

12/20/04According to a recent article by ComScore Networks, about three-quarters... Read More

Identifying, Creating and Using Your USP?

What's your USP? Don't know, or worse still, you've never... Read More

Collecting Customer Data The Easy Way

Market research is a critical component of any marketing strategy.... Read More

Your Ultimate Competitive Advantage

The biggest secret to success in business is to always... Read More

Comprehensive Marketing Details Not Found in Beginner Books

If this is the first marketing article you are reading,... Read More