[aageneral] Trade Show Promotional Products - Boosting Booth Traffic

Article Title: Trade Show Promotional Products - Boosting Booth
Traffic
Author Name: Cindy Carrera
Word Count: 625 @ 65 characters per line
Category: Marketing
Contact Email Address: cindy@corporate-promotional-gifts.com
Copyright Date: 2005
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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: http://www.corporate-
promotional-gifts.com/ , http://www.corporate-promotional-gifts.
com/wholesale-promotional-items.html and http://www.corporate-
promotional-gifts.com/custom-promotional-products.html

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