PROforma Pow-Wow

Following Tradeshow, Follow Up Can Cement Customers

For every company participating in a tradeshow, follow up is especially an important part of its marketing strategy. Companies spend a lot of time and money preparing for a tradeshow and the materials they hand out. They also put in considerable effort getting visitors to stop into their booth to learn about their product or service and when they fail to contact the people that sought more information, all the time and expense are wasted.

Many companies offer a prize for which to be drawn at the end of a show and if they do not make as big a deal out of the winner of the prize as they did in its offering, they are missing some huge opportunities. Not only should they contact the winner immediately, they should also notify other entrants of the winner’s name. It is important that after a tradeshow, follow up takes place in a timely manner. Not only do other entrants receive the name of the winner, they are also reminded of the company’s name that sponsored the contest.

It used to be said that in marketing, it did not matter what anyone wrote about them, as long as they spelled the name right, but this is not true in today’s competitive field. Integrity is as much a part of a company’s marketing strategy as any other piece of the puzzle and when a company does what it say it is going to do at a tradeshow, follow up shows potential customers they can be trusted.

Tradeshow Follow Up More Important Than Event

During a tradeshow, the idea is to put company information into the hands of the attendees, but very little business is conducted during a tradeshow. Follow up with those expressing an interest in the company’s wares is what will make them remember. During the show with hundreds, possibly thousands of booths and reams of information, attendees are not going to take the time at the show to look through all the information handed them as walk through the event.

It is essential to obtain contact information of the decision-makers during a tradeshow, follow up with them after the event and keep the company’s name in their mind as the days go on. It is never a bad idea to send periodic information about new products or services that are matched to the recipients, but never a good idea to keep sending it after they tell the company to stop.

Tradeshow Marketing

Tradeshow Marketing Can Make or Break Presentation

When it comes to marketing your business, participating in a tradeshow is one way to get your name in front of a lot of potential customers. However, tradeshows typically are not cheap and in addition to paying for the space, you have to have quality marketing materials to hand out to attendees as well as pay for the employees working at the show. With all of this expense for a tradeshow, marketing has to be on top of the game to drive visitors into your booth.

It will make no difference what you’re selling, product or service or how good your program is. If you can’t draw visitors into your booth you will have wasted a lot of money on time and materials. The only way to get a return on your investment (ROI) is by having visitors stop and learn more about your business. However, at a trade show that has possibly hundreds of vendors, many offering the same or similar services, getting some of the thousands of visitors to stop requires tradeshow, marketing of something that set you apart from everyone else.

If you sent invitations to existing and potential customers, have an entry form on the invitation for attendees to fill out with name, address and any other information you will need for follow up tradeshow marketing. Make it clear on the entry form exactly what the prize will be and when it will be announced and how the winner will be notified. They may be enticed to visit your display, if for nothing else but to drop off the entry. When they do is the time to work them into your offering.

Make Presentation Inviting To Potential Visitors

One of the biggest mistakes made by presenters at tradeshows are the people they choose to work the booth. They should be the best people you have, friendly, knowledgeable and outgoing. The ones who want to just sit behind a table can absolutely ruin your tradeshow marketing plan, as visitors may think they are not interested in meeting new people.

Regardless of the business you are in, have them dress professionally. The people sitting behind the booth should represent your company. They must reflect the integrity and intelligence and be bright enough to talk about your firm.

While an entry blank for a drawing to win a new car and the bowls of candy or other give-aways on the table may invite visitors into your booth, if is manned by malcontents dressed like they’re ready for a game of street hockey, your tradeshow marketing efforts will never score a goal.

Steps Involved in Printing

Quality Printing Is A Multi-Step Process

In business, printing is not something done with pencils the size of tree limbs. Those are left to those just learning to write. Printing can take different forms, from letterpress to offset printing, including web offset and screen print., and in order to have any product turn out as expected, there are certain steps that must be taken, and in the right order.

Without getting into a discussion on the different types of printing, the methods of preparing a job for reproduction, follows very similar methods. The first step is in the development of a concept. Many times it begins with a sketch on a napkin or on a paper lunch bag. The idea is born and then refined in trying to get the message correct and determine to whom that message applies and who will benefit the most from receiving it.

Next comes mock-up, which is a rough idea of what the finished product will look like when finished. This is possible one of the most important parts of coming up with a printing job, as many times people have a tendency to try to put too much information in one piece. Confusing, hard to read messages are typically thrown away by the recipient without being read. In the printing industry, the saying is true that less is more. There should be enough of the message presented to spark interest, but not enough to eliminate the need for follow up.

Choosing Right Color And Media

Once the product has been appropriately determined, the color of the ink and the color of the paper for printing are selected. Stay away from dark color papers, as they tend to hide most ink colors while light colors can also hide like-color inks. Never, ever use yellow ink on white paper as it becomes nearly impossible to read.

Depending on the size of your printing piece, a quality printer can help decide what the best method of printing should be to meet the needs. For small jobs, under 500 pieces on small postcard size papers, a hand-fed letterpress can be used. Typically used for wedding invitations or reply cards. Larger orders of larger items can be printed on an offset press, which today’s models can produce full color reproductions in mass quantities.

Cups, plates, shirts, hats and similar items are typically done with silk screen printing techniques, which are more conducive to irregular shaped products. But possibly the most important aspect of any printing is in proof reading the copy. Any misspelling will create a negative image as well as expense of doing it over.

Why should I use Promotional Products?

David Blaise an industry consultant always talks about the MVP's of marketing.

1. Create a compelling message
2. Determine which marketing vehicle you will use to get your message out
3. Create a list of people you would like to get your message.

A lot of times using a promotional product along with your message can be one of the best vehicles you use.  The Promotional Products Association (PPA) has done a study indicating that 76.1% of respondents recalled the advertisers name on a promotional product that they had received in the past 12 months. Additionally, 75.4% of respondents said they kept their promotional product because it was useful.

How powerful is that?  The $1.99 you spent on a promotional item to be mail out to 500 people stays with 75% of the people you just sent it out to for 1 year.  Consider the return on your investment?

Here is just one example of how a promotional product can work.  I gave out (for my own marketing) a highlighter that stands on your desk top and has a happy face.  My message to my prospects and clients was "We highlight your company".  I got a tremendous response from this promotion.  People called to say how much they just loved the item and that is put a smile on their faces.  Others called to place orders for that very product, and others called because they received it and now needed to order a promotional item for their company for a project that they were working on.

Welcome to day one!

Today is the first day of my new blog.  I have been contemplating doing this for over a year now.   I finally made the decsion to move ahead.

Over the next couple of weeks I will be providing you with all kinds of information on marketing, printing, e-commerce, and a new products page.  I hope you will come back to visit often.