Home shows can be extremely profitable if adequate planning is done and if the booth is eye catching and is staffed with high energy producers. I have won best in show on multiple occasions while exhibiting. This year due to the fact that I am growing my business at a rapid rate, I have not yet exhibited. I'm sure my competitors are thrilled to death about this, but their day is coming. However, I do have at least three shows scheduled for this year. Yesterday I walked through the HBA (Home Builders Show) which I have always exhibited at with the exception of this year and noticed that the vast majority of exhibitors were sitting behind their table, chatting with someone from a neighboring booth, sitting around gossiping, texting or doing something on their mobile devices. What a mistake. I never allowed my people to have a device at a show, nor did I allow chairs. It's business and requires 110% of everyone's attention to make the effort worth the expense. Trade shows are not a place for the sick lame and lazy!
You must know who the people are that attend these shows. Sure you will always have the booth kickers who are just strolling by to pick up trinkets, swag or whatever in the hell you want to call the freebies. You must get these people away from your booth as quickly as possible. Don't worry about being overly polite. Simply tell them to scram. If that doesn't work be a little more blunt and tell them to get the **** out of my space. I paid for this 8 x 10 booth and frankly, you are not welcome here, stroll down and visit my lethargic competitor. Spend no time talking to people who are just bored and want to share their life story with you. They are like blood engorged ticks and will drain the life out of your staff who are manning your booth. Separate the wheat from the chaff, the riff from the raff and focus on BUYERS. It's all about lead generation, lead conversion and customer fulfillment, nothing more nothing less.
A few years back I was exhibiting at the experience in Clear Water Beach Florida and used a classy and leggy model with short shorts sporting my logo to bring attendees to my booth. It paid off in spades. I sold more programs during that one show than I had in the previous year. I knew who my potential customers were. Even after that success some gas bag from the plain state of Kansas, made it his life to criticize my marketing strategies. I was accused by him of using sex to sell my services, etc, etc. All the while this under achieving, wanna be carpet cleaner was spending his time hiding in the bushes in company issued, piss stained skivvies staking out hotels to catch his competitors dumping waste water into public drain system all due to his jealousy that the competitor took an account from him.
So in closing,
To hell with what I or others tell you about home shows and the likes, if you feel up to it then goes balls to the wall and then and only then will you know if it was a success.
Here's to your success!
Ivan
