Yesterday I mentioned that the Small Business Expo is coming up in a couple of week, so today I thought I would post some helpful hints for getting the most out of your tradeshow booth.

Before the show

  1. Prepare 3-6 questions that will stimulate thought and encourage conversation. Think like a journalist – ask open ended questions that begin with who, what, where, when, why or how.
  2. Think of incentives for people to give you their contact information
  3. Promote your attendance at the show
  4. Set measurable goals for the show

At the show

  1. Keep notes of your conversations
  2. Listen twice as much as you talk
  3. Break out of your comfort zone – don't spend all of you time talking to people you already know.
  4. Ask permission to add people to your mailing list. Just because you have their business card, doesn't mean you have permission to start spamming them.

After the show

  1. Follow up, follow up, follow up
  2. Evaluate the show based on your goals. What lessons did you learn? What will you do differently next time? Write it down.

What are you favorite tips for having a successful tradeshow? Leave them in the comments below.

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Bill Brelsford Small Business Marketing Consultant