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Attending business events, be they networking events, trade shows, industry conferences, or otherwise, can be a hugely important part of your annual marketing strategy. Few channels provide you with such an opportunity to work directly on leads and build a buzz around the latest developments of the business. But that’s only true if you’re able to use those events effectively.
Build the hype
Events do not begin when the doors open to visitors. They begin well before that, when the event coordinators and many attending businesses will be bringing attention to the event and what they plan to do there. Make sure that you’re making good use of social media and other hype-building channels, such as your email marketing systems. Spread the word that you are going, share the news other attendees and the organizers are putting out, and give highlights as to what news or information you might be sharing there.
Bring your best
Whether you’re attending the event or not, you need to make sure that your brand is represented by the team who have the best skills when it comes to communicating your core value offer. As such, bringing members of the sales or marketing team is recommended as they will have the experience needed to capitalize on the lead-building opportunities there.
Stand out
A well-designed booth goes a long way in grabbing attention at an event. This doesn’t simply mean a clean build with a nicely printed image of your brand’s logo on it, either. To really stand out, you should look at using more attention-grabbing and active options such as LEDs and video screens from eventdisplay.com.au. This will give you the best possible opportunity to represent your brand in a way that actually attracts people to talk to you.
Be a great listener
You want to have a solid pitch ready to deliver to people who stop by your booth. Rehearsing your talking points and value proposition is important. However, too many event attendees talk too rigidly around those points, losing the interest of potential leads who feel like they’re listening to a pitch, rather than having a conversation. Practice active listening with your team to make sure that you and they are responding to their input, rather than just barrelling over them.
Follow up
Every interaction that ends with some sort of swapping of details deserves a follow-up. In the case of low-value leads, this may simply be thanking them for their time (while leaving the door open for more.) For others, you might want to use CRM systems like https://www.crm.com.au/ to record details on the kind of conversation you had with them so, when you get back to the office, you can make sure you remember and follow up on details specific to that conversation. It can help you make a great impression if they feel seen and remembered, which is more likely to lead them further down the sales funnel.
With the tips above, you can help maximize the impact and the reach of your appearance at any event that your business makes a showing at. If you’re taking the time to make events part of your marketing calendar, then it’s worth investing in making them a success, too.
