Getting prepared to take part in a trade show is hectic and time consuming, to say the least. You've made your travel plans and worked out your shipping and spent countless hours putting together your display booth. If you haven't given more than a cursory thought to your printed promotional materials, you could be stifling the results of all your hard work.



Let me relate an example from the recent past to serve as a cautionary tale. The setting was a regional telecommunications trade show that I was attending a few months ago. Now, I won't point any fingers, but one of the primary sponsors of the show had spent thousands of dollars on displays, had likely spent just as much getting their demo products on site and had paid to get their people there to shake hands and make sales connections. I'd like to say they had all of their bases covered, but they had left the home plate unguarded, metaphorically speaking. They didn't have any printed materials available at all.

I was struck by this as I worked my way through their large display area, shaking hands in greeting and listening to product pitches. Sure, they were making an impression at the show, but how could they expect anyone to remember that impression in the days and weeks following the show? In short, they couldn't.

I know I'll get called for arm chair quarterbacking on this one, but let me point out a couple of ways printed marketing could have made their trade show effort less flash and more substance.

Business Card Printing: I must have shook hands with a dozen different people at this company's booths and do you know how many business cards I received? Exactly one. That card came from a gentleman who seemed to be one of the lower level techs in with the company and the card itself was a generic company card with a blank line where the tech had hastily scrawled out his name and number with a blue ink pen. This is not the kind of impression you want to make. Now suppose I had wanted to contact this company about purchasing product from them. The only name and number I had from them was for their tech support.

Don't make this mistake. Get professional business cards printed for yourself and anyone representing your company. Also, though I typically support using dual sided business cards, you will likely want to go with one sided cards for trade shows. Having that blank space on the back of your business card will allow potential clients to jot down notes on the back of the card itself so they can remember who you are and what you have to offer.

Flyer Printing: Like I mentioned, the unnamed company had an unusual amount of floor space compared to other vendors. I saw a wide variety of products, some new and some not so new. Without a piece of paper in my briefcase to remind me, I must confess, the only products I really remember are the ones I was already familiar with. I have nothing to remind me of the names of the equipment on display or any of the features that might have sold me on them.

This is an easy one. If you have a product or a line of products on display at your booth, have flyers on hand for each product. Make sure to use color flyers that will stand out from the rest of the pack and make sure the product is prominently displayed with clear copywriting that lays out the strengths of your product and what it has to offer the client.

Folders: Our example company, amid their other offerings, was particularly pushing a new product that they said was going to be a groundbreaker and a money maker. Without giving too much away, it was a product designed with disaster relief in mind. Now, this wasn't something my company needed but I sat through their demonstration out of curiosity. Lots of technical information was thrown around and monitors displayed graphs and equipment set up details. Yet again, though, there was no paper work to back it up and keep it fresh in the minds of the customer.

If you have a product you will be displaying extensively, make sure to have presentation folders printed up and on hand for people viewing your demos. I recommend having the name of the product prominently displayed on the front of the folder, along with a short buy-line like “Don't wait for an emergency to call,” your company name and contact information. In the inner jacket you should place a promo booklet with product details and highlights of your demonstration. The flap should, ideally, have a “cut out” that will allow you to attach the business card of the sales team member leading the demo. As a final touch, include a pen with your company name in each folder, so that potential clients can make notes about particular features they like or may want to inquire further regarding.

I hope I didn't beat our example company into the ground, but I thought the experience and my impressions could serve as a cautionary tale of how not to do a trade show, while showing how attention to details can make or break your sales efforts. I remember that company, but its for all the wrong reasons. Make sure all your bases are covered before you embark on your next trade show.