Last week I had the opportunity to set up a vendor display at a local small business expo. This was exciting for me because it was a chance to personally apply the tips and tricks I've shared with my own customers - to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.
While far from doubling my business overnight, my participation in the event was successful and also educational. Here are some additional ideas I learned that I hope you'll consider when setting up your own vendor booths:
First, have a "dry run" vendor booth at a minor event before participating in a major event where you'll be getting a high level of exposure to multiple sales prospects. This was how I used the small business expo: I knew that it was a small event and that most of the other attendees would be independent sales reps of companies like Avon and Amway....not the types of businesses that I anticipate providing much work for me since their "parent" organizations fill that need in large part. The dry run was a great chance to work out the logistics of setting up for the event (now I know to bring an extension cord for my PC), to polish my "elevator pitch" -- the 30 second speech I use to draw in a customer and to verify that my display is clear and understandable by my audience.
Next, HAVE SWAG. This is important for any business, but especially so for businesses (like mine) that don't have an inherently "sexy" product or service to offer. Some small freebie - pens, candy, an iPod drawing, etc. - is crticial to getting people to approach your display. I strongly suggest freebies that relate to your business (e.g. if you run a tanning salon, pass out tanning goggles with your name on them) and/or are useful for the event the visitors are attending (pens, notepads, bags to hold their stuff, etc.).
Also, research the other vendors who are participating in advance Usually you can get at least a partial list of the other vendors setting up at a conference or expo. Taking a few minutes to Google them and get some idea of who they are/what they do can give you a heads-up on which ones to visit yourself and how to approach them. As a small business consultant, I found it useful to be able to show off a little bit by telling the other vendors what I'd been able to learn about them and their industries.
My biggest "aha!" moment, however, was this: Think about REFERALL-BASED opportunities.
As I said, 80% of the othe vendors at my event weren't themselves good candidates for my services. But as I spoke with them, most of them mentioned other small businesses that they work with - their own customers, family members, etc. - who might be interested in my services. By making a good impression on these other vendors, I was able to uncover additional job leads.
Lastly, don't go cheap. A cheap, homemade display fails to draw in visitors to your display and fails to convey your business as a "for real" enterprise. Professional-quality displays aren't cheap, but they're a necessary investment if you want to market in that setting. I had to rely on a rush-job homemade display in this instance. Fortunately there were other businesses who also did so, so I didn't stand out looking amateurish. However, my fellow "rookie" businesses and I definitely took a back seat to our more polished counterparts.
What have you seen that was effective at vendor booths when you've participated in these events either as a vendor or a customer?
While far from doubling my business overnight, my participation in the event was successful and also educational. Here are some additional ideas I learned that I hope you'll consider when setting up your own vendor booths:
First, have a "dry run" vendor booth at a minor event before participating in a major event where you'll be getting a high level of exposure to multiple sales prospects. This was how I used the small business expo: I knew that it was a small event and that most of the other attendees would be independent sales reps of companies like Avon and Amway....not the types of businesses that I anticipate providing much work for me since their "parent" organizations fill that need in large part. The dry run was a great chance to work out the logistics of setting up for the event (now I know to bring an extension cord for my PC), to polish my "elevator pitch" -- the 30 second speech I use to draw in a customer and to verify that my display is clear and understandable by my audience.
Next, HAVE SWAG. This is important for any business, but especially so for businesses (like mine) that don't have an inherently "sexy" product or service to offer. Some small freebie - pens, candy, an iPod drawing, etc. - is crticial to getting people to approach your display. I strongly suggest freebies that relate to your business (e.g. if you run a tanning salon, pass out tanning goggles with your name on them) and/or are useful for the event the visitors are attending (pens, notepads, bags to hold their stuff, etc.).
Also, research the other vendors who are participating in advance Usually you can get at least a partial list of the other vendors setting up at a conference or expo. Taking a few minutes to Google them and get some idea of who they are/what they do can give you a heads-up on which ones to visit yourself and how to approach them. As a small business consultant, I found it useful to be able to show off a little bit by telling the other vendors what I'd been able to learn about them and their industries.
My biggest "aha!" moment, however, was this: Think about REFERALL-BASED opportunities.
As I said, 80% of the othe vendors at my event weren't themselves good candidates for my services. But as I spoke with them, most of them mentioned other small businesses that they work with - their own customers, family members, etc. - who might be interested in my services. By making a good impression on these other vendors, I was able to uncover additional job leads.
Lastly, don't go cheap. A cheap, homemade display fails to draw in visitors to your display and fails to convey your business as a "for real" enterprise. Professional-quality displays aren't cheap, but they're a necessary investment if you want to market in that setting. I had to rely on a rush-job homemade display in this instance. Fortunately there were other businesses who also did so, so I didn't stand out looking amateurish. However, my fellow "rookie" businesses and I definitely took a back seat to our more polished counterparts.
What have you seen that was effective at vendor booths when you've participated in these events either as a vendor or a customer?
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