Exhibiting Success

Building service contractors can’t grow their business if they don’t go out and generate new sales leads. Cold calls, referrals and going door-to-door are all effective methods of meeting new clients, but for all the time spent, sales representatives can reach only a few people. To reach a larger audience in one shot, it may be a wise investment to network with clients in person at their trade shows.

“Exhibiting at trade shows offers an opportunity to concentrate your marketing dollars in one location where you can interface with a large number of decision makers,” says Jim Doles, vice president of marketing at Varsity Contractors, Inc. of Boise, Idaho.

In addition, trade shows can provide great public relations opportunities and allow BSCs to gather plenty of potential leads, says Anthony Piucci, vice president of sales and marketing for ABM Janitorial of San Francisco.

However, this doesn’t mean BSCs can simply rent a booth, hand out a few trinkets and expect to reap the rewards. Making a trade show work requires a large investment of time, forethought and expense.

Finding the right show
Achieving marketing success from trade shows starts before the actual show. Prior to signing up, BSCs should know who is attending and know the market to which the show caters, says Piucci. BSCs in need of a starting point can review a national directory of trade shows to help determine what trade shows will be a good match.

BSCs should make sure the shows they choose are a good fit for their market and company size.

“A small janitorial operation probably shouldn’t attend a national show. The marketing opportunities will be limited,” says Barbara Luna, marketing director for FBG Services of Omaha, Neb.

For smaller BSCs, local or regional shows might be the best bet. This way they can connect with local facility managers, says Luna.

When choosing a show, BSCs also need to make sure that the right decision makers will be attending. Simply finding a trade show that seems to fit the market is not enough.

“You need to know the essence and orientation of the trade association putting on the show … so you can make sure that decision makers who can become prospective customers will be the attendees,” says Luna.

Spending three or four days at a trade show where none of the attendees can actually sign a contract would be a marketing disaster. Finding out who will be attending takes a little effort, but is not difficult.

“Most trade associations will tell anyone who their membership is and who attends their trade shows,” says Doles.

BSCs can also ask their customers which shows they attend and use that as a starting point, adds Doles. In addition, if a BSC has any doubt about whether a trade show is worth attending, a simple way to judge the show is to go as an attendee first, says Luna.

“This will give you an opportunity to see if the right decision makers attend the show,” she adds.

Before the show
Once a BSC makes the decision to be an exhibitor, they should take advantage of some significant pre-show marketing opportunities. Typically, trade associations will give exhibitors a list of attendees who purchased tickets in advance and sometimes even give out membership lists, says Doles. Before the show, BSCs can direct mail marketing materials to grab the attention of potential customers before they walk the trade show floors, he adds.

Also, if existing customers are coming to the show you can make an early connection by giving customers passes to the show or to post-show entertainment, says Doles.Since BSCs are service providers, they need to convince prospective customers of their companies’ confidence and competence. Organizing a trade show social event or putting on an educational presentation are excellent opportunities to rub elbows with potential customers. They also possibly can enhance contractors’ credibility or convince customers of their reliability, says Luna.

At the show
Whether exhibiting is a success largely depends on the attitude of those staffing the booth.

“Don’t look like you are bored at the booth — nothing will drive away people faster,” says Luna.

Exhibitors need to engage with attendees and draw them over to the booth. Often companies send marketing professionals that know how to work a booth and attract visitors to a show, says Piucci.

Another way to lure people to the booth is by giving away small novelties such as pens, key chains, candy and even toys — all emblazoned with a company logo. Exhibitors should choose items that relate to their business so attendees can associate with the appropriate company when they get home, says Doles.

Besides attracting traffic to the booth, exhibitors need a method of tracking the potential leads they get at the show. Some events may have badges with barcodes that can be processed electronically. In any case, get business cards from everyone who stops by the booth. If BSCs have no way to follow up with the contacts they made, all the work is wasted, says Piucci.

Making sales
Trade shows, however, are not entirely without pitfalls. Exhibiting at a trade show is an expensive proposition.

“To make an effective marketing effort at a trade show, you are not only dealing with the cost of the booth, but also with large ancillary costs including entertainment, hotel rooms and travel, which can easily reach six figures,” says Piucci.

To maximize their dollars, BSCs need to find a trade show that focuses on their specific markets and allows them to reach the highest number of potential customers as possible. Otherwise, BSCs could spend a lot of money on what amounts to just a large party.

BSCs exhibiting at a trade show shouldn’t expect sales results overnight. This type of marketing requires a major commitment and can take years to reap the benefits.

“It often takes a lot of time to build the relationships that lead to sales. You can’t expect to go to a trade show and walk away with a bunch of new sales when you first start exhibiting,” says Luna.

Over time, however, contacts established at a show can lead to new accounts.

“Trade shows allow you to build an identity and presence in the marketplace which is the first step in market penetration,” says Doles.

While landing new clients may be slow, exhibiting at trade shows can help enhance credibility for BSCs almost immediately, says Doles. When customers see their BSC exhibiting at a trade show, it will prove to them that they have hired a reputable contractor.