As we approach the new year, improvement is at the forefront and your vision for the future of your business is clearer than ever. That means knowing how to show your best self and keep it going. Achieving this is a never-ending challenge, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember to keep it simple. Sometimes we mess with simplicity in our minds and it ends up being too complicated. The exhibition is full of so many variables, so it’s understandable: you see your competitor doing X, so why not do it too?
Fortunately, there is no ONE way to be “the best.” Instead, we strive to be the best YOU can be. Being the best you can be means having confidence in yourself and your abilities. It’s about believing in the value you bring to the exhibition world. Every business has its own strengths and weaknesses, and being comfortable with that is essential to success. Let 2023 be the year you learn to be the best you can be!
Focus on your customer
First, remember that the success of your business depends on the reaction of your customers, who are the true indication of a successful product. When you exhibit, you must create an experience that will provide value to your customers. Value can be different for each group, but to better understand it, remember that value is the perception of how a service or product meets an individual’s needs and expectations. It combines tangible elements, such as quality, convenience, cost, as well as intangible elements such as customization and reliability. These elements can be communicated through the experiences customers have at your exhibits. Can they immediately identify the value you offer? Do they feel it or do you have to explain it to them?
Ultimately, value is what motivates customers to buy products or services from you over your competitors. So figure out what they value and how your business best communicates that. It can be helpful to answer this question: Why is my customer here? And work from there.
Choose your trade shows wisely
Of course, another key to showing value to your customers is making sure you’re in the right place. When you exhibit at the right shows, you get the best results. The key to this: RESEARCH. You can’t just go to any show and expect to get great results. You first need to research the audience and the other companies attending. Is the audience your target market? Are the companies your competitors? Both of these statements can be true for a show, and it may not produce good results for you. Why? Maybe your competitors haven’t done their research. Focus on niche shows that will provide the best value to your customers. Once you’ve been to a few shows, analyze which shows did well.
The only way to track this is to attend each show with key performance indicators.
Developing an intentional strategy
Developing an exhibit strategy starts with understanding your goals and how to make the most of the event. What does success look like for your business at the show? Having clear, definable, and trackable marketing initiatives leading up to a show will help you understand the effectiveness of the show once it’s over. What are you trying to achieve and communicate to your customer? How can you best achieve that? Of course, you then need to be able to look at the impact of your strategy and ensure that what you wanted happened, and determine if it didn’t happen and why. You can do this based on the goals you’ve set and by gathering feedback from attendees as well as determining your ROI.
And yes, this is not a one-time, definitive process, it’s actually a long-term change for your business. We call this the campaign experience.
Create a campaign-like experience
When creating a “campaign” experience to exhibit at trade shows, focus on the long term. Not every show will generate huge results. It can take time to develop a good understanding and rhythm for your events. This will help you find the optimal outcome and maximize the customer experience. In fact, it’s surprising that brands don’t often use this strategy for trade shows, given how effective it is in other forms of marketing. Yet, leveraging this approach can lead to great success at the show floor. Using post-show analytics and insights can help you develop and improve your campaign and better understand how customers interact with your exhibit space, what resonates with them most, and what activities generate the most interest.
Not only does this give you direction, it also provides you with benchmarks and methods to see and establish growth. All of this can set you apart from your competitors.
Stand out
Before you enter a trade show, it’s important to assess your competition. Take note of what they do that you don’t and how that might affect your market positioning. Figure out how to differentiate yourself from them by offering a unique value proposition. Once you understand their strengths and weaknesses, you’ll be able to find areas where you can differentiate yourself and provide a greater benefit to your customers. Which brings us back to where we started. Focus on your customers.
You see, the process is not a one-size-fits-all method. It should be an iterative, cyclical process. Review it every year, every quarter, after every show, whatever works for your business, but the key is to continually re-evaluate and refine it until you actually start seeing results.
You want to be seen as the best in your field. How do you get there? First, focus on your clients’ needs and wants. Then, choose the salons that will help you reach those clients and strategize for each one, an experience that sets you apart from the rest. Finally, commit to being consistent and tracking your progress at every opportunity.
You may realize that trade shows aren’t as necessary as you thought. In that case, find a new revenue stream that will move your business forward and never look back. No matter the outcome, if you don’t do the work, commit to the process, measure the results, and analyze the data, you’ll never know. There’s no easy way to do your best work and show it off, but you can start today. Rockway is here to help you along the way.