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Current Specials
What to give your trade show booth visitors
This is probably one of our most asked questions.
You first have to decide what your purposed for being at the show is. Are you there to build your name recognition? There to sell something or get someone to open an account? There to get people to sign up for a salesperson to visit later? There to get their email address so you can send them more information?
Each reason would probably require a different promotional item. We are just going to discuss the first one today and we will cover each one over the next couple of days.
There to build name recognition
If you are there trying to build name recognition, then hand out stuff with your name on it. I know it sounds pretty simple, and it is. Look at the way the big companies do it: Pepsi, Budweiser, Sears. When you go to a trade show that they have a display at, do they try to sell you a bottle of Pepsi? No! They might have you try a sample of a new drink they have, but they aren’t going to make you buy it. I bet you will walk away from their booth with a T-shirt, hat or something else with their name on it. You will become a walking billboard for them which will raise their name recognition.
It’s the same with their TV commercials. Do the commercials end with an 800 number to call to order a case of Pepsi? No. They just do it to get their name constantly in front of you.
So…… If you are there to build name recognition for your company then hand out things with your name on it that people will see. Let them become walking billboards for your company.
There to sell something or get someone to open an account
This is different than building name recognition, you are trying to close the customer right there. You need to offer your potential customer an item that they perceive as having high value. I can’t count the number of times customers have called me and asked for some cheap item to give people at an upcoming trade show. After asking the purpose of them being there, and finding out it’s to “close”, I’ll ask what there budget is per customer. Some people have answered under $1 per customer. If you are selling something of great value, a $1 item might almost be an insult to a person. If someone is going to open a $10,000 stock market account, buy a $15K boat or something along those lines, do you really think a $1 item is going to persuade them? I’ve asked my customers if they thought standing in front of their booths offering $1 bills to people to buy a boat would sway anyone. They obviously answered no. Then I ask why they think a $1 item will be any different. I can’t give recommendations here because every case is different. If you would like some recommendations please contact us at support@TradeShowItems.com.
I’d like to add that this is for “closing” only. I don’t recommend high dollar items when you are just trying to build name recognition.
Promote Your Site Offline With Promotional Items
Promotional Items, also known as Advertising Specialties, are the giveaway items businesses use to promote their company. Although many are given away, many can also be sold at either a break even point for the business, or maybe even a profit. Look at the number of shirts the next time you go to the mall. How many Nike, Coke, Budweiser or other company names do you see people wearing? Those companies have the brand name recognition that makes people want to pay to wear a shirt with the company’s name on it.
Almost every Advertising Specialty made today has a website name imprinted on it somewhere. It has become a very cost effective way to promote your website offline. Take a look at the pens you come in contact with from now on. I’ll bet you will see a website address on most of them. Although pens are probably the most popular Promotional Item, you can imprint your website address on 1000’s of items. Anything that will be kept on or near a desk has great potential to advertise your website. The closer you can get your item to a computer the better.
The reason you want your imprinted item near a computer should be obvious, you want them thinking of your website when they are at a computer. That’s why restaurants that deliver send you refrigerator magnets in the mail. They want you to call them when you can’t find anything to make, or when you just don’t feel like making anything. Oil change companies put static cling stickers in your car to remind you of oil changes. Car dealers make sure the keys they give you come with a keychain with their name on it.
Computer monitor calendars are probably the best item to promote your business near a computer. They are very inexpensive and are kept right near the computer screen. With the new ability to start them with July, you are almost guaranteed to have your website address in front of your potential customers for almost a year. Also, since they stick to the monitor they are less likely to be borrowed and never returned like a pen.
USB memory devices, mouse pads, computer monitor clips, CD holders and other computer related items are also good choices to promote your website address. Even a simple coffee cup that is turned into a pen holder, or maybe a candy dish, will keep your website address in front of your potential customers.
