VFM; exhibition space?

[Brown and Boris]

Anybody done any exhibitions with new products? I was wondering if you found them cost effective in terms of getting new customers, in particular for new products?

I have a range of 3 new product lines likley to be ready for launch this summer. My target customer group are bombarded with emails and glossy brochures every day, many of which go unread in the recycling bin so I thought this might be a cost effective way of raising a profile and getting the first few customers.

I thought about taking a stand at two exhibitions (one Autumn and one Winter). I was wondering what experiences people had of using large or small (technical or general) conferenmces and exhibitions to get a product known and sold? Getting access to the senior HR and research manager who would make the buying decisions is tough and I thought that at least while they were at conferences and exhibitions their phones are not ringing and you have a chance of 10 minutes of their time which you would normally have to be and travel miles for.

One is a big national 3 day event attached to their national conference where I can be pretty sure that someone from just about every prospective customer for the one product in the UK will be there (not neccesarily someone with the company cheque book but a pair of eyes reporting back at least). Stands are pre-built and I would have to have some banner stands made. They want £3.6K for the smallest stand and probably it will be closer to £5K plus the banner stands and materials. Probably a £7k investment. I would only have generte leads to sell 1 or 2 units a day to get my money back.

The second one is a trade exhibition at a niche academic/consultant conference attended by technical experts who are servicing the customers for all three lines. I would have to buy/hire a stand or have a pop up display stand made. Cheaper base costs, at about £1.5K. In the past at this conference I have seen some exhibitors make do with a table and a banner stand but it all looks a little 'craft fair' and if I did it I would want to do it properly as this is their first sight of the product and as subject experts anything that detracts from the launch could scupper it if they turn against it for any reason. I can probably get a paper in at the conference to support the launch.

[Simpo Two]

Like all advertising I'd say it's a gamble, and you can get an awful lot of sales phone calls for £7K. You might win a biggie, you might not.

One of my clients had a stand at a show in America and I produced a video for them which demmonstrated their large, hi-tech and complex product in a way visitors could understand quickly and easily. It was very successful and also helped attract people to the stand - but at about £5,000, probably not in your budget

[ukvoyager.info]

Another way to do it is go as a visitor and keep your beady eye on name badges. Then just introduce yourself and do your pitch like that.

You might get some good leads hanging around a competitors stand. It certainly worked for us!

[Brown and Boris]

ukvoyager.info said:

Another way to do it is go as a visitor and keep your beady eye on name badges. Then just introduce yourself and do your pitch like that.

You might get some good leads hanging around a competitors stand. It certainly worked for us!

One of my business buddies suggested that too. I am just not sure I have the balls to do in infront of the people who have paid for a stand (a number of whom I know, esp at the expert conference). He also left flyers in the coffee area which were quickly hoovered up by the organisers.

I had thought about buying in some sales calls but it is a fairly specialised product and I don't want to be trekking around the coutry to see people who have only a passing interest as I did this week when I arrived to find the guy wanted me to develop a paper and pencil version of the IT just for him because he didn't have a lap top. I could employ someone to do the sales calls and the house calls to on a commission basis I guess to make sure we didn't get joey leads that waste our time.

[ukvoyager.info]

Brown and Boris said:

I am just not sure I have the balls to do in infront of the people who have paid for a stand (a number of whom I know, esp at the expert conference).

Is it the pitch or the cheek you have a problem with? Either way its a dog eat dog world out there. I would have no problems doing it to you, nothing personal, just business.

Brown and Boris said:

I had thought about buying in some sales calls but it is a fairly specialised product and I don't want to be trekking around the coutry to see people who have only a passing interest as I did this week when I arrived to find the guy wanted me to develop a paper and pencil version of the IT just for him because he didn't have a lap top.

All you need to do is ask qualifying questions.

Remember the apprentice people who turned up to an ice cream parlour not realising they made their own? Nothing wrong with that but I would ask more qualifying questions first.

Brown and Boris said:

I could employ someone to do the sales calls and the house calls to on a commission basis I guess to make sure we didn't get joey leads that waste our time.

You could put a script together and get them to generate a load of leads, but like you say its the quality that's important.

[Brown and Boris]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Most of our customers don't talk to girls! In fact they mumble more than talk!