So you’ve booked your space, selected your top sales people to handle the show, reserved a room block in a Rosemont hotel, and designed a booth. Looks like you’re ready for Labelexpo. Right? Nope.
Despite the growth of social media outlets, big trade shows like Labelexpo are a key promotional spend used by b2b companies to showcase their latest products and network with other companies, clients, and potential partners in the industry. We go to shows of this scope to increase/create brand awareness and drive sales, enhance product knowledge, create customer involvement and launch new products. In many cases — we would go so far as to say in most cases and for most companies — it’s the single largest single spend of the year – both in terms of cold hard cash and marketing and sales hours. So where are exhibitors potentially missing the boat?
- Pre-show messaging – get your teasers out early and keep ‘em coming. Own the buzz in your segment. Use all the tools available to you – videos, social media, emarketing, your website. Press releases are one of the most under-utilized messaging vehicles in our industry. While some of the largest suppliers send out press releases on at least a monthly, and for some companies weekly, basis; the majority of companies that will be exhibiting at Labelexpo are not publishing press releases often enough. Make sure your Media List is as comprehensive as possible and over the course of the next six months aim to send out a press release every three to four weeks at minimum.
- Segmented marketing campaigns to converters across scale ranges – The label-printing industry is the most fragmented of all the printed packaging sectors. There are more than 2,000 label converters in the North American marketplace and while the largest players will be walking the aisles of Labelexpo come September, it’s just as important you know how to speak to small companies as well. Converting conglomerates with $250 million in annual sales revenues have very different needs than companies with $2.5 million in annual sales. You can capitalize on these differences. Create segmented eNewsletter campaigns that speak to each universe – small converters, mid-sized converters and the largest converting conglomerates. Let them know that you know the unique day-to-day production pressures they face and how your products and services can provide solutions. This is marketing 2.0 at its most fundamental and the most successful industry suppliers will employ these types of campaigns to set themselves apart from their competitors. While this will help you drive traffic to your booth, it will also enhance your exposure in front of companies who may not decide to attend this year’s show.
- Don’t forget your key customers. Understand who’s coming to the show and who isn’t. For those who are coming, schedule a pre-Labelexpo meeting with just enough info to entice them to visit your booth. Then schedule special showings for them during booth hours or before/after. Show them that they’re special. And for those that aren’t attending, be sure your sales reps visit them during the show or immediately after – sharing what they’re missing. Consider streaming live from the show and giving them a virtual walk-through (you don’t need a video crew to do this effectively – your iPhone could do the job). Your team back home will also enjoy being part of this.
- Arm your booth teams with the right stuff and don’t forget case studies. Don’t just load them up with a whole lot of features/benefits. Make sure they also understand the competitive landscape and how to handle objections. Let them know what intelligence you need on the products and market – and give them the questions to uncover. Most of all be sure they can clearly communicate how your product will grow your customers’ business or save them money. One of the greatest assets a sales team can be armed with are quality case studies. Make time to put them together. You can re-purpose them for your website and include them in your eNewsletters in the future. Label converters want to know how industry suppliers are solving print and production issues that they face every day. Tell them. Use existing problem-solving situations as examples and put it together in a professionally designed handout with great graphics.
- The show isn’t over on September 27. One of the biggest mistakes we’ve seen is that collective sigh of relief when the show ends. And then crickets. The sad fact is that leads grow cold very quickly. You should be creating your post-show follow up process now. Who owns each lead? What’s the criteria for a hot lead and how will it be handled? Do you have buy-in from sales leadership to track for the next 30/60/90 days and require follow up. What will you send colder leads? How will you nurture these leads? Have you considered a marketing automation campaign? And how about extending your reach through a more developed qualified database?
Labelexpo is just five months away. If you need some support today to maximize your Labelexpo investment with these five steps … just reach out to us. We’re ready to help.
Photo: www.labelexpo.com