Your trade show sales and marketing plan should inform any executive at your company why it's a good idea for you to be exhibiting at the trade show you have chosen. Accordingly, it's important to include in the plan measurable objectives and goals for the show. As you begin to make a list of goals, you want to keep in mind that when the show is over, you will be using these to gauge your success as regards how well you achieved these objectives and goals. Keep them realistic.
First, you will need to have goals and objectives for the goods and services area of your business. If your company offers a lot of products and/or services, then it will be necessary to narrow your focus in this arena to only a few goals. As this process begins, it's vital that you look at the goals, needs, and objectives of your key prospects who will be attending the trade show. What products and services do you offer that are going to be most attractive to your target guests?
Goals in the services and products families should not necessarily be sales-based. Rather, they will work better if based on Return on Objectives (ROO) which looks to specific activity goals and checks to see if they were accomplished. Targets that might fall into this grouping might include any of the following:
- An explanation of benefits, features, and information
- A side by side comparison of your products or services with other solutions or vendors
- A demonstration of an improvement in a service or a product
- A spotlight on a new product or service
The second category for which you should have measurable targets and goals is marketing, sales, and research data points. Even if you are already working with your qualified leads when it comes to this category, widen your focus a bit! Think outside the box a little with this class and talk to some other departments in your company. Is project management or is R&D working on something that could profit from exposure at this trade show? Ask around. You could be stunned at what you learn and the new concepts that grow.
Keep under consideration that each time you exhibit at a trade show, you ought to establish a new promotional plan for that show. Except that,when it comes to the networking as a goal in itself, you will probably notice that your goals and objectives are the same everywhere, show to show. It's likely the only true difference you can see in this target area is quantitative - the number of events and contacts you target for the show will change depending on the specific show.
At the end of the goals section of your sales and marketing plan, you want to list your quantifiable goals. These goals are what you will track to discover how successful your exhibition at the trade show truly was. Examples of measurable goals could be:
- Make contact with a certain number of key prospect decision makers.
- Set up a certain number of sales meetings per salesperson to take place at the show.
- Establish a certain number of new leads.
- Have a certain number of meetings with the media at the show.
When you arrive at the trade show, and during the course of the show, you will be able to tell who planned for the show and who did not bother to plan. You will see how much better your team looks and how much more successfully your team functions solely because you took some time to make preparations for the trade show and set these goals.
First, you will need to have goals and objectives for the goods and services area of your business. If your company offers a lot of products and/or services, then it will be necessary to narrow your focus in this arena to only a few goals. As this process begins, it's vital that you look at the goals, needs, and objectives of your key prospects who will be attending the trade show. What products and services do you offer that are going to be most attractive to your target guests?
Goals in the services and products families should not necessarily be sales-based. Rather, they will work better if based on Return on Objectives (ROO) which looks to specific activity goals and checks to see if they were accomplished. Targets that might fall into this grouping might include any of the following:
- An explanation of benefits, features, and information
- A side by side comparison of your products or services with other solutions or vendors
- A demonstration of an improvement in a service or a product
- A spotlight on a new product or service
The second category for which you should have measurable targets and goals is marketing, sales, and research data points. Even if you are already working with your qualified leads when it comes to this category, widen your focus a bit! Think outside the box a little with this class and talk to some other departments in your company. Is project management or is R&D working on something that could profit from exposure at this trade show? Ask around. You could be stunned at what you learn and the new concepts that grow.
Keep under consideration that each time you exhibit at a trade show, you ought to establish a new promotional plan for that show. Except that,when it comes to the networking as a goal in itself, you will probably notice that your goals and objectives are the same everywhere, show to show. It's likely the only true difference you can see in this target area is quantitative - the number of events and contacts you target for the show will change depending on the specific show.
At the end of the goals section of your sales and marketing plan, you want to list your quantifiable goals. These goals are what you will track to discover how successful your exhibition at the trade show truly was. Examples of measurable goals could be:
- Make contact with a certain number of key prospect decision makers.
- Set up a certain number of sales meetings per salesperson to take place at the show.
- Establish a certain number of new leads.
- Have a certain number of meetings with the media at the show.
When you arrive at the trade show, and during the course of the show, you will be able to tell who planned for the show and who did not bother to plan. You will see how much better your team looks and how much more successfully your team functions solely because you took some time to make preparations for the trade show and set these goals.
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