Ideas seem to flow when you're walking the floor at a trade show. When you get back to the office, that flow hits the dam of the work-day grind and your ideas run the risk of never turn into actions. But if you want to be a high-performer, they need to.Get started by following our 3 step to-do list and turn your work at the trade show into promotional products orders.
1. Unpack your suitcase (or that box that you shipped back)
We talk to a lot of people who have the best intentions for the products and samples they collect. Things like:
- Following up to get spec samples
- Sending samples to clients
- Ordering self promo
And, then when you get back to the office, real life gets in the way and you don't make your trade show follow-up a priority.So, this year, whether you were at PPAI Expo, The ASI Orlando Show, or a regional show like the TOM show, unpack your suitcase!
2. Follow-up with your clients
Trade shows are a lot of fun but they're also a lot of work. You're at the show for your business and your clients.So, step number 2 on our post-show to-do list is to follow-up with your clients.
- Make 2 extra phone calls a day to talk about the new products that you saw
- Book a client meeting to discuss the new products or trends that you spotted at the show
- Suppliers, follow-up on the distributor conversations that you had at your booth
3. Share the love
Ideas and new products are fleeting. Capture and share them before they disappear.
- Take pictures of cool new products and share them on your social media accounts
- Book an in-house lunch-and-learn to share your favorite ideas with colleagues
- Create a list for yourself to refer back to during the year - commonsku Presentations are great for this
Trade shows give good ROI for a lot of reasons including networking, relationship building, inspiration, and learning. Keep getting value out of your tradeshow experience long after your feet have left the show floor by committing to these 3 simple actions: unpack, follow-up, share.To help you get started, we've created a
Tradeshow Product Tracking Template that you can save and use as you empty your suitcase.