Creating Profitable Trade Show Displays Without Relying On Brochures - By: Chris Harmen

There are many articles on the web that recommend that brochures be used frequently, pushed into the hands of visitors as much as possible, and provide as much detail as can be fit onto a page. This tactic is useful in some situations, and brochures certainly can be a valuable part of any trade show displays, but there are many ways to have a great convention experience without providing any literature at all. You do not need to use brochures to enjoy success in your trade show exhibits, and if you're trying to save on printing or shipping, you can make some simple modifications and avoid those optional costs.

Why You Want To Leave The Leaflets At Home

Conventional wisdom says that offering handouts to people on the convention floor will increase the chances that it is read later on. This conventional wisdom is surprisingly incorrect. Instead of reading the materials that are handed out from trade show booths, most visitors discard the information wholesale. The few exceptions are business cards from select new contacts, and leaflets from companies that caught the visitor's interest. Instead of having a wealth of information and taking their time to peruse it, people become overwhelmed and end up not reading anything at all. You can spend hundreds of dollars to design and print a brochure, only to see it thrown away after people visit 10 more trade show displays.

Follow Up Promotes Follow Through

Instead of wasting your efforts passing out information from your trade show exhibits, wait it out for a week. Gather the contacts for your visitors, and ensure that you can contact them once the convention is over. With that information, you're ready to use your company's brochures more wisely. You have three choices: email, snail mail, or a combination of both. Don't use both of them at the same time; you want to spread out your contacts so that prospects don't perceive you as too pushy. Either choose one method or, ideally, use one about five days after the first contact at your trade show booths, and then follow up again five days after that. Using that delayed follow up, you keep your trade show exhibits at the forefront of your prospects' mind without making them feel too pursued.

Your Snail Mail Becomes A Letter Of Distinction

Direct mail campaigns are no longer the most common type of advertising. The number of mailed advertisements pales in comparison with emailed promotions, meaning that sending something via direct mail actually gives you an advantage. If you mail your literature rather than giving it away at your trade show displays, your brochures will stand out from the pack. It will be received by someone comfortably seated at work, focused solely on opening and reading their mail. That's a far cry from the hectic atmosphere surrounding even the best trade show displays. If the person who receives the brochure isn't directly authorized to start working with you, they are more likely to pass your information on to someone who can if they don't have to dig it out of a pile of useless spam from other exhibitors.

Email Is Easy, Free, And Effective

For zero cost, you can follow up via email. You don't even have to pay postage. Digitize your brochures and attach them to a personalized email. Ensuring that everything you send out has a customized element is absolutely crucial. People are sensitive to anything that could be considered spam, so be sure that your communication doesn't raise red flags. Try to remember details of their company or interests, and mention them when you write. Above all, ensure that the subject line doesn't sound generic. If it does, your prospect may well delete it on sight.

Whether you choose to use all these tools or only a few of them, these many options are all great ways to save on the cost of designing and printing brochures. You'll still have to ship your trade show booths, but you'll save hundreds on printing, even if you still use snail mail.

About the Author

Chris Harmen writes for the leader in Caribbean trade show booths, Skyline of South Florida. With numerous offices to meet your needs for trade show exhibits in the Caribbean, Skyline has you covered on every island.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Chris-Harmen/89665

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