Pre-Show Mailings Can Dramatically Boost Trade Show Results
A Pre-Show Mailing to Targeted Leads Can Improve Trade Show Traffic and Sales
One of the most over-looked trade show strategies is a pre-show direct mailing to targeted accounts.
Too often the strategy that is used by trade show exhibitors is to wear clean clothes, brush their teeth, put on a big smile ... and hope that key buyers and potential clients will walk to their booth and stop in. This hot-and-miss approach will only attract a small percentage of the biggest prospects-as many of them have pre-arranged visits and appointments already lined up.
Most trade shows and conventions will have a pre-show list available to exhibitors--sometime for free and sometimes for a fee. Either way, it is an excellent investment if done right.
Send a lumpy mail package to the desired audience about 3 weeks in advance. By lumpy mail, I mean not a standard envelope and not your catalog--but a promotional item that is bulky with something irregular inside--not flat. Think of a light weight stress reliever, pen, hand sanitizer, tote bag, flashlight or other item. Send it in a padded envelope so it stands out. Invite the recipient to your booth with a short note and the promise of a nice piece of promotional swag for their time at your booth--such as earbuds, backpacks, power banks, Bluetooth speakers, etc. We can help you with all of these gift items once we learn more about your target audience.
Be sure to determine the lifetime value of this client when choosing the gift item. Better to over-spend on the key prospects than not attract quality prospects to your booth.
You will be amazed at how well this works-- as hard-to-reach people and executives are willing to give you time in return for a gift with a high perceived value. If you don't believe that statement, check out this short blog post on that topic.
Note: This is not the same promotional item that you are giving to everyone that stops by your booth. These preferred gifts will be behind your desk, under your table, in a meeting room --or away from the other items.
For even better results, send to this list 2 weeks prior and again one week prior with a follow up note, as these people are busy. It can be a handwritten note, a postcard, a letter or an email--but include a photo of the gift they will be getting, your booth number in very bold print at the top or bottom (or both). If you know what your booth will look like,, take a photo of it and include in this mailing so it will be more recognizable when they are walking the trade show floor.
Test this on your top 25-50 prospects at your next trade show or convention and see how you can easily increase your ROI by becoming more pro-active.
We have done this dozens of times at shows with phenomenal results, and our clients have done it hundreds of times...and keep doing it for all their conventions and trade shows.
Please write back to me with your results after utilizing this pre-show mailer. I'd love to hear from you.
