Marketing Tips

Listed below are the archived "Cool Tips of the Week", which is a bi-weekly email sent by Steve Miller to IMTS Exhibitors with helpful hits on making the best of your IMTS Experience. Steve Miller is the President of The Adventure, the author of HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF TRADE SHOWS and the keynote speaker at the IMTS 2008 Exhibitor's Workshop.

If you are an IMTS 2008 Exhibitor and want to be added to this email list please send an email to jaybar@amtonline.org.

Preshow

Pre Show Promotion Mailing
Do you bulk-mail your preshow promotions and invitations? You're probably stepping over dollars to save nickels. Think about how you react when YOU receive something that's got that bulk-mail stamp in the corner. DO you even bother to open it? What's your feeling about the person/company who sent it to you? Do you think there's something special, just for you in that mailing? Of course not. So why do we think others will react any preshow differently? Send your mailings out with first-class postage. You'll get better response.

Preshow Promotion
In focus groups at dozens of trade shows, attendees tell us the single, most powerful preshow communication tool is a personal letter. The letter contains three important components. First, it's PERSONLAIZED - "Dear Mr. Miller," not "Dear Widget Expo Attendee." Second, it's sent first-class, not bulk mail. When you get bulk mail, what do YOU do with it? And third, it gives the attendee a good REASON for putting your company on their must-see list!

Preshow Promotion
When thinking about preshow promotions, don't just do the same old thing, like sending postcards. Everybody does that. Get creative. For example, Ansett New Zealand Airlines wanted to get better response to their frequent flyer renewals. They sent a sock to members - one white sock with their logo on it. They promised two more upon receipt of renewal. Why two? Hey, we KNOW that one of the socks will disappear in the wash, so they'll always have a pair. You could do the same to get top prospects to visit your booth.

Preshow Promotion
Did you know that an average trade show attendee will only spend quality time with 30 exhibitors at a show? And did you also know that over half of those contacts are set up in advance of the show? Make sure you use some type of preshow promotional effort to help your targeted prospect put YOU on their agenda!

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