Tradeshow 101: How to Wow Prospects Even Before the Sales Pitch

Tradeshows are a prime opportunity to get your business in front of a lot of people. But if your booth doesn’t create a solid first impression, then your sales teams may never even get to deliver the pitch they’ve worked so hard on.

This is where professionally designed visuals and marketing collateral are critical. You could have the perfect sales pitch, product, or offer. But first, you need to get people “in the door” by attracting them to your booth and impressing them with the materials they’re looking for.

With the right collateral, you’ll pique the interest of your prospects, spark more conversations and create a positive in-foot sales experience before you even get to the pitch.

Here are some ways to do it.

Start with a great-looking booth

Your tradeshow booth is the first thing that attendees notice when they walk through the event space. Or, they’ll miss it entirely.

At a tradeshow, you’re up against a smorgasbord of other vendors who are all competing for attention. Your booth needs to stand out. If your budget allows it, consider a custom tradeshow booth with creative touches that will wow prospects at first glance.

But if you’re using a simple folding table, you make a great first impression by outfitting the booth with professionally designed signage, banners and other visuals.

Use displays for more visual interest

Don’t simply leave a stack of flyers on the table. Use standup displays to give your booth some three-dimensional interest. These displays can be as simple as cardboard brochure-holders that sit on your table, or as vibrant as HD video displays.

Again, the most important element here is the quality of the design, regardless of the application. Leverage professional designers who ensure that your displays look attractive and blend seamlessly with the rest of your branding.

Leave plenty of print collateral

At a tradeshow booth, print collateral serves two important purposes. First, it gives people something to immediately look at and touch when they come to your booth, which can segue into a conversation with your sales team. Second, it gives people something to take with them, so that they can look through it at a later time and remember your business after the event.

Brochures, sales sheets, booklets, and folders are just a few possibilities. Sometimes, offering a range of different materials can help to guide prospects to the specific information they’re looking for. Just make sure it’s not overwhelming. Each piece should be professionally designed, consistent, and include the same call to action.

Don’t underestimate the power of a business card

Business cards may seem old-fashioned, but they are still one of the most powerful pieces of collateral, especially at a tradeshow. Business cards work because they’re easy to store in any wallet, and they include the most essential information for prospects to get in touch with you again in the future. They can be included within folders or brochures, or provided individually by your sales team.

Let’s discuss your tradeshow design needs

Contact us at Sullivan Design to learn how we can help your tradeshow booth stand out with professionally designed collateral, displays, signage, and other materials.