Follow these steps, and you’ll reap untold rewards at your next trade show.

1. Let your suppliers, clients and prospective clients know you’ll be at the show.
Getting the word out is key. Create a page on your Web site dedicated to your participation at the show. It’s an ideal way to reinforce your promotional messages, to post information on incentives offered to show participants, and it’s a convenient jumping off point for other relevant information on your site. Send out notification e-mails with links to your trade show page. Offer an incentive to stop by your booth. You can’t afford to just hope they’ll find you!

2. Get listed on the event’s official Web site.
If you’re going to be a speaker, even better. Make sure you have a bio that includes a link to your site.

3. Make sure they call on you again by visiting your Web site.
Invest in software that will allow you to swipe visitor badges (and make sure to confirm their e-mail address and Web site URLs.

Make sure your system generates instant follow-up messages (which includes links back to your Web site) to thank visitors for stopping by your booth.

And at the show do take the time to introduce your visitors to your site: show them how they can access additional resources and connect with the right people during their decision making process.

4. Launch a new product.
The introduction of a new product turns an ordinary trade show appearance into an event.

Distribute product releases, and exploit your newsworthy launch by making sure you have a high level of visibility in search engines and in online trade publications. Paid placement gives you that control.

5. Follow up leads immediately after the show ends.

You have four days before a potentially valuable lead turns into just some person with a stack of business cards on their desk.

6. Know your objectives. Weigh the cost.

Decide, specifically, what your trade show objectives are in terms of leads and sales, and after the show assess your cost per sale. Some benefits of being at a trade show may have nothing to do with sales, so figure those benefits into the equation as well. A recent study commissioned by American Business Media revealed that 77% of executives will seek additional information on the web on products and companies they see at a trade show.

The study further suggested that trade shows, with their hands-on advantage, are great places to make a sale with seven in 10 (70%) executives purchasing or recommending the purchase of a product or service directly as a result of advertising/promoting at a trade show.

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1. Trade Show Exhibtors at SES San Jose 2009 Have Good Stories to Tell