Think all your marketing efforts occur before the trade show? Wrong!

During the show is a great time to extend your reach. The trick is to give visitors something at the show that is an experience, or an item that goes back to the office with them.

1. SPECIAL BUSINESS CARDS Print up a special business card for major shows. Add the show name, logo and dates along with your regular information. Why? People may not remember you, but they will remember they were at the show.

2. PEOPLE ARE TACTILE They like to touch things, play with them, see how they work. Scale models, working models, oversized or miniatures, samples - are all wonderful items to have in the booth. People remember fun and unusual stuff. A give-away tied to those items is nice but not necessary.

3. WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR ME? People come to shows not to see what you have done, but what you can do for them in the next year or month or week. Know where your company fits into your industry's trends and be able to use that as a talking point.

4. REPEAT. REPEAT. REPEAT Use the name of your company several times in the conversation. Why? There is noise and visual pollution plus just lots of stuff to overwhelm visitors. Even though they are in your exhibit with your company name everywhere, your name badge is on your shirt and you are yakking away about your busines

5. AVOID HERDS Avoid the herd mentality. Sure, you want to be with associates and buddies, but you are there for your company. Is it true - The more people your company touches, the better the chances for you to sell during a trade show? Probably not at the show. Chances are you are better off laying the groundwork for a sale to occur after the show.

Trade shows require marketing common sense that goes a long way to sales after the show.

=========================