10 Secrets of Trade Show Selling: #2

Think of your booth as a tiny piece of real estate. Your goal is to secure a location where both traffic and your customers' productive tension are optimized. You must be SEEN in order to capture the attention of your prospects. So let's get right down to business.

If your budget only allows you to purchase a 10'x10' space, the best choice would be a corner. This location gives you exposure on two aisles. A 10'x20' space is best positioned at the END of a row, with both booths facing the short aisle. This location gives you exposure on three aisles. A 20'x20' space would ideally be free-standing, providing you with exposure on ALL sides. A dramatic alternative is to secure all four corners of an intersection. This means virtually every visitor will actually walk through your exhibit.

From a tension management perspective, your location in regard to the natural flow of visitor traffic is critical. Upon arrival, visitors are likely to be quite far UpGrid* — in Power and Power-Stress – where people are moving fast and excited to be at the show. This level of tension stimulates them to hurry through the first portion of the route. As they progress, their level of productive tension steadily drops and as it does, so drops their level of interest. You want them to notice you when they are most likely to pay attention to what you have to offer — when they are in a serious shopping or even buying mode. Therefore, avoid the first aisle or two but select a location in the first half of the flow pattern. You'll meet your prospects after they've settled into the show — but before they get tired!

Keep in mind that some shows impose a flow pattern on visitors while others make no attempt to direct them at all. In the absence of direction to the contrary, our culture has been conditioned to "keep to the right," resulting in movement in a counter-clockwise direction.

The bottom line of the second lesson in Secrets of Trade Show Selling is Location, Location, Location! Decide in advance where the optimal spot would be for your booth and secure it early before all the great locations are taken. Once you have the ideal location, move on to the next lesson which we will explore in another article.