Don't sit behind your Table or Booth and wait for people to come and buy something. Get out front, talk and joke with people. I can't tell you how many sales I've gotten by standing and greeting people. And remember, they may not purchase today, but who knows about tomorrow.

Tip #2 - Do Your Own Promotional Campaign

No single thing can guarantee a profitable show. Do not turn your chance of success over to the promoters of the show to bring in your prospects. To increase the chances for success you need to have a promotional campaign to get optimum traffic to your booth by sending out announcements before the show inviting your customers and prospects to stop by your booth. Call those whom you have mailed prior to the event and set appointments to meet with them at the show.

Tip #3 - Give-Aways

I like to give away samples.  People like free things and this is an opportunity for me to get my product in their hands to "try before buying". Choose an item(s) that is low cost. And, most importantly don't forget to get their contact information so you can do the follow up.

 Tip #4 - Drawings

Have a drawing in your booth. Pick an item or put together a basket that will draw people to want to fill out your drawing slip. It's all about getting new leads to your business and this will do it. Have one big winner and then offer all the other leads a smaller prize.

 Tip #5 - Honor Your Commitment

Remember, when you signed on to do the show you made a commitment to the show's organizer that you would be there during the hours specified in the show's promotional materials. NEVER, EVER tear your display down before the end of that time. It is tacky and makes you look very bad to the other exhibitors. In addition, by tearing down your display early it keeps potential customers from shopping as they think the show is over and that they need to rush off so everyone can get packed up and leave. Please have the courtesy to honor your commitment to the show, and to the other exhibitors by staying the course till the time for it to officially end.

Many of my best sales or leads have been obtained in the last few minutes of the show. Not only does each attendee deserve to see each booth, but, you deserve to see them. Many show-goers are looking for that exhibitor to help them with their next project, whether it be a home improvement, a family vacation, getting in shape, or their daughter's wedding preparation. So, keep your booth setup for the entire duration of the show.

 Tip #6 - Exhibitors are Potential Customers, too

Don't overlook the importance of selling your product or service BEFORE the show is officially opened and AFTER it is officially closed.

Some of the best sales will happen before and after the show's scheduled hours. Don't overlook the fact that other exhibitors are often your best customers. They will be attracted to your booth if you are set up early and are ready to go.

Other exhibitors will also come and see your booth AFTER they have torn their display down.

Customers who are just there to stroll around and look at what is being sold often linger on past the time for the show to be over. Never forget that they are often your best customers. Don't rush them, and don't begin to tear down your displays until they are gone. I like to keep my display up long after everyone else has closed, whenever possible. I have made many good sales that way.

Tip #7 - Dress the Part

If you want new clientele to take you seriously, put your best foot forward. We have just one opportunity to make that first impression. Business casual is always a safe bet when greeting new customers.

Tip #8 - Come with Business Cards

Have your business card available. Often times people are "shopping for ideas" today. So be sure that they have something to take with them. So they can contact you later. You may want to team your card up with a promotional flyer.

Tip #9 - Follow Up for Success

Now that you have all those leads, do the follow up! Do you know that statistically only 1% do the follow up? Wow! Just remember - If you don't call them someone else will.

The 7 Habits of Highly-Effective Trade Shows

Steven R. Covey has helped millions of people in their business and professional lives with his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The Seven Habits, first written 17 years ago, has proven to be an effective guide for personal and professional development. And these principles, when applied to your trade show experience, can dramatically improve your experience at the event and your results.

Treating your portable trade show display like your portable office is the key to maximizing your effectiveness at each and every event. The purpose of a trade show is connecting with people, and portable trade show displays enable you to create a space for educating prospects about what your company has to offer and qualifying leads to pitch them for a sale or follow up with them later.

Here’s how to apply Covey’s “7 Habits.”

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Planning is the key to maximizing your trade show experience. Weeks preceding the show, you should exercise your marketing muscles. Let your existing customers and prospects know you will be in attendance. If you have a new product on the horizon, this may be an opportunity to generate some buzz by talking about an unveiling or first-time demonstration at the show.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

What type of return on investment (ROI) are you shooting for? Do you want to inform prospects about your industry and how your product will help them, or will your prospect likely be familiar with your industry already? What are your leads and sales goals for the event? What is your follow-up strategy, and how soon will you be following up with your prospects?

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Before you even get to the show, how is the morale of your sales team who will be face-to-face with prospects? Your sales team is a reflection of the company – if they aren’t enthused about the show, you’re wasting their time and the company’s money by sending them.

If you sense that your trade show staff is dreading the event, try something spontaneous to get them hyped about the company and your products. Ideas as simple as attending a sporting event, a concert or a day at the amusement park on the company’s dime could boost morale.

And when it’s time for the show to begin, what is your plan of action to best utilize everyone’s strengths? How will you most efficiently distribute use of their time?

Habit 4: Think Win/Win

It’s a very, very old marketing principle that is too often overlooked. Very fundamental to any marketing effort is finding a win/win balance where the customer gets what they need and you get what you need.

Because time is of the essence at a trade show, you must figure out how to get the customer to stop at your portable trade show display, quickly qualify them, and assess: whether or not they are your target market, whether they are immediately ready to buy or need more information before they buy or, if they are not a prospect now, could they be one in the future?

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

What is the customer’s need? How can you fulfill that need/solve their problem? Clearly, if the customer has stopped at your portable trade show display, they are interested in your product. But the first step in qualifying is figuring out what need attracted them to your portable trade show display. Phrases such as “What brings you by here today,” or “What may I do to help you?” are good ice breakers to ease the conversation from generalities and politely get to the point.

Habit 6: Synergize Principles of Creative Communication

The saying goes, “You were given two ears and one mouth,” and this was done for a reason. Listen more than you speak and you will learn a lot more about what the customer is telling you. Listen to their words, translate their body language. When you think you’ve figured it out, feed the information back to the customer in their own words and language. From there, use qualifying questions to build mutual trust and understanding to overcome any objections.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Now this is where it gets personal. A day or a few at a trade show requires peak performance and lots of energy – it can be quite grueling if you’re not prepared. What are you doing to make sure you’re able to give your best before the trade show, and recharge after? In addition, a post-mortem after the show is a great way to identify mistakes, holes in planning and preparation and efficiency drains – not to browbeat you and your team so you can feel sorry for yourselves, but so you can brainstorm and discuss a better strategy for next time.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People turned the tide of the American mindset about work and life – empowering professionals everywhere to expect more of themselves at work and at home. The “principles” of this extraordinary work have been duplicated all over the world. Apply them not only to your prospects’ experience in your portable trade show displays, but at every level of your marketing strategy, and you will leap ahead of the competition and create the potential to dramatically improve the results at your next trade show event.

Mat Kelly - President of ExhibitDEAL

Keep these great tips in mind and remember . . . It's all part of the package to make our business successful.

Don't sit behind your Table or Booth and wait for people to come and buy something. Get out front, talk and joke with people. I can't tell you how many sales I've gotten by standing and greeting people. And remember, they may not purchase today, but who knows about tomorrow.

Tip #2 - Do Your Own Promotional Campaign

No single thing can guarantee a profitable show. Do not turn your chance of success over to the promoters of the show to bring in your prospects. To increase the chances for success you need to have a promotional campaign to get optimum traffic to your booth by sending out announcements before the show inviting your customers and prospects to stop by your booth. Call those whom you have mailed prior to the event and set appointments to meet with them at the show.

Tip #3 - Give-Aways

I like to give away samples.  People like free things and this is an opportunity for me to get my product in their hands to "try before buying". Choose an item(s) that is low cost. And, most importantly don't forget to get their contact information so you can do the follow up.

 Tip #4 - Drawings

Have a drawing in your booth. Pick an item or put together a basket that will draw people to want to fill out your drawing slip. It's all about getting new leads to your business and this will do it. Have one big winner and then offer all the other leads a smaller prize.

 Tip #5 - Honor Your Commitment

Remember, when you signed on to do the show you made a commitment to the show's organizer that you would be there during the hours specified in the show's promotional materials. NEVER, EVER tear your display down before the end of that time. It is tacky and makes you look very bad to the other exhibitors. In addition, by tearing down your display early it keeps potential customers from shopping as they think the show is over and that they need to rush off so everyone can get packed up and leave. Please have the courtesy to honor your commitment to the show, and to the other exhibitors by staying the course till the time for it to officially end.

Many of my best sales or leads have been obtained in the last few minutes of the show. Not only does each attendee deserve to see each booth, but, you deserve to see them. Many show-goers are looking for that exhibitor to help them with their next project, whether it be a home improvement, a family vacation, getting in shape, or their daughter's wedding preparation. So, keep your booth setup for the entire duration of the show.

 Tip #6 - Exhibitors are Potential Customers, too

Don't overlook the importance of selling your product or service BEFORE the show is officially opened and AFTER it is officially closed.

Some of the best sales will happen before and after the show's scheduled hours. Don't overlook the fact that other exhibitors are often your best customers. They will be attracted to your booth if you are set up early and are ready to go.

Other exhibitors will also come and see your booth AFTER they have torn their display down.

Customers who are just there to stroll around and look at what is being sold often linger on past the time for the show to be over. Never forget that they are often your best customers. Don't rush them, and don't begin to tear down your displays until they are gone. I like to keep my display up long after everyone else has closed, whenever possible. I have made many good sales that way.

Tip #7 - Dress the Part

If you want new clientele to take you seriously, put your best foot forward. We have just one opportunity to make that first impression. Business casual is always a safe bet when greeting new customers.

Tip #8 - Come with Business Cards

Have your business card available. Often times people are "shopping for ideas" today. So be sure that they have something to take with them. So they can contact you later. You may want to team your card up with a promotional flyer.

Tip #9 - Follow Up for Success

Now that you have all those leads, do the follow up! Do you know that statistically only 1% do the follow up? Wow! Just remember - If you don't call them someone else will.

The 7 Habits of Highly-Effective Trade Shows

Steven R. Covey has helped millions of people in their business and professional lives with his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The Seven Habits, first written 17 years ago, has proven to be an effective guide for personal and professional development. And these principles, when applied to your trade show experience, can dramatically improve your experience at the event and your results.

Treating your portable trade show display like your portable office is the key to maximizing your effectiveness at each and every event. The purpose of a trade show is connecting with people, and portable trade show displays enable you to create a space for educating prospects about what your company has to offer and qualifying leads to pitch them for a sale or follow up with them later.

Here’s how to apply Covey’s “7 Habits.”

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Planning is the key to maximizing your trade show experience. Weeks preceding the show, you should exercise your marketing muscles. Let your existing customers and prospects know you will be in attendance. If you have a new product on the horizon, this may be an opportunity to generate some buzz by talking about an unveiling or first-time demonstration at the show.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

What type of return on investment (ROI) are you shooting for? Do you want to inform prospects about your industry and how your product will help them, or will your prospect likely be familiar with your industry already? What are your leads and sales goals for the event? What is your follow-up strategy, and how soon will you be following up with your prospects?

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Before you even get to the show, how is the morale of your sales team who will be face-to-face with prospects? Your sales team is a reflection of the company – if they aren’t enthused about the show, you’re wasting their time and the company’s money by sending them.

If you sense that your trade show staff is dreading the event, try something spontaneous to get them hyped about the company and your products. Ideas as simple as attending a sporting event, a concert or a day at the amusement park on the company’s dime could boost morale.

And when it’s time for the show to begin, what is your plan of action to best utilize everyone’s strengths? How will you most efficiently distribute use of their time?

Habit 4: Think Win/Win

It’s a very, very old marketing principle that is too often overlooked. Very fundamental to any marketing effort is finding a win/win balance where the customer gets what they need and you get what you need.

Because time is of the essence at a trade show, you must figure out how to get the customer to stop at your portable trade show display, quickly qualify them, and assess: whether or not they are your target market, whether they are immediately ready to buy or need more information before they buy or, if they are not a prospect now, could they be one in the future?

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

What is the customer’s need? How can you fulfill that need/solve their problem? Clearly, if the customer has stopped at your portable trade show display, they are interested in your product. But the first step in qualifying is figuring out what need attracted them to your portable trade show display. Phrases such as “What brings you by here today,” or “What may I do to help you?” are good ice breakers to ease the conversation from generalities and politely get to the point.

Habit 6: Synergize Principles of Creative Communication

The saying goes, “You were given two ears and one mouth,” and this was done for a reason. Listen more than you speak and you will learn a lot more about what the customer is telling you. Listen to their words, translate their body language. When you think you’ve figured it out, feed the information back to the customer in their own words and language. From there, use qualifying questions to build mutual trust and understanding to overcome any objections.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Now this is where it gets personal. A day or a few at a trade show requires peak performance and lots of energy – it can be quite grueling if you’re not prepared. What are you doing to make sure you’re able to give your best before the trade show, and recharge after? In addition, a post-mortem after the show is a great way to identify mistakes, holes in planning and preparation and efficiency drains – not to browbeat you and your team so you can feel sorry for yourselves, but so you can brainstorm and discuss a better strategy for next time.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People turned the tide of the American mindset about work and life – empowering professionals everywhere to expect more of themselves at work and at home. The “principles” of this extraordinary work have been duplicated all over the world. Apply them not only to your prospects’ experience in your portable trade show displays, but at every level of your marketing strategy, and you will leap ahead of the competition and create the potential to dramatically improve the results at your next trade show event.

Mat Kelly - President of ExhibitDEAL

Keep these great tips in mind and remember . . . It's all part of the package to make our business successful.