Trade shows provide great opportunities to develop new markets and make contact with potential customers. But it is still necessary to choose one that corresponds to the target market, identify its audience, prepare sales material and the team that will be there. Mélissa Lusignan, vice-president of North American sales for ATTITUDE – the thriving Quebec company that develops and markets products of the same name – talks to us about it.
What is the role of a trade show?
It is a place where suppliers and their customers meet. New lines of products are presented in a booth. The trade show is usually held in an exhibition hall, such as the Palais des Congrès in Montreal.
How do you choose the location of an exhibition?
It is chosen based on the market we want to develop. In our case, we sell our products in over 45 countries. The places where we exhibit have changed a lot over the years. We used to focus on Canada and the United States. Now we go to Europe and Asia a lot.
How do you get the best return? Do you have to prepare?
Yes, you have to first determine who is your audience and what market you are targeting. Then you have to set up the sales presentations, the visual presentation, and identify the teams that will go there on site. You also have to prepare the material to be given to the visitors: samples, brochures, price lists, etc.
Rental of a booth costs several thousand dollars. So it’s important to be as organized as possible. The profitability of a trade show is not always evident right away, because closing a sale sometimes takes time. The show can have repercussions for one or two years after it is held. But when we participate in several trade shows during the year it can have a snowball effect and accelerate the process.
Do you have to set goals before participating in the trade show?
It’s difficult to have tangible goals. The targets are not necessarily be set in advance. Obviously, the goal is to develop different markets and find the best possible partners. It is therefore important to know our audience, build on our difference and the added value that we have to offer our customers.
How many times per year should we exhibit?
In our case, we do about ten trade shows per year. They last two to four days.
Once the show is over, what actions have to be taken?
That’s when the work begins! We come back with our notes and business cards and start following up. Indeed, the people who came to meet you have sometimes seen 250 to 500 other exhibitors. So we follow up with the person met to remind him who we are and what we have to offer. We send the products and price lists, plan a new meeting… This will be more strategic and longer than at the trade show. It will also allow talking to the key person, who is not necessarily the person met at the show.