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Driving Prospects Away with Your Generic Messages
By Joyce McKee | August 12, 2008
Earlier this month I attend TS2 in Philly. TS2 is a trade show for trade show people. So one would expect them to know a thing or two about marketing for a trade show. Well as industry averages have it - some are right on and others have missed the mark.
Let’s learn from those who have missed the mark. No names will be revealed - the guilty will remain anonymous.
Lesson #1 - The audience at a trade show is not all the same. There are differences and they should have unique messages directed towards them not just some mass generic message.
Lesson #2 - Make sure the direct mail house get those invitations to see you at your booth out BEFORE the show, not afterwards. I got home and in the mail AFTER the show were a couple of direct mail pieces.
I will go on and have other lessons to learn in future blog posts. But for now I want to concentrate on Lesson # 1. The good news here is they actually sent something out and they need to be applauded for that. But the message was soooo generic that it was meaningless to me.
So let’s outline the various categories of attendees at a show and then you should consider how you can customize your message to them. Here are my categories:
Customers
Prospects
Alliances Associates - Affiliates
Press - Bloggers
Industry luminaries - Observers
Each audience should have a unique code assigned to them so when you communicate afterwards you can be right on - rather than way off the mark.
I would consider myself to be an industry observer or a blogger. But I receive many messages as if I were a prospect. Here is an email example:
“It was a pleasure meeting you at TS2 and thank you for taking the time to speak with us in regards to your upcoming exhibit plans. I’ll be calling you shortly but until then, please take a moment to visit…”
Well I was NOT looking for help with “exhibit plans”. At this booth I was just meeting and greeting as an industry supplier.
Here is what I want you to do with this information - before the next show talk to the appropriate internal people and figure out who your audiences are and start crafting messages that show you know them. Then determine what you want them to do as a results of this communication piece.
Being off target is a great waste of time, money and effort. And it sends the prospect a message - you do not know me, therefore why should I do business with you?!
Until later…
Topics: Trade Show Talk, Trade Show Tips |