The Consumer Show season is upon us. And we have been working not only with some of the shows across the country but also with our clients to make sure that they are ready to put their best foot forward. Here are some tips to make sure you get the most out of the dollars you are spending…

1.  Decide what your key one or two messages are going to be? You may have only a minute with each consumer so make the most of it. Ensure that each staff member attending the show is clear about the key messages.

2.  Decide what collateral you will present. Do you have an inexpensive piece that can be given to every booth visitor? Do you have a ‘flashier’, more detailed piece that can be given to good prospects?If you are using social media to connect with customers make sure that your account names are highly visible and that all staff at the show know what they are.

3.  Discuss how you will go about collecting names for your database. Will you be qualifying visitors before asking for their information or asking for everyone’s? Either way make sure that your sign up form or your electronic database collector has a disclaimer for the consumer to acknowledge opt-in.

During the Show…

4.  The morning of the show give your staff a pre-show pep-talk. Encourage them to engage – move towards visitors coming into the booth, make eye contact and pose questions. Make sure that they understand that under no circumstances will they sit on a stool behind a table during the show.

5.  During the show keep a log of highly engaged Grade A prospects such as those that enquire about a tournament, lesson package, banquet etc. and offer to follow up with them with more specific information within a week. You will likely only have a handful of these Grade A connections so keep good track of them.

6.  Also during the show make sure that each of your staff in attendance gets a chance to walk the entire show floor to look at competitor and supplier booths for ideas and inspirations. These may be things to incorporate at future trade shows or different ways to display or sell products during the season. There are no new ideas…just ideas re-purposed for your facility.

After the Show…

7.  Hold a post-show meeting with all of those that attended and collect feedback on the successes and failures of your team’s golf show experience. Also discuss competitors and keep a record of ideas for the future.

8.  If you had any Grade A connections engage with them immediately!

9.  If you took the time to collect names for your database, do something with them – soon! The longer you wait the less engaged the consumer will be when they finally hear from you. If you do not follow up on any and all leads then what was your real motivation for attending the show in the first place?

ENGAGEMENT IS KEY!

CK Golf will be at the following shows:

Vancouver Golf & Travel Show – February 13 & 14, 2016
Seattle Golf & Travel Show – March 4 – 6, 2016
Seattle Bike Show – March 5 – 6, 2016
Travel, Adventure, Gear Expo – March 5 – 6, 2016
Winnipeg Golf Expo – March 10 – 13, 2016

We, Jeff & Tara Ciecko of CK Golf write two blogs, one is our 19th Hole Blog where we share personal experiences and the other a Biz Blog where we comment on general business and internet marketing best practices, golf course marketing and give golf industry related opinions. We have owned CK Golf  for 8 years and provide marketing, social media and business services to the golf and other industries. Our 19th Hole Blog is about the places we visit and the things we do. When we say that we like or dislike something or have a good or bad experience this is our opinion and the truth as we see it, not something we have been paid for. If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact us anytime.

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