It is important to get the word out about what you are promoting. One method people always want to utilize is shows. By this, I mean fairs, festivals, expos - any type of event where they can put up a booth.
Shows can be an excellent lead source if used properly. They are not for all business models, and can be a huge money pit if not properly understood. People that are new to marketing for some reason think they can pay for a booth, sit there during a show handing out fliers and literature and people will magically join their business and/or buy their products or services. I am here to tell you that it does not work that way. Follow the do's and don't's below and your event has a chance at getting good results.
DO'S AND DON'T'S OF RUNNING A BOOTH AT A SHOW:
1) Do use it as an event around which you can write a press release. This is a perfect time to generate some press releases. Make sure you follow the guidelines found on my Press Releases page. You can write a press release when you acquire your booth, during the event (if it is a multi-day event), and after the event. In the long run, you will find the press releases surrounding and event such as a show will pay out more dividends than the show itself.
2) Do not use it to hand out tons of literature. One of the biggest mistakes people use when running a booth is that they order hundreds and hundreds of marketing pieces and spend the entire show making sure every person that passes by the booth has one of every flier plus a business card. This is a waste of money and paper. You might need to hand out a thousand marketing pieces to get one good response. The vast majority of people that attend these types of events collect a bunch of literature and throw 90% of it away without reading it. What happens to the other 10%? They put it in a pile somewhere for a month and then throw it away without reading it. It is OK to hand out literature at events, but be selective. Only give it to people who have expressed an interest in what you have.
3) Do use it to generate leads. The only true purpose of a show is to generate leads. To do this, you must keep in mind that your goal is not to hand out your information, but rather to gather the information of the event attendees. I would rather obtain fifty names and phone numbers than hand out one thousand fliers. Generating leads at a show is a simple process. Give something away in exchange for contact information. A drawing for a fifty dollar gift certificate to an area restaurant or a one hundred dollar gift certificate good at any store in a local mall might be a good incentive. The prize should be something for which most people would be willing to take a minute to fill out an entry form. You want to ask a few questions on the entry form that will help you when you follow up with them (yes, you will follow up with every lead you get - that is the key to success). Besides the obvious (name, address, phone, email) ask a few questions that are pertinent to your business. For example, if I were to run a booth for my business as an Independent Associate with Viridian Energy, I would ask things like, "If you had a choice between green renewable energy and brown energy that wastes natural resources, and the green energy was the same price or less than the brown energy, would you choose to go green?" This is a lead in to my conversation I will have with the person when I call them back. I can use their response to enter into dialogue with them and build a relationship, which is essential if they are to become my customer. If your business model is such that you also want to recruit the event attendees into your business, then make sure you have a question on the entry form that asks if they are interested in a full or part time opportunity. If they check yes, they are an excellent lead. However, make sure not to prejudge anyone. All leads generated at a show need to be called back. In the section to the right, I have added more information on how to call back leads from a drawing at an event.
4) Do not do flea markets or yard sale-type events. Remember that you want to maintain a professional image at all times. make sure the event in which you are participating is conducive to maintaining that image.