Archive for the ‘Marketing on a Budget’ Category

This article written by Susan Friedmann looks at some innovative ways of reducing your trade show budget which can allow you to put more finances to your trade show display. At ExhibitDEAL we have many options from the low-cost trade show display to the high-end trade show display. Visit us when you are ready to upgrade your exhibit or buy your first booth.

Whenever a recession or volatility threatens the economy, companies immediately look at where they can cut budgets. Without much forethought, the first to hit the block is inevitably training, followed closely behind by marketing. Why? Both are viewed on the balance sheet as expenditures rather than income generators, so obviously they’re hot contenders for elimination.

This is a very myopic way of thinking, especially for companies who want to remain globally competitive. Instead, at times like these when resources are under severe scrutiny, look at this as a golden opportunity to analyze your strategies. Put your activities under a microscope and closely examine what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Often during times of plenty, the finance reins loosen up and some highly creative juggling takes place when budgets exceed their estimations. Obviously, we enjoy the abundant mentality and wish that it could last forever. But just as with all things in the universe there has to be a balance, and shortages add stability to plenty. Whenever highs exist, lows are inevitable.

So, instead of reacting to the highs and lows of the marketplace, what can you do to maintain a steady balance? Marketing and training are definitely keys to your success, so let’s examine five benefits and how they relate to your tradeshow participation.

1. Analyze your weakest links

When you take time to look examine your operation in more detail, you often discover that many of your actions are done out of habit rather than being productive and profitable. Think about some of the shows that you attend. How do they really fit into your marketing strategy? Are you attending them just because you’ve always done so, or because your competition is there? These are often your weak links, the shows that utilize unnecessary time and energy. Think about doing away with the “nice to be at shows” and rather opt at putting all your energy into the more profitable events that attract larger quantities of your target market.

Another weak budgetary link is associated with excessive employee spending at shows, such as dining at the finest restaurants and ordering the highest priced items just because the boss is paying. Consider setting up a per diem allowance and make employees accountable for expenses. You might even reward them with the difference if they under spend their stipend.

2. Exhibit a global competitiveness mindset

To be a contender in the global marketplace and establish a vanguard positioning, you have to be out there come rain or shine. And, tradeshows signify an essential marketing strategy when it comes to visibility. Exhibiting demonstrates that you’re a serious player in the industry. However tough, it’s important to keep tradeshows as one of your major promotional strategies. Rather consider reducing space than totally pulling out a show, provided of course, that it’s the right show for you. Unfortunately, if you stop exhibiting completely, the “buzz” on the show floor says publicly that you must be in financial trouble. This may be completely false, but it’s people’s perceptions that count. They’re the reality they believe. As the old adage states, “out of sight, out of mind.” And, since memorability is a key factor associated with exhibiting, if you’re not seen, how can you possibly be remembered!

3. Focus on long-term results

Investing in both marketing and training means that you’re interested and willing to focus on long-term results. Neither is designed to give a “quick fix,” rather using them continuously in an organized and planned manner, will produce results. They’re like a dripping faucet, so long as the drops constantly fall into the tub, it will fill up. However, if you maintain a “turn on, turn off” approach, that is train and market in times of plenty and discontinue when there’s a shortage, then your results are likely to mirror your actions. Look at how you can keep an operational equilibrium to avoid the highs and the lows. Develop a consistent marketing and training strategy.

4. Inspire loyal workers

Often companies are reluctant to invest too much in training staff for fear that once trained, they’ll leave for “greener pastures.” Since there are no guarantees in life, that’s always going to be a risk, but does that mean you shouldn’t develop your people to be the best they can be? Absolutely not! The reasons employees leave may be many. Employees may leave because of frustration or stress. They might feel unappreciated or undervalued. It could be that they believe your company is heading for an iceberg and want to “jump ship” before it sinks. Maybe they feel that their salaries are not in line with the jobs they are performing. Or they could feel that they don’t have enough authority, growth opportunities, or direction in their careers. Training is often the key to help inspire loyalty.

5. Improve performance

Employees are the backbone of your company. Without them, your company cannot stay afloat. The relationship between employees and employers has to be a partnership; if they feel their needs are being ignored, they will leave you. But when both sides work on the same wavelength, share the same goals and ideas, the company will be on the right track for success. What better place than the tradeshow floor to exhibit this mentality. Your exhibit staff represents your internal customer-service team and your company ambassadors. They stand for your entire organization. These people have the awesome responsibility of making or breaking future relationships with attendees, prospects and customers. Their attitude, body language, appearance, and knowledge help to create positive or negative perceptions in the minds of visitors. Make sure that they’re well trained and can do what you expect of them. Training shows that you recognize your team’s importance in the company and look to develop their skills to improve performance.

Exhibiting is a powerful extension of your company’s marketing strategy and your people are the backbone of your company. Eliminating your marketing and training budgets during times of recession is tantamount to profitability suicide. So consider looking at other places to make those cuts!

Written by Susan A. Friedmann, CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,” working with companies to improve their meeting and event success through coaching, consulting and training. Go to http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com to sign up for a free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week.

With so many trade show display companies vying for your business, how do you decide which one to go with? They all seem to offer similar products, so choosing the company with the most affordable trade show displays seems the logical choice, right? Not necessarily.In the world of trade show displays, you get what you pay for. While well-designed websites give the illusion that every company is selling quality trade show booths, once you look closer you’ll find a wide range of quality from company-to-company. Unfortunately, the uninitiated may not to be able to assess their options without professional advice.

“Buying a trade show display is not an every day occurrence for most people, and they can’t be expected to know what questions to ask,” comments Mat Kelly, owner and founder of exhibitDEAL, a wholesaler of high-end American-made exhibits. “Unfortunately some companies take advantage of that inexperience. That’s why I’m committed to educating consumers. I want to make sure they’re making the best possible decision for their investment.”

In shopping for a trade booth display, asking questions upfront about quality, delivery, customer service and support, and guarantees will quickly separate the cheap from the quality products.

Quality Displays

There’s a huge difference between imported and American-made exhibits. Trade show display exhibits imported from China, while affordable, are inferior to American-made exhibits in nearly every way:

• They do not offer a warranty.
• Imported booths are poorly constructed with low-grade construction materials, plastic shelving and fewer channel bars that make them less stable.
• There may be as few as three booth fabrics to choose from; while exhibitDEAL offers dozens of colors.
• The lighting system is illegal in Las Vegas.
• Carrying cases are less durable and present a far greater risk that the exhibit will be damaged during shipping.
• The materials the graphics are printed on, as well as the protective laminate, are considerably thinner than their American counterpart – meaning they easily crease.

Kelly admits, “I, too, considered selling imported trade show displays. But every sample I’ve ever received was so far below my quality standards that I shipped them back. You just can’t beat American-made exhibits.”

Word of advice: It will save you money in the long run to buy an American-made portable display that’s built to last, especially if you will be shipping it.

Delivery Time

Don’t be fooled by companies who advertise “same day shipping of frames” for imports. That does not take into account shipping time as well as the time it takes to manufacture and deliver the booth graphics. Imported displays take 2 to 3 weeks. American-made exhibits can be delivered in about 5 days.

Here’s another point to consider: if an imported booth breaks, it will take longer to be fixed or receive replacement parts. That’s food for thought, considering their quality deficits.

Word of advice: Make sure you get a specific delivery date in writing.

Full-service Support

Unless you have your own graphic design department, you’ll need to outsource the design for your booth. Companies who sell imported display exhibits do not offer these services. You see, these low-end wholesalers are not the established companies you may think they are. In fact, many of these “companies” are just one or two people working out of their home with limited resources.

On the other hand, quality trade show booth wholesalers, like exhibitDEAL, offer a suite of services. As a full-service company, exhibitDEAL has a staff of professionals specially-trained in exhibit design. Another bonus: even if you provide your own artwork, the exhibitDEAL staff is able to troubleshoot potential problems and make changes for you on the fly.

Word of advice: Go with a company that offers all the services you’ll need.

Satisfaction Guarantee

Low-end wholesalers do not offer a satisfaction guarantee, or if they do, it is chock full of provisos and there’s usually a “restocking fee” for returned materials. That doesn’t instill a whole lot of confidence, does it?

exhibitDEAL approaches customer relationships differently. They offer a 100% Money-back Guarantee – no questions asked. “We’re the good guys in this business and we’re here to stay,” explains Kelly. “If a customer is unhappy for any reason, we’ll do whatever it takes to please them, even if that means a complete refund.”

exhibitDEAL is also a member of BBBOnline, the foremost best business practices organization that monitors internet commerce. Participation is voluntarily and BBBOnline has rigorous standards that must be met before an e-tailer is approved by them.

Word of advice: Read the fine print.

Customer Service

Everything looks great when you’re ordering from a professional-looking website. Unfortunately, you never really know what you’re getting until it arrives. And by then, it’s too late.

“There are a lot of trade booth importers who put up a great looking website and ‘presto’ they’re in business. What most people don’t realize is that they are inexperienced and poorly funded,” explains Kelly. “We see these guys come and go all the time.”

In the end, it comes down to Customer Service. exhibitDEAL owner Mat Kelly is able to offer top-notch service because he’s been in the business for the past decade, owning his own company for the last 7 years – and he plans to remain in the business for years to come.

Kelly concludes, “Bottom line, I want every customer to make the right choice for their needs, whether that’s exhibitDEAL or another company. I just want to help them ask the right questions when shopping for trade show displays.

Get Exposure Without Going Broke

It’s no secret that there are monumental benefits to attending a trade show – exposure to a targeted audience, opportunity to express your unique selling point, generating leads and soaking up industry knowledge at seminars and discussions. But when budgets are tight, your company’s accounting department is going to want you to trim the fat a little on your trade show budget.

You can use ideas usually overlooked for cheaper transportation, plan and negotiate to get discounted room & board and get trade show booth rentals rather than purchasing trade show displays. Here are a few tips to help you keep costs down, but still create impact and get the most from your trade show experience.

Transportation

Depending on where you are traveling from, how far in advance you make arrangements and the mode of transportation you choose, you can spend a little or go over the top on this one. Obviously, you can’t control where you are traveling from, or where the conference or trade show is held. But you can plan ahead, and be open to different travel options.

As with anything else, don’t wait until the last minute to make travel reservations. Sometimes this can’t be avoided, but if you plan your trade show schedule six months to a year in advance, and make your reservations several weeks prior to the event, you can save the company hundreds of dollars.

And when planning travel, remember that the plane is not the only way go. If the event is only a couple of hundred miles away, renting a van for the group, or partnering with another company who is also attending the event, renting a charter bus and splitting the cost could be a cheaper option. Also, riding the train, which many people overlook, is an affordable option. Attendees get to sit back and relax and meals are often included in the price.

Room & Board

Conference organizers often block off a number of rooms for attendees at a motel or hotel with a discounted rate. But if you don’t have this option available to you, there are several options for keeping costs in check.

First, keep in mind the distance between the hotel or motel and the conference. Booking rooms at an economy motel 15 minutes away from the event may seem like a good idea – at first. But keep in mind the costs of taking a cab back and forth can quickly add up. And, the inconvenience of being far away from a quick change of clothes, or grabbing something you may have forgotten can cause unnecessary duress. Instead, pair employees up (make sure they are compatible so that you don’t end up with an episode of Big Brother) and have them share a room.

Second, if you know you will be attending several events over the course of the year, shop around at the different hotel chains to see what kind of special discounts they offer for repeated hotel stays. Some of them offer discounts if you sign up for a special program, or you can get a free night’s stay after you’ve booked a certain number of nights.

Third, try getting a room at a hotel that includes a continental or buffet breakfast to further cut on expenses. And if the establishment also has a restaurant, that can save you and your team the headache and cost of going elsewhere to eat.

Fourth, and last – avoid room service if you can, as this can add unnecessary costs to your budget.

Trade Show Booth Rentals

With a trade show booth rental instead of a trade show display purchase, you can save hundreds of dollars. Your space represents the image your company wants to project to the public – and for some of your future customers, this is the first time they will be meeting you.

While you can purchase smaller trade show displays and even table top panel displays to keep costs down, trade show booth rentals are even cheaper. This is a great option for companies:
• wanting to cut costs in the short-term or long-term
• that infrequently attend trade shows
• wanting to try out a few different styles before deciding on a purchase

Before you enter into a trade show booth rental agreement, make sure you read the fine print, ask plenty of questions and understand the terms. For example, what accessories, if any come with the trade show booth? What is the timeframe for you to return the product? What are the terms for any damage incurred?

Also, make sure you look into options for enhancing your trade show booth. Banner stands, literature racks, lighting, and other accessories can drive traffic to your space, increase the generation of leads, and directly influence your bottom line.

Attending a trade show needn’t put you in the red. There are economical alternatives to what you may have done in the past. Take a look at the bigger picture, get creative, and you can plan your event on a shoestring budget without sacrificing the value of attending and participating in a trade show.

Trade shows are an incredible opportunity to inform one of the most concentrated and targeted markets about your company. Through face-to-face interaction, product demos, giveaways and more, you can show how your company outshines the competition.

But trade shows should not be the only marketing tool used to generate buzz and brand loyalty for your company and its products. Rob Engelman offers an effective guide to marketing in his article, “10 Tips for Creating a Marketing Plan.”

Whether your existing plan seems stale and stagnated or you’re just embarking on your first marketing journey, you’ll find this article informative.

10 Tips for Creating a Marketing Plan

by Rob Engelman

If you are a small business owner, an entrepreneur or an independent contractor, you should have a marketing or business plan to use as a guidepost/compass to lead your business’ day-to-day activities.

Your plan does not have to be elaborate, nor does it have to be set in stone forever. However, it should specifically define key information including your target market and value proposition, as well as tactical ideas and action steps you will take in order to acquire customers and/or increase sales.

Continue reading: 10 Tips for Creating a Marketing Plan

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When shopping for trade show displays, save money on your overall budget by choosing trade show accessories that stretch your marketing dollars. Table top displays, literature racks and portable projection screens are all products that can be used after the trade show to enhance your office environment or used in other ways.

As you purchase your trade show booth, you will find offers to purchase additional items to make your space more efficient, more organized or more appealing to trade show attendees. If you’re on a tight budget, the costs can quickly add up, so it only makes sense to purchase those items that can later be used in your office or retail space.

Here are a few ideas to get more “bang for your buck” with your trade show accessories.

Table Top Displays

Table top displays are an affordable option to begin with because they can be used as the focal point of your trade show space, or as part of a larger trade show display. And when the trade show is over, this marketing piece can continue to be useful

The table top display is a strong visual element that contains key information about your product or company. You can extend its usefulness after the trade show by putting it on display in several different ways:

• In your company reception area or at the front of the store to inform visitors about your company or a new product
• In training sessions with employees to remind them of the company’s key business principles
• As a portable marketing tool when making presentations to clients
• To introduce the company to the general public or communicate a key message or messages when sponsoring an event

Table top displays are one of the most useful and versatile marketing accessories that are worth the investment whether you decide to attend a trade show or not.

Literature Racks

While you literature racks are very useful in organizing your printed materials at a trade show, they can also be used as an organizational tool around the office.

Organize Your Marketing Materials at the Office - If a prospect walked in off of the street and wanted general information about your company, are your printed materials easily accessible?. The literature rack will keep all of the materials organized and your staff will easily be able to see when materials need to be replenished.

Shape Up Office Décor - Do you have magazines for your clients to read while they wait to meet with you? We’ve all been to a doctor’s office that has magazines strewn all over the tables and chairs. A literature rack is an excellent way to keep all of the magazines organized and in one place. Also, you can avoid clutter by using a literature rack in your own personal office to organize the various weekly or monthly magazines, annual reports and other publications you receive.

Keep Employees Informed - You can place a literature rack in the employee kitchen or “break room” to display updates to company policies such as: health insurance or investment benefits, holiday schedules, worker’s compensation rights, special company-sponsored events for employees and the community and even the latest internal company newsletter or publication.

Literature racks are an incredibly helpful organizational tool that reduce clutter and can be used to keep internal and external audiences abreast of the latest developments within your organization.

Portable Projection Screen

Whether you are showing a slideshow or a mini-movie, the portable projection screen can be that little something extra that increases traffic to your trade show booth.

Because it is easily transported, the portable projection screen can also be used inside and outside of the office after the trade show. When giving a client presentation, your portable projection screen enables you to arrive at the meeting fully prepared to do a standard Power Point presentation, or a more elaborately executed multimedia visual. At the office, whether you are reviewing graphs with statistical data at an internal meeting or showing a slide show of candid office photos at the annual holiday party, your portable projection screen is a handy tool that can easily be stored without taking up much space.

If you use discretion when choosing your trade show display accessories, you will have materials that can be quite useful around the office. Depending on the size of your office space, and the needs of your staff, keep the table top display, literature rack and portable projection screen in mind when you want to make a wise investment with your marketing dollars.

Tags: literature racks | table top displays | trade show accessories

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There’s only a small percentage of businesses in the marketplace with firm brand recognition like Oprah, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Amazon.com. While the hefty marketing budgets of these behemoths is impressive you can promote your company and get your piece of the pie with a considerably smaller - even miniscule - budget. From advertising to how you execute your trade show display, there are low-cost and effective alternatives to traditional marketing strategies that create impact.

The first step is to focus your marketing efforts (otherwise known as target marketing). A topic that has nearly been discussed to death, target marketing is essential for just about every company, no matter how large or small. You don’t see advertisements for Oprah’s show on ESPN because that’s not her target market. And while a household name like McDonald’s appeals to almost everyone, their advertising efforts tend to be targeted toward specific marketing trends. Their latest marketing campaign is focused on the youth market that, these days, have much more of their own money to spend than the youth market of yesteryear. (more…)

You can’t get customers without exposure and you must invest some money to get that exposure. But you don’t have to go broke doing it.

Following the old, basic marketing model – putting a sign with your company’s name on the door; sprinkling your advertising budget across print, radio and television campaigns; and paying a graphic designer for a slick brochure or pamphlet – minimizes your impact in the marketplace. An important step in expanding your customer base is gaining exposure to generate interest in your brand. And if you were thinking that you couldn’t get a lot of exposure because of a limited budget, keep in mind that there are always effective, low-cost marketing options to attract potential customers.

Here’s a look at a couple of ideas to stretch your advertising dollars.

Website

Just under a decade ago, only the large companies were using their websites as effective marketing tools. Today, almost every business needs one. Your website serves as an essential piece of your overall marketing plan that fuels a sense of legitimacy for your business. If you don’t have a website, potential customers may be turned off because these days, the perception is this: if you are a legitimate professional, you have a website. It’s as important as having a phone number for your business. (more…)