Mapping Your Route to a Successful Trade Show Promotion

Microfiber Cleaning Cloth with Map Imprint

While you may think the above is just a map, in fact, it is a microfiber cleaning cloth. Or, in better terms, it is a great pre-show mailer invitation for your target market attending a trade show where you’re exhibiting!

A map of the show floor with your booth location highlighted, or a map of the city with the convention location and hotels earmarked, or a listing of the city’s top dining and nightime hot spots listed will all be attention getters for your clients and prospects. Of course, other imprint ideas for contests, scavenger hunts and more to make your promotion more fun and effective are available at Lev Promotions.

A promotional product of this type can keep you top of mind before the show, during the show, and after the show when the cloth gets used to clean eyeglasses, computer monitors, TV screens, cell phones and more.

For a selection of microfiber cleaning cloth and pouch options, please visit http://www.levpromotions.com/item_choose.cfm?&CatalogGUID=07c464e7-5a77-474d-a4b4-e7ae5c91bc71 or e-mail us at info@levpromotions.com, or call us at 619-697-2045. Other options are available, so if you like the idea, but want to see other packaging or pricing options, please call or e-mail us.

Professional Development Can Be Rejuvenating to Your Business

I recently returned from PPAI Expo, the largest trade show for promotional products professionals in the world. Not only did I have the opportunity to meet with my favorite suppliers, see new products, rediscover old favorites and learn about up-and-coming products; I also had the opportunity to take some professional development classes on various marketing topics.

No matter how long someone has been in a particular business, I find that passing on the opportunity to take classes, seminars and/or workshops in their chosen field is the difference between someone who has a job and someone who has a career. No matter what the profession, there are always new techniques to learn, new applications for old methods, new products/tools, and tangential subjects that can result in greater revenues. Not to mention that, sometimes, we need to hear someone else’s perspective to rethink something we thought we already knew, or realize that maybe we didn’t understand it as well as we thought.

All-in-all, I greatly believe in the power of education. Yes, I hold two Bachelor degrees (Spanish and Hospitality Management), but a degree is not the be-all and certainly not the end-all for education. Whether you take classes directly related to your profession at trade shows, professional association meetings, or at your local extension school, there is always more to learn. Maybe a class that relates to the type of customer you are pursuing can give you the added insight you need to close that big deal. How about a class in business writing to help make your e-mails and other professional correspondence sound and look more polished?

The possibilities are endless for allowing your mind to expand. The more you know, the better you can work your business. The better you work your business, the better your bank account will look!

Finally, if a professional certification is available to you, pursue it. In the long run, that extra effort does pay off. Personally, I just received my CAS (Certified Advertising Specialist) designation from my trade organization. I am already exploring how to best leverage that certification to make me more valuable to my clients.

Happy Holidays to All!

I’ll be taking the next two weeks off from posting here, so I thought I’d take this last entry of 2011 to wish you all the Happiest of Holidays.

I hope that 2011 was successful for you all.

If not as much as you’d hoped, then I hope you’ve put plans and actions into place to make 2012 better.

I hope that 2012 brings you all health, happiness and success.

Finally, may you all have successful marketing strategies and may you achieve your business goals for 2012.

Evaluating What Works

I believe the most critical part of a marketing plan is evaluating the components to see what is working and how effectively it is working.

That means examining the results from the perspective of the desired objectives. I know plenty of business people who believe that their social media efforts have been successful because all they’re looking at is the number of “friends” and/or “followers” they’ve managed to amass. In terms of converting any of those people into realistic prospects, or, better yet, actual customers, most haven’t figured out how to do it. Does the sheer number of people who “like” you qualify the time, energy and resources spent on social media as a success? Absolutely, if your goal was to achieve numbers of followers. If your goal was to open up sales channels via social media and achieve $xx in sales due to this effort, then the evaluation method is, “Show me the money.”

If you’ve spent money on exhibiting at a trade show, but have no solid sales as a result, then the evaluation becomes why not? Was it the wrong trade show? Was your message not clear or not geared toward your target market? Were you sitting in the back of the booth waiting for someone to come up to you? Did you have a way to gather leads?

Evaluation is about:

• examining what worked so you can implement the same thing, or a variation on a theme again.
• figuring out what didn’t work.
• deciding if what didn’t work needs to be eliminated or just tweaked for improved performance.
• making the necessary changes and starting again.

Evaluation is not about:

• making excuses. If something didn’t work, determine why it didn’t so the same problem doesn’t occur again.
• placing blame. Yes, sometimes someone does drop the ball. Now it’s time to figure out if it’s a ball worth picking up and running with or if it’s time to call it a game and try something new. (OK, so sports metaphors not so much my thing.)
• giving up. If something needs to be eliminated, so be it. Other options are open and should be considered.

Marketing techniques and theories abound. Evaluating what worked for you and what didn’t is about learning how to use your time, energy and resources to their best potential and to your best success.

Are You Ready for 2012?

If you’re still thinking of what to do to increase business in 2011, then you’re already late in planning for a successful 2012.

Marketing is an activity that is best done a minimum of 3 months out. In some cases, 2 or more years of active planning is a must. On the whole though, 3 – 6 months of bringing a plan to fruition is what it takes to see the goals we set become realities.

What does that mean for you?

If you haven’t started your marketing plan for 2012 yet, work it into your agenda for this week!

What’s the first step? Evaluate what worked and what didn’t in 2011. Tweak what can be tweaked, keep what did the job and get rid of anything else.

Second step? Well, since we’re starting so late: plan for your first quarter marketing needs before all else, because you may already need to implement some action steps for anything that you want accomplished in that timeframe.

Third step? Evaluate any new marketing tactics that you haven’t tried before. Maybe it’s time to hire a marketing consultant to evaluate what you’ve done and make recommendations for different approaches. Just because something works for your brother/neighbor/friend/competitor/business-next-door, doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for you. There are new marketing technologies out there – do you know what they are and/or how to use them effectively? A fresh eye can see things that you may have overlooked – if it’s a professional marketing consultant’s eye, they may not only see it, but advise you on how to get the most bang from your buck/time/energy.

Fourth step? Put the plan together. Make sure that you include any trade shows, tabletop shows, events, advertising, mailings, e-mails, personal networking and other marketing avenues that you are pursuing. Develop a calendar so that these events don’t sneak up on you. If you calendar the event and then schedule backwards for all the prep work you need to do to get ready for them, you will project a better image with the finished product and usually save time, money and aggravation along the way.

Fifth step? Implement the plan.

Sixth step? Yes, folks, implementation is not the last step. Reviewing the plan on at least a quarterly basis and tweaking as necessary is the last step in the process.

OK, then. On your mark…. Get set… Plan for 2012!

A Great Tool for Smartphone/Tablet/iPad Users

First of all, I apologize for the recent silence. Sometimes, life and work just get in the way of doing the tasks we’ve set for ourselves.

As I mentioned back in September, I came across some fun, inventive and interesting products at the last trade show I attended. Today, I am sharing one of those product ideas which would work well for IT services company, computer retail outlets, or any company which utilizes on on-the-road salesforce/consultanting staff. If your prospects or employees use smartphones and/or tablets or iPads, then this product is a great way to keep your brand in front of those people.

Flexible Waterproof Mini Bluetooth Keyboard

Black with white silicone back. Roll up this mini keyboard and take it anywhere! Waterproof, rinsable, and ultra-hygienic. Connects to your smart phone or iPad via Bluetooth. Makes typing on your smart phone a joy! Works with windows, Mac, smart phone and even iPads! Easy use with laptop and desktop PCs.  10″ L x 3 5/8″ W x 5/8″ Thick.

Granted, at about $45/piece with a 25 piece minimum, this is not a promotional product for the faint at heart. However, for the right company and the right application, this could be a powerful marketing piece. The secret is in the objective of the campaign, targeting the right market and getting it into their hands with the right message to accomplish your desired call-to-action.

Would I recommend it to just any company? Absolutely not! The cost has to be able to create a justifiable ROI or ROO.

Nevertheless, whether it’s used as a gift item, a trade show traffic booster, or as part of a promotional program, the impact of this keyboard upon the recipients will be tremendous.

If you would like more information on how this product could be used in a promotion for your company, please contact Lev Promotions at 619-697-2045, or e-mail us at info@levpromotions.com.

It also makes a great holiday gift idea for employees, clients and vendors.

Viral Marketing at Work

You’ve probably heard the phrase “viral marketing.” If you’re unsure what it means, it is word of mouth taken to the nth degree by having people spread the word quickly and effectively about a particular subject.

It’s what got The Blair Witch Project film known. It’s what those flash mob events were all about.

It’s taking the power of people spreading the word via Twitter, Facebook, e-mails, in person, or by any other means to publicize an event or an item.

To see an example of a successful viral marketing campaign that one of my suppliers did at the last two trade shows I attended, go to http://www.feyppg.com/eu/.

An Inexpensive, Yet Invaluable, Marketing Tool

OK, first the disclaimer: What I am about to write about is one marketing tool that I recommend often and enthusiastically that I have not put into use for my own company in any kind of effective manner.

That fact notwithstanding, I firmly believe that customer testimonials are one of the most powerful marketing tools available to any business. Nothing says “success” like a customer willing to put into words how much what you offer worked for them!

To this end, I encourage every business to solicit testimonials from their customers on a regular basis. This can be done in several ways:

• comment area in a post-transaction questionnaire
• online survey
• direct request for a testimonial
• use an unsolicited thank you letter or e-mail

Also, don’t limit yourself to written testimonials. Audio recordings and/or videos of your customers touting your products and services are great additions to a website.

Whether written, audio or vide. testimonials should be published on your website, brochures, marketing collateral, the destination for a QR code, maybe even your outgoing phone message.

The only caveat to testimonials is to make sure that you have permission to publish it from the person giving it, especially if you’re using their name and/or company name.

Deliver What You Promise

We’ve all heard the phrase under promise and over deliver. I am a personal fan of that saying. I heartily believe that you should deliver at least to the level you promised. When possible, promise to do what you know can be done and is expected; then go all out to make sure what you deliver goes above and beyond those expectations.

A prime example of under delivery on promises happens at trade shows every day. How often have you requested information, a sample or to schedule with promises of post-show follow-up only to have nothing happen?

Whether it’s caused by the hiring of local temps instead of having actual company employees, of not having an organizational system in place, or just being overwhelmed with booth visitors, things fall through the cracks. One thing I know about those cracks, they make great fishing holes for the companies who do deliver on their promises.

The bad example: I attended one of my industry trade shows in August. I saw an item that I wanted to show some of my clients to use as their holiday gifts. This particular supplier was running a special promotion for promotional products distributors on this product to help promote this new product in their line and get holiday gift sales going. They had a large sign up in their booth advertising this special with several samples of the finished product. They were not able to take orders on the floor and did not have any flyers for attendees to take with them. They promised to send information about the special via e-mail if a business card is left. It’s now 6 weeks later – still no e-mail from them. I was planning to use this item as my client thank you gift this year. I just ordered my holiday gift item from a different supplier.

The good example: At the same trade show, one of the suppliers was running a drawing for an iPad using one of their products as the entry ticket. They were drawing tickets the second day and the crowd around their booth was amazing. I used my phone to take video, but I’m only 5′ 4″ and there were a lot of tall people in front of me. My video didn’t show a lot. I noticed that the guy running the supplier booth was having someone take video from a great angle. I explained that I would like to blog about the product and was wondering if I could get a copy of his video to use. It was waiting in my e-mail box when I got back to San Diego that night. I drove home from Long Beach – he had to pack up his booth and get himself to the airport for a flight back to Pennsylvania and he still managed to send me a copy of the video. (Watch for it in an upcoming blog.)  WOW!!!!

If you can run  your business like that – whether at a trade show or on a day-to-day basis, your business will be a winner!

A New Take on a Best-Seller – the “Starbucks” Mug

You know the cup I’m talking about – it’s shaped like the  hot cups at Starbucks, but it’s ceramic and has a silicon lid. It’s been around for about 18 months now, and is one of our best-selling mug styles.

So what’s new about it? Color.

With the variety of cup colors (white, brown, black, and red) and the wider variety of silicon lid colors ( a dozen at last check), we can find a cup and lid combo that will match or complement your logo color(s)!

For more information on these mugs, go to: http://www.viewpresentation.com/1107398139

A great choice for business holiday gifts.