In today’s business world, it’s crucial that companies know how to market themselves effectively. Even if your company makes the greatest products in the world, today’s customers are all about buying products they can trust. This means they’re buying a company just as much as they’re buying a product.
How can companies market themselves? One of the best ways is through trade shows. Done correctly, trade shows are the perfect way for companies to market themselves, their products, and everything their business is all about.
Trade shows can have many benefits which include:
Well-designed trade show booths, promotional items, and a good deal of sales collateral can get customers’ attention and keep it. With these things, you can leave a lasting impression that returning and prospective customers remember more than just passing along a business card.
Nothing can influence business decisions better than face-to-face meetings. By having booths at trade shows, companies can directly engage with customers and show them what they can offer. It’s easy to hype up products or services via email or social media, but in-person companies can show customers how fantastic their products are with giveaways or short presentations. This is a great way to meet people, especially if members of your sales team are good at interacting.
Another benefit of trade shows is that they level the playing field for everyone involved. They’re very cost-effective and everyone, from national companies to local mom-and-pop shops, can have the chance to make their pitch. This allows companies to promote themselves and generate sales and leads.
Before trade shows happen, your trade show freight needs to be transported to the convention center. To make sure your trade show freight gets from Point A to Point B, your company needs a transportation company that specializes in trade show logistics.
There are more than 250 convention centers across the United States, which means every day there’s a lot of freight moving here and there. In fact, in 2015 alone, the logistics and transportation industry totaled nearly $1.5 trillion, so it’s important to companies that their stuff gets where it needs to go and get there on time, whether it’s vehicles, electronics, machinery, or other items.
If you really stop and think about what is needed for a trade show, there are a lot of items and products. Using the services of a logistics company, companies can get help with trade show shipments, truckload shipping rates, expedited freight and any other needs a company has.
Whether you’re moving trade show freight for the first time or moving trade show freight for the 100th time, it helps to have a plan in place.
To avoid hang-ups, use these three tips:
As your company is planning for a trade show, it’s a great idea to make a list. There’s a lot to keep track of for trade shows whether it’s the components of your booth, literature, giveaway products, or tools. These lists are important because they help determine how much trade show freight you’ve got, how that trade show freight is packaged, and how much will trade show freight cost to ship.
Once you have a date for the trade show, you need to schedule times and dates for your trade show freight to be shipped from and to arrive on time. Missing these dates can cost you big bucks and also cause delays in your items getting to trade show sites.
When it comes to your trade show freight, you need to find a good carrier. A reputable carrier will consider waiting time and handling costs when providing you with a quote, helping to ensure there are no surprises in the end.
Trade shows can be a wonderful way to promote your business and by putting in some time to make sure all the logistics are in order, you can have a wonderful experience and drum up a lot of new business.
Whether you're a company looking to improve one facet of your supply chain, your entire supply chain, or simply looking for a transportation and logistics consultation, we can help.