If I were to guarantee you a 20% return on any money you invest with me, how much would you give me?
The answer is -- ALL OF IT. You'd give me all your money. You'd probably even go borrow money, because you'd still end up making money. Would you give me some time, maybe a few months, to get that return? Yes, of course you would.
My point is simple and it goes against the grain of probably 99% of exhibitors' expectations from trade shows: This is how you should look at any marketing tool you use, especially trade shows.
If you invest $10,000 exhibiting at a trade show, how much would be a good return? 20% 50% 100% 1000%? Let's say you expect a 100% return on your $10,000 investment. Does it matter whether you get that $20,000 from one new customer or $200 each from 100 new customers? The answer is NO, it does not matter. Would you wait a few months to get a 100% return on any money invested? YES, of course you would.
A trade show is a marketing tool, pure and simple. I could care less if the aisles are packed with anybody who can fog a mirror. As long as I understand there is a potential value of $20,000 by exhibiting at that show, then I'm there. As long as I recognize this is an investment that will provide a more than decent return in a more than decent time frame, then I'm there.
The next time you exhibit, stop sounding like the typical broken record, "How many warm bodies will be filling the aisles?" Instead, ask yourself what would be a fair and decent return on your investment of time and money? Then develop an exhibit marketing strategy that will help you achieve that.
And if you could achieve that goal with a handful of new customers or maybe only ONE new customer, you'd be happy with that, right? Yes, of course you would.
