What do trade shows, exhibitors, and conferences have in common? The answer, people and people love to be drawn to a booth. The following is a recipe blend on how to increase traffic to your booth, turn cold leads into hot ones, and ensure your company name goes back with the visitor to their office.
First, a booth must be clean, easily identifiable, and inviting to those passing by. The best way is to have tables spaced where the people working the booth can not just stand behind the table(s). This is key as often exhibitors feel more comfortable separating themselves from the attendees. It is best to have a tablecloth with your company name draped across the table making sure it is wrinkle free. Have a sign posted behind your booth displaying your company name and slogan. This will catch the eyes of everyone. The more attractive a booth the more attendees tend to draw in.
Next, pass out cards, brochures, and marketing materials directly to the hands of the attendees and make sure these same items are visible on the booth table. Take an extra step when passing out these items and engage the attendees in a conversation. This is your first chance of an impression. Some exhibitors find that adding music to their booth or having group classes held in a booth are huge attendee drawers.
Finally, people love promotional items and the catchier the item the more the attendees will flock to your booth. Be creative here. An excellent example of the impact promotional items have is during a meeting we had with a new client they had on their desk a trio highlighter set they picked up at a trade show. What made these highlighters so catchy is they looked like cartoon characters with feathers for hair, wearing huge smiley faces. Not only were these highlighters functional, but this person displayed them on her desk as part of her office decor.
Another great way to further connect with your booth attendees, offer a business card drawing. This is a great way to collect cards and follow-up with them at a later date. The pitfall to this method is some companies use the cards and send spam mail. Instead, call the person directly and re-introduce yourself and company.
For more information or for help to build a strong more productive booth at your next trade show or conference, contact us at 702-877-7100.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Promotional Items: Marketing
What are you doing to keep yourself in front of your clients when you are unable to be there yourself? How is it you remind your customers and clients you are still around waiting for them to make their next purchase? Are your advertising dollars being spent soley on generating new business? Promotional items are key to every growing business and with a small budget to a large budget, promoting your business can be cost effective.
When most people think of promotional items they immediately think of the hundreds of ink pens lining their drawers, pen holders, purses, and cars. True, pens are a great way to get your name out there, but there are hundreds of thousands of other promotional items out there ready to catch your targets eyes. For instance, Print Plus More represents over 800,000 promotional items ranging from pens, bags / totes, massage accessories, silk screen / embroidered clothing and apparel, picture frames, and even holiday ornaments.
Promotional items are perfect to draw exhibitors to your booth, increase employee moral, turn employees into everyday sales people without them even saying a word. On the other hand, customers love free stuff or incentives. Offer them alittle something and they never seem to forget you. Best of all, the incentives you give away are often passed onto others increasing your business exposure. The more people see your name, the more they begin to reconize your company.
For more information on ways to promote your business, send us an email and we will be glad to give you a free consultation or visit us at www.printplusmore.com . Email: submit@printplusmore.com
When most people think of promotional items they immediately think of the hundreds of ink pens lining their drawers, pen holders, purses, and cars. True, pens are a great way to get your name out there, but there are hundreds of thousands of other promotional items out there ready to catch your targets eyes. For instance, Print Plus More represents over 800,000 promotional items ranging from pens, bags / totes, massage accessories, silk screen / embroidered clothing and apparel, picture frames, and even holiday ornaments.
Promotional items are perfect to draw exhibitors to your booth, increase employee moral, turn employees into everyday sales people without them even saying a word. On the other hand, customers love free stuff or incentives. Offer them alittle something and they never seem to forget you. Best of all, the incentives you give away are often passed onto others increasing your business exposure. The more people see your name, the more they begin to reconize your company.
For more information on ways to promote your business, send us an email and we will be glad to give you a free consultation or visit us at www.printplusmore.com . Email: submit@printplusmore.com
Monday, November 9, 2009
Best Time To Budget For Next Year
Tis the season to think about your budget for next year. Whether you are a business or private individual putting together your budget, keep in mind it needs to be done before January 2010. Setting reasonable and obtainable budgets will help to keep your finances in out of the red and into the black.
Budgeting tends to be thought of time consuming, often challenging when thinking ahead 12 months out, and even intimidating because you never know where to start. The first step to putting together a budget is being reasonable on your expectations. Most budgets fail because people tend to under estimate their actual expenses. They tend to say "I will only eat out 2 times a week for lunch" when in actually they eat out 4 times a week based on their current lunch system over the past 3 months. Always give your self a bit of room, but again keep it realistic.
If your goal is to cut back on expenses list all your current expenses you have incurred over the past 3 months and look at what items you can cut back on comfortably. If it have your nails manicured weekly, maybe shift it to bi-weekly or perform your own manicures. Business budgeting is no different. If office supply costs are hurting your pocket book, evaluate all the items you have been purchasing and decide what to continue ordering and what can be cut out. A great way to save money on office supplies, buy standard yellow colored post it notes versus decorative ones. Decide if you really need fancy everyday office pens or can your employees use standard pens.
Budgets need to be outlined and categorized. This will help create a picture of the overall expenses. Once all expenses have been defined next set-up a flow chart of cash flow. Be specific when you anticipate money coming in identify these dates. Once you have the dates in place, proportion your expenses in a 50/50 ratio of in/out cash flow. By creating a 50/50 ratio the less likely you will experience a funds shortage.
For helping setting up budgets refer to a financial advisor, planner, tax consultant, CPA, accountant, or a business strategist.
Budgeting tends to be thought of time consuming, often challenging when thinking ahead 12 months out, and even intimidating because you never know where to start. The first step to putting together a budget is being reasonable on your expectations. Most budgets fail because people tend to under estimate their actual expenses. They tend to say "I will only eat out 2 times a week for lunch" when in actually they eat out 4 times a week based on their current lunch system over the past 3 months. Always give your self a bit of room, but again keep it realistic.
If your goal is to cut back on expenses list all your current expenses you have incurred over the past 3 months and look at what items you can cut back on comfortably. If it have your nails manicured weekly, maybe shift it to bi-weekly or perform your own manicures. Business budgeting is no different. If office supply costs are hurting your pocket book, evaluate all the items you have been purchasing and decide what to continue ordering and what can be cut out. A great way to save money on office supplies, buy standard yellow colored post it notes versus decorative ones. Decide if you really need fancy everyday office pens or can your employees use standard pens.
Budgets need to be outlined and categorized. This will help create a picture of the overall expenses. Once all expenses have been defined next set-up a flow chart of cash flow. Be specific when you anticipate money coming in identify these dates. Once you have the dates in place, proportion your expenses in a 50/50 ratio of in/out cash flow. By creating a 50/50 ratio the less likely you will experience a funds shortage.
For helping setting up budgets refer to a financial advisor, planner, tax consultant, CPA, accountant, or a business strategist.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Time Management Tips
Time is the more valuable than money. Time is something you can never get back. All too often we put things off until another day, yet we never seem to catch that next day. We hear the term time management, but what does it really mean?
1) The term time management actually refers to managing ourselves rather than time, because no matter what you do to change, there will always be 24 hours in a day. It is how we budget our time which is controllable.
2) List everything you do in a course of day that takes your time away from being productive. Internet surfing or reading wants ads during the time when productive work should be performed steals time. Create a daily activity log to help define where your time is being spent.
3) Set time goals to help modify your behavior.
4) Take the next step and implement a reasonable time schedule. By doing this step you will increase productivity and reduce stress. As you analyze your progress you will begin to modify your behavior.
5) Use time management tools to help stay focused. Software programs are a great way to keep you on task moving forward. Adhere to the calendar, remind yourself in advance of tasks or events.
6) Get in the habit of prioritizing. decide what tasks are most important and need to be completed immediately.
7) Delegate or outsource to others. Never be afraid of saying no periodically.
8) Get yourself on a routine. The best rule of thumb, perform something for 30 days straight and it will become a habit.
9) Setting time limits for tasks will further help to keep you balanced.For instance, reading and answering email can consume your whole day if you let it. Instead, set a limit of one hour a day for this task and stick to it.
10) organization is key to time management. Not great at organizing hire a professional organizer who will create systems based on your needs, routine, and style. Make sure files are organized, desk tops, papers, etc.
11) Waiting is a time muncher. Waiting for a client, respond to emails while you are waiting. Eating lunch, write a grocery list, drinking your morning coffee, plan your day.
By using these 11 tips, you will improve your time by being more productive.
1) The term time management actually refers to managing ourselves rather than time, because no matter what you do to change, there will always be 24 hours in a day. It is how we budget our time which is controllable.
2) List everything you do in a course of day that takes your time away from being productive. Internet surfing or reading wants ads during the time when productive work should be performed steals time. Create a daily activity log to help define where your time is being spent.
3) Set time goals to help modify your behavior.
4) Take the next step and implement a reasonable time schedule. By doing this step you will increase productivity and reduce stress. As you analyze your progress you will begin to modify your behavior.
5) Use time management tools to help stay focused. Software programs are a great way to keep you on task moving forward. Adhere to the calendar, remind yourself in advance of tasks or events.
6) Get in the habit of prioritizing. decide what tasks are most important and need to be completed immediately.
7) Delegate or outsource to others. Never be afraid of saying no periodically.
8) Get yourself on a routine. The best rule of thumb, perform something for 30 days straight and it will become a habit.
9) Setting time limits for tasks will further help to keep you balanced.For instance, reading and answering email can consume your whole day if you let it. Instead, set a limit of one hour a day for this task and stick to it.
10) organization is key to time management. Not great at organizing hire a professional organizer who will create systems based on your needs, routine, and style. Make sure files are organized, desk tops, papers, etc.
11) Waiting is a time muncher. Waiting for a client, respond to emails while you are waiting. Eating lunch, write a grocery list, drinking your morning coffee, plan your day.
By using these 11 tips, you will improve your time by being more productive.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Busiest People Have More Time
The busiest of people have the most time because of four key elements in their life. These elements while are not always ingrained in their genetic make-up they are often instilled over time. Only those who have the discipline to adhere to these four elements have the time many of us wish we had.
The article The 4 Reasons Why the Busiest People Are Always on Tim found at http://ezinearticles.com/?The-4-Reasons-Why-the-Busiest-People-Are-Always-on-Time&id=1920288 gives a step by step approach to always being on time. Below is only a piece of the article, but enough to give anyone the jump on time.
# 1 Plan Ahead.
Busy people have a plan. They write it down on a Day-Timer or calendar. They have a schedule and they have personal things scheduled months in advance and meetings planned days and weeks in advance. They make sure there's room for impromptu meetings, hallway chats, paperwork, research and whatever they need to do because it's on the schedule. The kid's soccer games, dates with their spouse,,,it's all written down on the schedule and planned.
# 2 Prioritize
They respect their plan and prioritize accordingly. Busy people put a good deal of thought into their time and schedule. Isn't it interesting that the more time you spend thinking and planning about how to use your time, the more time you have?
# 3 Delegate
Busy people effectively delegate tasks both at the office and at home. If a busy person volunteers to organize or chair a fundraiser event, they eagerly delegate to others so as not to clog up their personal or business plans.
# 4 Don't Procrastinate
More importantly they don't put off tasks they can do right now, I mean right here and right now, today, not after lunch, now.
The article The 4 Reasons Why the Busiest People Are Always on Tim found at http://ezinearticles.com/?The-4-Reasons-Why-the-Busiest-People-Are-Always-on-Time&id=1920288 gives a step by step approach to always being on time. Below is only a piece of the article, but enough to give anyone the jump on time.
# 1 Plan Ahead.
Busy people have a plan. They write it down on a Day-Timer or calendar. They have a schedule and they have personal things scheduled months in advance and meetings planned days and weeks in advance. They make sure there's room for impromptu meetings, hallway chats, paperwork, research and whatever they need to do because it's on the schedule. The kid's soccer games, dates with their spouse,,,it's all written down on the schedule and planned.
# 2 Prioritize
They respect their plan and prioritize accordingly. Busy people put a good deal of thought into their time and schedule. Isn't it interesting that the more time you spend thinking and planning about how to use your time, the more time you have?
# 3 Delegate
Busy people effectively delegate tasks both at the office and at home. If a busy person volunteers to organize or chair a fundraiser event, they eagerly delegate to others so as not to clog up their personal or business plans.
# 4 Don't Procrastinate
More importantly they don't put off tasks they can do right now, I mean right here and right now, today, not after lunch, now.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Buisness Cards With Pictures
Take your business card to the next level by adding photos or graphics. Whether you are a large corporation with a vast amount of employees or the one person business adding images to any business card is proven to add life and build trust. The purpose of a business card is to sell products, services, and yourself.
The use of graphics helps to stand your card apart from the many other cards that are collected. Think about it, you are at a networking event and you meet three different artists. Each of them hand you their business card and the next day you pull these same cards out looking to purchase an art piece. One card is plain white with black text no graphics, one has bright color stock (paper) again with no picture, and the last card has a graphic of one of the artists art pieces with their contact information. Who do you think is more likely going to be remember more…the last artist. The reason, their card is a direct reflection of their work.
Take a look at a business card of someone who has their picture on it. When you look at the person you feel like there is a connection between you and the person because you see beyond the paper, you see the person directly. Pictures help to build trust and familiarity between the person on the card and the public. Using personal pictures helps to confidence and strengthens relationships.
When deciding to add a personal picture to a business card it is best to seek the help of a professional photographer. Many photographers will not take what is called “head shots”. Head shots are business pictures taken of the upper body to the head area. Models, actors, and actresses submit head shots when applying for roles and jobs. The better the head shot, the greater chance of landing the role or job. Your picture for your business card should be viewed the same.
The use of graphics helps to stand your card apart from the many other cards that are collected. Think about it, you are at a networking event and you meet three different artists. Each of them hand you their business card and the next day you pull these same cards out looking to purchase an art piece. One card is plain white with black text no graphics, one has bright color stock (paper) again with no picture, and the last card has a graphic of one of the artists art pieces with their contact information. Who do you think is more likely going to be remember more…the last artist. The reason, their card is a direct reflection of their work.
Take a look at a business card of someone who has their picture on it. When you look at the person you feel like there is a connection between you and the person because you see beyond the paper, you see the person directly. Pictures help to build trust and familiarity between the person on the card and the public. Using personal pictures helps to confidence and strengthens relationships.
When deciding to add a personal picture to a business card it is best to seek the help of a professional photographer. Many photographers will not take what is called “head shots”. Head shots are business pictures taken of the upper body to the head area. Models, actors, and actresses submit head shots when applying for roles and jobs. The better the head shot, the greater chance of landing the role or job. Your picture for your business card should be viewed the same.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
