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Jasonda · August 16th, 2006

If you're thinking about doing trade shows, here is a huge list of things I've learned that might be useful.

How I know this stuff: A few years ago I helped a friend work some shows (around 6-7 of them). He had been doing shows for years so I picked up a lot of tips from him. We were not selling t-shirts but most of these tips apply to any sort of product. We were selling our product direct to the public at big family-oriented shows and at smaller shows that were directed at our niche market.

1. Finding the right show

Nearby is always better - travel and hotel expenses can take a huge chunk out of your profits.

Big shows are good because there's a lot of traffic, but niche markets are good as well and usually booths are cheaper. For example, if you have fishing-themed shirts, try to find an outdoors or sportsman's show.

Ask the show managers lots of questions. How many people come every year? The more the better. How much is a booth or spot? How much is parking? What do you need to bring? Some shows require floor coverings and all sorts of stuff. Oh, and if they have indoors and outdoor spots, always go for the indoor. If it rains you'll be happy.

Check out the map of the booths - Try to get something that's in a high-traffic area. People typically travel around the outside ring first and then go down the aisles.

Who are you booth neighbors? You don't want to end up next to someone who is using a microphone and speakers to promote their wares, leaving you unable to communicate with your customers.

2. Setting up your booth

Get yourself a nice big vinyl sign made, with grommets in the corners to hang at the back of the booth. The more plain and simple it is, with big text that can be read from far away, the better. You have only about 10 seconds on the average to catch people's attention, before they walk on by and you never see them again.

Display your stuff prominently. You don't want to make people actually come in your booth and rummage through some racks to find out what you are selling - they just won't do it.

Don't sit down. People who are sitting in chairs are unapproachable. If you must sit, get a high stool to perch on so you can easily get up to greet your customers.

If you need tables, chairs, display areas, floor coverings, etc, don't rent from the show. You will be paying a huge markup. Instead, bring your own, borrow, or rent from an outside company.

3. Looking professional

Don't do a show by yourself. You will just look pathetic and you will be exhausted and burnt out at the end. Bring one other person for a small booth, 2 or more for a bigger booth. Even if you have to pay them, it is worth it.

When you bring that other person with you, don't spend all your time talking with them or with your booth neighbors. You will be losing sales left and right - What customer would want to have to fight for your attention? They will just keep walking.

Be on time. If the show starts at 11am, and the show managers have specified that vendors must be in their booth at 10am, be there at 10am. You'll look completely unprofessional to vendors and the show managers if you don't do this, and it might cost you a spot next year.

Don't eat in your booth, it's not professional. If you have a really long show (1 week or more), consider constructing a fake wall in the back somehow so you can sneak back there to eat and sleep (and hide boxes).

Don't have hand-drawn signs in your booth - most often these are not even allowed by the show. Just print something out on the computer.

Take a picture of your booth. Show managers will want them when you try to get in to future shows.

At the end of each day, take down your products and pack them in boxes. It's shameful but sometimes other vendors will steal from you - and it is a lot harder to steal something if you have go through a box to find it rather than grab it off a hook.

Don't use one word of profanity. Ever. For any reason. Not when you're talking to your friends, not when you're talking to your neighbors, and not when you're talking to your customers - even if they say it first. You never know who else is listening, and you could lose sales this way.

4. Selling

Believe in your product and be knowledgable about it. This gives you real confidence. Also, if you have someone else with you, make sure they can answer every possible question without your help.. You sure don't want to hear, "Um, boss..." when you are about to make a sale, and end up losing the customer.

Don't say "Hi, how are you?" to your customers. It's verbal junk mail that gets filtered out instantly, and they've already heard it 20 times since they came in the door. Instead, find some other greeting that directly relates to your product. Keep trying until you find one that works, then you can use it over and over.

Speak up. Most likely the show will be noisy and crowded. If they are straining to hear you, most likely they are missing half of what you are saying.

Don't keep jabbering on. You can keep talking, but you don't know how much of that information is filtering through. Find pertinent questions that you can ask them, and direct the conversation according to what they are interested in.

Make some reason to get people to come over to your booth. A catchy greeting, a prize drawing, anything is better than nothing. If you don't bring them over the first time you see them, you'll never get that chance again.

Get them to touch your product somehow. For some reason, people are always more likely to buy something if they hold it in their own hands. Just make sure they know you are not giving it away.

People really like to buy things that other people are buying. Strange but true. So if you're talking to a customer, and a few other people stop to listen, just keep talking to your first customer. Train your helper to start talking to these other people, and pretty soon you will have a nice little crowd. This is a great way to get multiple sales at one time.

If you feel like the person you are talking to is just not going to buy your product, give them a flyer and send them happily on their way. Don't waste time trying desperately to convince them, you can use that time talking to new people.

Speaking of flyers - Have some simple, black & white half-sheet flyers made up with some clear pictures of your designs and your web address and contact information. Then, treat them like precious commodities - Keep them face-down in your booth somewhere, and DO NOT give them out freely to people walking by. Only give them to someone who has already bought something, or you can give them if you have already talked to the person for a while and they request a flyer. 1 person in 100 might randomly buy something from your website after they receive the flyer being passed out, but 1 in 10 will buy something if you take the time to talk to them in person. (These are not actual statistics, by the way - just my experience).

Have fun. If you are in a good mood, and you can talk and laugh with your customers, that's the best. Sales people who are bored, tired or stressed out are totally useless.

5. Dealing with other vendors

Make friends with your booth neighbors. You are going to be spending a lot of time next to these people, so it should be a pleasant experience.

Some people have the nerve to ask about your suppliers or how much money you are making. Be polite, but make sure that info stays private.

If you want to ask other vendors questions without being too nosy, here's a good way to start out: Ask them if they have done this show before, and if it has been good for them in the past.

If you are at a retail show and people ask about buying wholesale, and you're not ready for it - Don't feel pressured to quote them a price right away. Just trade business cards and talk to them a little later or after the show.

At the end of a show, if there are vendors who are interested in your product, give them a 10% discount or offer to trade for their products if there is something you like. You can get a lot of nice stuff this way!

And finally, leave your booth nice and tidy at the end of the show, and you might just get invited back next year.

Well, that's a lot of stuff to think about, I hope it is helpful to someone!

Rodney · August 16th, 2006

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	Well, that's a lot of stuff to think about, I hope it is helpful to someone!

It's been a big help to me. Thanks for the great post, Jasonda.

I'm sure I'll have follow up questions once the first chunk of knowledge sinks in

MotoskinGraphix · August 16th, 2006

I do so many auto events and these are generally very good sound guidelines with one exception. Touching your product..depending on the product. In summer whats on thier bodies, in thier mouth, sunscreen, the last turkey leg, 16oz miller lite etc is going to wind up on your shirts. When they are impared you product is going to be dropped in the dirt. Have sample product you take from event to event for the minions to touch. My God I have had sweaty women grab a tank and toss it on to see if they will fit. Hey If you can sell the sample more power to ya but understand they are there for the greasy fingers.

Jasonda · August 16th, 2006

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Originally Posted by MotoskinGraphix


	Have sample product you take from event to event for the minions to touch.

That's a good point, and I agree - having a sample or two for that purpose is better than letting people paw their way through all of your merchandise.

hongkongdmz · August 17th, 2006

Let me digest the info and i'll be asking a fair few questions. Looks very useful though. Thanks again Jasonda.

Nick.

normsbrand · August 19th, 2006

I am feeling good. I did just about everything you suggested at South x Southwest last year and I did sell out of Tees.

The only thing I did wrong, was saying, "How are you doing", and I actually got tired of doing that, and was sometimes just saying crazy stuff, and it actually worked out better.

Buechee · August 19th, 2006

Thanks. It adds to my post and gives me more insight.

Jasonda · August 19th, 2006

Awesome!

Anyone else out there with some trade show tips? Since I have only been to shows that had a wide range of products, it would be great to hear from some people who have done apparel-only shows.

T D Homa · August 28th, 2006

Hope this doesn't come off as a stupid question but on average how many tees will you bring? I'm thinking its good to be cautious having more rather then less, right? Also if I am indoors can I make additional shirts while I'm there or will that look unprofessional. This may help in keeping consumers in a casual manner/mood and or if samples/premade Tees have sold out. However to some it may come across as unprepared or bad business ethics.

I haven't sold my first sale yet, but I have been continplating the idea of starting up slow and working my way into the industry as most of the community has mentioned not to get ahead of yourself from the get go. Creating custom or on-demand shirts is something I love to do and thought is a good method to start but at shows is there a best method to go by. Having more shirts designs/sizes per style or more sizes/designs available from the get go?

Twinge · August 28th, 2006

To preface: We've done a few shows, but not a ton. We've had a few terrible shows, many bad shows, some okay shows, and a few good shows (as far as sales go).

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