How to Prepare a Demo Case

Product presentations are much more effective when a live example is given.  Here are some tips that will help you prepare a demo case for just such an occasion.

Pick a travel case that is large enough to accommodate your product, but also light enough for you to carry easily when it is full.  These cases may be purchased through companies who sell luggage as well as some major home improvement stores.  Don’t think conventionally.  Your demo case doesn’t have to look like a suitcase.  Evaluate your product and choose the case that will best protect it and even help to present it.

Compile your company’s literature, your business cards, some pens, and some paper and include these things in the demo case.  If your product includes many small pieces, make inserts with separate compartments to include in the case.  If your product needs electricity to function, determine a way to have only one power cord and use it to supply all of the devices.  Verify that the power cord is long enough to stretch at least 10 to 15 feet from the case.  Many electrical devices are designed to be mounted to a surface or a rail.  If your product includes this feature, mount it to a clean and professional looking board.

Before each presentation, stock the demo case with plenty of products.  It is common for a customer to like some features of a product but not others.  If you have a variety of products in your demo case, you have a better chance of showing them exactly what they want to see.  If your demo case is successful, make several duplicates of it and supply them to your distributors so that they will have the same sales tools.

Tips

• Don’t make the demo case too heavy.

• If your travel includes commercial transportation, be sure your demo case meets all of the necessary requirements.

How to Design an Inexpensive Trade Show Backdrop

A trade show is an excellent place to meet new prospects and advertise a business. Without an attractive backdrop and signage, many prospective customers will pass you by.

Promoting a business at a trade show requires special equipment to attract visitors, including a backdrop, signs, lights, and other advertisements. There are now many companies that will build trade show displays in a variety of shapes and sizes. The problem is that these solutions often exceed a small business' advertising budget.

Visit a local provider of retail store equipment. In addition to the ideas mentioned in this article, you may discover many useful pieces of equipment to promote your business through simply browsing their inventory. We chose 4 pieces of black powder coated steel grid panels, measuring 8 feet by 2 feet. Also, we purchased grid connectors and specially designed lights that connected easily to the top of each grid panel.

Arrange the grid panels so that each stands 8 feet tall. Connect the panels using special grid connectors to form the shape of a letter "W." Use at least 3 connectors between each panel. This structure is very sturdy and will stand on its own with no support. To increase the strength and add additional safety, special "L" shaped footers may be purchased which attach to the bottom of 2 grid panels and hold them together in a right angle. Using two of these footers will allow the four grid panels to stand together, connected as a "W" shape.

 

Contract a local sign manufacturer to produce several signs with your company logo and some information about your products. If you provide the art work, this should be relatively inexpensive. The material called "sentra" is very sturdy and makes an attractive sign. The signs that were made for us used a white sentra board with vinyl printed stickers attached to it. Drill a hole in each of the upper corners to allow the sign to hang on the grid panel using cable ties.

Attach the signs to the grid panels and position a light above each one to illuminate it. This is very important as a dark sign looks very uninviting. Now all that is needed is a table, some sample products, brochures, and several sales people to work the booth.

• Don't spend more money than necessary!
• Visitors are attracted to brightly illuminated and attractive booths.
• Use your imagination to decorate your booth and make it unique.
• Do not hang heavy articles from the grid panels that may cause them to become unstable.
• Follow safe wiring practices when connecting lights and other electrical equipment!

Choosing the Best Location for a Trade Show Booth

Have you ever left a trade show and wondered why you hardly attracted any leads?  Did you do something wrong?  Was your booth not attractive enough?  Did you not use effective signs?  Maybe the problem was the location where you setup your booth.

If you have previously worked a specific trade show, build upon your experience of that show and repeat your efforts when it is presented in the same exhibit hall again.  Were you satisfied with the amount of traffic and the number of quality leads?  If so, leave well enough alone and guard your secret diligently.  If your results were less than stellar, maybe it’s time to try a new strategy.

Look closely at the floor plan for the show.  This is probably available online.  Look for familiar companies and see where they position themselves.  Most shows have similar themed companies grouped together. You don’t want to set up too close to a competitor, but you also don’t want to isolate yourself and make it hard for visitors to find you.

Do not choose a space right at the entrance of the main hall.  You will receive a flood of traffic all at once that will overwhelm you and then everyone will pass on by.  When visitors have seen the rest of the show, they will be tired and probably have little time to stop and talk to you on the way out.  Do not choose a space that is close to restrooms or a food court.  Things like that have a tendency to distract people.  Do not choose a space in a side hall that is connected to the main hall by a door or hallway unless you just want some quiet time to reflect on your thoughts.

Take advantage of a space drawing for booth availability if it is provided and try to choose a booth   Choose the side that faces early morning traffic so that you attract the people who just rushed the entrance and then slowed down after passing the first few aisles to look around.  Use a company sign that is very specific in describing what your company offers.

that is close to the end of an aisle and near the front of the main hall, but at least two or three aisles away from the entrance.

Spend some time walking the show and take note of which companies have the largest crowd and how much time people spend at the booth.  It is a good idea to set up near them next time, but directly next to them.  You want to benefit from the large numbers of concentrated people, but you also don’t want your visitors noticing something interesting in a larger both and losing interest in you.  Pay attention to the companies who have annoying attractions or people in their booth.  Make a note of it and avoid setting up near them.  Annoying people usually don’t change their habits year after year and nothing is more aggravating than to have a talkative exhibitor from another company in your booth, distracting you while valuable potential customers size you up and then keep walking.  One last thing, if you are a small company and you transport your booth an set it up yourself, pay attention to the proximity of the loading area to your booth.  Being near the loading area can make a huge difference to you on the first and the last day of the show.