Selling At Trade Fairs

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Trade fairs (also called trade shows, exhibitions) allow sellers (exhibitors) to set up booths and show their products to buyers (attendees or participants). The most common type of trade fair is “sector specific”, meaning that only one type or group of products are shown, for example apparel and accessories, shoes and footwear, or computers and allied products. Trade fairs are a very good way to see the products available from a large number of suppliers.

There are three reasons you as a supplier go to trade fairs:
1)    to sell your products
2)    to get feed back on your products from buyers
3)    to see what other suppliers at the fair are offering

To Sell

The biggest reason to exhibit at a trade show is to make sales. There are two important points to remember. The first is that you can not talk to everyone that comes into your booth. Limit your time to those that are serious customers. Avoid the merely curious. And secondly depending on the sector not a high percentage of sales are made at the trade fair itself. Generally speaking, the majority of sales are made after the trade fair in follow up sales.

US importers use trade fairs as places to see what's available and who's selling them. The crowded, busy, hectic, and noisy nature of trade fairs do not offer a good environment for discussing orders and negotiating terms. This is done after the fair in follow up sales.

To Get Feedback

It is possible to have a marketing research company determine if your product would sell in a particular country, But you will save yourself a lot of money by doing it yourself at a trade fair. Attendees will tell you face to face what they think of a product. You can tell what they think by the questions they ask.

To See The Competition

The market changes very rapidly. New products come out. Customer desires change. It is important as a supplier that you keep up with these changes. A great way to do this is at a trade fair. This doesn’t mean stealing other companies’ ideas. It does mean walking around and trying to get a feel of where your sector is going. What’s hot, what’s not.

Staffing The Booth

One of the most important things you can do to make sure your booth at a trade show is a success is to pick the very best people to staff the exhibit. If you don’t speak the language of the country that the fair is in you should contact the fair organizer and arrange for an interpreter.

After Fair Follow-Up

Another important point is to make as many contacts as you can during the fair. Get as many business cards as you can. Most buyers will give you their orders after the fair. When you get back to your office send an e-mail or letter to people that gave you a business card thanking them for visiting your booth and asking what information they need to place an order with you.