Your trade show marketing strategy should focus heavily upon generating leads at the event. There are, of course, many reasons for participating in trade shows. They're a proven method for increasing your company's exposure within your market. They're also an effective channel for introducing new products and services. If planned well, your time and effort will result in improved sales and revenue.

However, lead generation should be the priority for you and your booth team. Without qualified leads, your success in cultivating profitable relationships with prospective customers will be limited. Below, I'll describe how you can use customizable scratch-off cards to create excitement in your audience and draw them to your trade show booth. I'll explain how the right strategy can lay the foundation for generating waves of qualified leads at the event.

Customizable Scratch-Off Cards Generate Pre-Show Excitement

Exhibitors often think their participation at a trade show is enough to spark interest in their customers and prospects for the event. In reality, people need a reason to attend; having a booth at the show is not enough to motivate them.

Part of your trade show marketing strategy should be dedicated to creating pre-show excitement among your customers. You want them to be excited to visit your booth. There are plenty of ways to generate this excitement, but one of the most effective techniques I've used involves mailing out customizable scratch-off cards. Here's an easy method that you can use to increase your booth traffic.

Four or five weeks before a trade show, mail the cards to your entire customer list. Make sure that every card is a winner and each recipient is eligible to receive a prize. However, don't divulge the prize they've won on the customizable scratch-off cards. Instead, have the cards preprinted with numbers under the scratch-off surface. In order to find out what they've won and to claim their prize, your customers are required to visit your exhibit.

For the prizes, use cost-effective, high-quality trade show giveaways which promote your company. That way, you're not only improving the goodwill that your audience has toward your company, but you're also integrating a long-term trade show marketing component.

Beginning The Lead-Qualifying Conversation

The purpose of mailing customizable scratch-off cards to your prospects and customers is to create excitement and generate booth traffic. It's important to realize that producing that traffic is the first step to generating valuable leads at the event. When attendees arrive at your exhibit to find out what prize they've won, you and your booth staff can discuss their business needs in the context of what your company can offer them. Once they're qualified as "hot" leads, your staff can follow-up with them immediately.

Advantages Of Using Customizable Scratch-Off Cards

Customizable scratch-off cards are simple to plan, easy to mail out to your customer base, and can be designed according to your promotional ideas. Plus, because everybody enjoys the chance to win a prize, they're perfectly suited to spark immediate interest and curiosity.

The cards are bright and colorful, and can be customized to fit a variety of tantalizing game formats. If you're already sending newsletters, mailers, or other direct mail to your customers, the scratch-off cards can be easily added to the packages.

Trade shows are an effective strategy for increasing your company's exposure, launching new products, and improving your sales and revenue. However, in order to do those things effectively, you must be able to draw people to your trade show exhibit. Customizable scratch-off cards can generate increased booth traffic and lay the foundation for your staff to qualify valuable leads for post-show follow-up. It's a cost-effective trade show marketing approach that lets you improve goodwill, cultivate profitable relationships, and help you compete in your market.

About the Author:

Jonathan Edelman provides helpful trade show ideas about customizable scratch-off cards and trade show marketing. With years of experience in the trenches, he is an expert on booth displays, lead generation techniques, and networking with trade show vendors to build a referral-generating system that leads to a boost in sales and revenue.