The other day I was watching the six o’clock financial news and the graphic flashed up on the screen declaring that a barrel of oil had just reached an all time high. Being the Sales Manager for my company, this economic news could have been devastating from a cost standpoint. However, since products and services that I sell are Tradeshow related, this just re-emphasized a point that I often tell my customers. Tradeshow marketing is one of the most cost effective ways to get in front of your market that there is.

Recent research now indicates that over 80% of all purchasing agents attend local and regional Tradeshows to gather current information in order to make informed purchasing decisions. With the cost of a gallon of gas well over three dollars and your target customers scattered throughout Central Indiana and perhaps the Midwest, it becomes pretty obvious pretty fast, that Tradeshows would be an area where you could entice several hundred (if not thousands) of your kind of customers to come and visit you! This preserves your limited marketing budget in an incredibly cost effective way.

There are hosts of local and regional Tradeshows that cater to a variety of different industries that may be a perfect fit to find the “Golden Goose.” These venues may not be huge Convention Center affairs, but they may attract a multitude of your customer type who is out seeking new or supplemental vendors to work with. Chamber Tradeshows are a huge resource for finding local or regional customers. Depending on the county, there is something regionally going on almost every month of the year. In September of this year you will have the chance to participate in Southeastern Indiana’s largest one day Tradeshow called The Tri County Expo in Seymour. Watch the Chamber Newsletter for future details. The county fairs are also a great place to get exposure with your target market. They are a lot of work and many long hours, but anything worthwhile has a price that must be paid. It is important to remember that these are high visibility and high traffic events that could lead to new contacts and potentially new business in the coming weeks and months ahead.

It is also important to keep your target market in perspective. Choose the events that will produce results. Over the years I have seen companies that are at every event that is scheduled and comment that certain ones work very well and others produce limited, if any, results. Take note of that and narrow your focus so that your return on investment is maximized. There is a great business phrase that I use all of the time with regard to my marketing at Tradeshows, “Visibility, Credibility, and Profitability”. Be Visible at the events that your target market participates in and do your follow up when the event has ended. This leads to credibility, which if directed properly, leads to profitability. How much are you paying for gas to chase a single sales lead currently and how far do you travel to get it?