Set Goals Every Hour, Every Day
Before you even set up your first display or hang your banner, you need to decide exactly what it is you want to accomplish from exhibiting at a home show.
“Set specific goals,” says Jeff Kida, owner of DDS Design Services, in the Greater Chicago area. “You’re probably not going to sell a complete remodel at a home show. Your goal or objective should be to set an appointment. Or, if they’re not ready to move on a project, be sure to get the [prospect’s] contact information.”
Ray Lyons, owner of House of Gutters, in Virginia Beach, Va., says that to get those leads, offer a drawing, a giveaway, or a special discount if homeowners sign up during the home show. “Get names and set appointments during the show,” he says, adding that you should have a lead-capture goal for every hour and talk to as many people as you can.
It’s also important to have lofty yet tangible targets during the show, according to Russell. Her team sets a goal of handing out at least 500 flyers for their company’s home improvement seminars for the entire run of the show as well as talking to at least 25 people per day.
By setting these goals, Russell says, “you’re not going in cold. For a lot of employees, this sort of thing is foreign. There is an art to doing a home show.”
Booth or Consequences: Exhibit Essentials
A. Show Off
“Before and after” photos in an album or on a TV or laptop always capture the interest of potential clients. They want to see the kind of work your company can do. Also, have samples of the materials you use, such as granite countertops, siding, or tile on display. People enjoy a hands-on experience.
E. Get Busy
There’s nothing more off-putting than employees spending booth time reading the paper, eating, or texting friends. It shows a lack of interest on the exhibitor’s part because the booth is staffed by people who’d rather be elsewhere. Success depends on staffers actively engaging with show attendees.
C. Meet & Greet
You don’t need to grab every person who passes by, but you should have a welcoming demeanor. “Hi, how are you enjoying the show?” is a good icebreaker. Potential customers are often unsure of what they’re looking for, so booth staff should be experts in everything your company does.
B. Here We Are
Your company’s name, address, phone number, and website URL should be clearly visible. You want potential clients to remember your company when it’s time for a remodeling job. Also, every booth staffer should be wearing a shirt with your company logo on it. You want the consumer to know your name.
D. Room Service
Some home shows will let you set up a room display so you can build a faux kitchen, bathroom, sunroom, or porch. This will help potential clients and curious homeÂowners get a real feel for the type of remodel your company can do for them — it works especially well for material displays.
G. Take It Away
Be sure to have plenty of information about your company that consumers can take with them. Whether it’s a four-color brochure about your company or magazine article reprints that highlight past projects, it never hurts to have something a potential client can mull over for a few days or weeks.
F. Free Stuff!
One way that many companies entice passersby to stop and visit is the promise of a giveaway. Not only do you get the homeowner’s attention, but you also capture their contact information for your own follow-up. When they drop their business card in a fish bowl for the drawing, you have their number.
—Mark A. Newman, senior editor, REMODELING.