The Sunday Mail
Tendai Mbirimi
AS The Sunday Mail Bridal Expo 2016 draws nearer, it is wise to craft a mouthwatering campaign to market one’s company or services to the intended audience.
No doubt, this is one of the best Expos in Zimbabwe and it draws multitudes. Like in any other business exhibition, the reason for participating is to meet potential clients and get them to know what it is you have to offer.
However, Expos are not necessarily about direct sales.
Based on experience, most clients normally behave in two ways when they attend a bridal show. One is they wander around the booths gathering brochures and business cards.
Others come with a to-do list, but still go through all stands that look appealing, asking questions, but with no intention to contract. They will sit in your booth and ask about your services.
Participating in a Bridal Expo is not without costs.
There is a fee to reserve space, and this should be viewed as an investment for future business. But hard selling at the Expo could see you spending too much time on one client while ignoring many others.
Many people are not patient enough to wait as you try and convince someone else to buy. Remember, you are not the only booth around.
Furthermore, there is a lot of bustle at an Expo. People are moving up and down, music is playing, there is a lot of talking going on.
The best way to get potential business is to have an attractive stand, good brochures and business cards. Get people to take your documents and contact you at their leisure.
You can also have some sort of log sheet where clients can input their contact information and event details. Ask for their name, date of event, contact numbers and email addresses.
You can also prepare a notepad and an empty glass bowl where guests can just drop their business cards or write down their information and drop it.
After the day is done, make sure to consolidate this information in a single database so you can follow up on them.
The bottom line is you should be able to entice your guests to visit your showroom where you will have ample time to take them through your services, of course, with some refreshments. No serious business is discussed on dry throats!
Consider even giving them vouchers redeemable upon visiting your showroom.
Expos are largely there for window shopping, giving people an opportunity to start planning what they want to buy.
Try not use too much hard selling tactics at a bridal expo and avoid being too pushy. It is ideal to hire trained, presentable and fluent personnel to run your booth.
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