March 17, 2008
Law Firm Marketing Solutions
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Marach 2008, Issue #22
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In this issue:
Attorney Marketing At Trade Shows and Expos
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Attorney marketing at trade shows and expos can be like herding cats or like a zoo at times. Of course that will depend on the size of the event. Larger expos or trade shows are zoo like while smaller events are not very zoo like. That said large or small event you need proper planning to make your time and money pay off for you in new clients.
The first concerns in lawyer marketing at trade shows involve should you even be in the show or pass on it? Even before you sign up for the trade show or expo ask yourself what is the purpose for going to the show? Ask the organizers of the show details about who are the attendees and what the attendees will be looking to accomplish from coming to the show. What attorney marketing objectives do you intend to accomplish? What is the budget you have in mind to spend on this project? Will that money be better spent elsewhere? What outcomes will you have from exhibiting in the show in terms of building your attorney marketing mailing list, new clients, sales or visibility that you would not have if you did not exhibit? Will you be able to do a presentation to attendees at the show as well as exhibit? Will you be able to get some press either before and/or after the show from being in the show? Who are the other exhibitors likely to be and how will your attorney marketing benefit from being around those exhibitors? Will you be able to find new possible referral sources among the other exhibitors? Will you be getting a list of exhibitors at the show? Will you be getting a list of attendees as well so you can use that after the show? Can you mail to the list of attendees before the show? How will you use these lists after the show in your attorney marketing? Will you actually do the follow up work after the show? I do mean right after the show – like days after the show or a week maybe - or will that not happen? How will you stand out from the other exhibitors at the show if you do go? You will only have seconds to get attention as people walk by your booth. What is going to get them to stop and spend time with you? How will you look professional and welcoming to them as they walk by? Will the time be better spent in some other attorney marketing effort? The price of having the booth is only the beginning. Sometimes it is better to be an attendee and “work the booths” and the other attendees rather than being an exhibitor.
OK, so you have thought this all through and decided you are going to be in the show. What are the next concerns when using this attorney marketing strategy? What do you need to think through to get ready for the show? More questions like how will you make the desired outcome happen at the show? What vehicles or strategies will you use to get those outcomes? Be sure all the goals are specific, measurable and time sensitive. Something like “we will obtain 25 new leads and 5 prospective clients on the first day of the show.” Maybe something like: “I will meet 5 other exhibitors who have the ability to refer to me and get their business cards on each day of the show.”
What is your budget for this event? Exhibiting at trade shows can get very expensive quickly. If you have a display created by a professional firm it can run from thousands for just a table top display to tens of thousands of dollars for large build out displays. Some places to look online for attorney marketing displays are GodfreyGroup.com, AceExhibits.com, SugarhouseBanners.com or QuickscreenDisplays.com. Those on low budgets can find something at ACE, Quickscreen Displays or Sugarhouse for well under $1,000 in banner stands and 10 foot displays most likely. If you want to knock yourself out with options go to business.com and search using “trade show displays.” After you have figured this one out here are more “get ready” type questions for this attorney marketing project:
- Can you get some mileage out of inviting current suppliers, clients, or other contacts to the show? You will need to be sure they have your booth number to visit you.
- How will you get some press out of exhibiting in the show? How will you make that happen either before and/or after the show?
- OK so you got the presentation to the attendees with a listing in the show brochure. What do you need to do to be ready for that? What will be the action you want these attendees to your lecture to take at the end? How will you move them to the next step in your attorney marketing process?
- Are there ways to drive traffic to your trade show booth via your email list? By direct mail? By radio and TV spots? Can you have something on your website that prepares folks for attending the show and your booth in particular? Are you going to have a way to drive people who come by the booth at the show to your website and harvest emails or can you get email addresses on the spot? Getting email addresses is a great lawyer marketing strategy.
OK, so now we have an exhibit that will get some attention and stop people. What are you actually doing in the booth to make your attorney marketing investment pay off in growing your brand recognition, build your mailing/email list, engage prospective clients and develop prospective new referral sources? Here are some additional ideas:
- Be doubly sure that it is easy for those walking by to tell immediately what it is you do. Do use PowerPoint presentations, videos, pictures, graphics and signs to get the message across quickly. Remember with attorney marketing in trade shows you only have seconds to stop someone and get them to talk with you.
- Offer an inducement to come up to the booth - commonly called “giveaways.” Candy? A Raffle? Giveaway something practical like post it notes or something fun like toys, yo-yos, puzzles, mini-slinky, etc. Your attorney marketing business cards of course (see my article on law firm business card design). Do remember it is better if you get their business card so you can follow up later (one reason to have a raffle). Also consider brochures, pens, magnets or anything else that you can put your name/logo on. Display racks with your “take one” cards, brochures or more detailed “white papers” on topics of interest to the show attendees are useful. Do have more expensive attorney marketing giveaways hidden away (logo coffee cups maybe) that you can easily get to when you get someone at your booth you really want to impress or give a special gift to enhance relationship with them. Need more ideas on giveaways then go here:
www.garrettspecialties.com/trade-show-items-c-71.html
www.epromos.com/sitemap/promotional_collections_tradeshow_giveaways.html
www.coolpromoproducts.com
- If you have a raffle (most of you will need to use this attorney marketing strategy if building a prospect list is at all interesting to you) maybe offer a “prize” that ties into your practice area in some way and offer more than one winner- give away 3 or 5 of this service. If your sense of integrity can stand it make everyone a “winner” by giving it to everyone who entered the raffle. You don’t have to tell them up front that everyone is a winner of course since you will notify the winner after the event by mail, email or telephone (they don’t need to be present to win). It just might be easier to offer the service to everyone you talk with rather than go this route but I can assure you this is not an unusual strategy of those in the know who exhibit at trade shows. An “entry level” service or consultation that has some real value to your target market is what I am talking about here. Folks enter the raffle by dropping their business card in big fish bowl or gift bag (no business card then they can fill out a form you provide). If you don’t have a service you can use then consider some hot consumer item like the latest electronic gear of some sort (I-Pod like or portable electronic device of some sort). How about a nice brief case? Naturally you can’t give those type items away to everyone as an attorney marketing strategy!
- If you bar allows this attorney marketing strategy have a portfolio of testimonials laminated with protective plastic and placed in a nice binder on the table for folks to flip through.
Now we have them at the booth with all the “goodies” what next? Well how about some attorney marketing booth behavior that “sells.” First and foremost be sure you have adequate help in the booth. You will get tired. Allow for break time for those in the booth. Never leave you booth empty if you can help it. Here are some other key areas to consider:
- Most trade show do not allow “barking” (comes from the side show “barkers” at circuses in the old days I do believe) at those going by your booth. Barking means speaking loudly to those passing by in order to induce them to pay attention to you or your booth. Most will allow video or PowerPoint with audio as long as the audio is not overpowering to neighboring booths. So naturally don’t “bark” at folks. That said in attorney marketing at trade shows you can look very friendly, smile, attempt to make eye contact with folks passing by and then say a word or two if only “good morning.” Maybe remark on something they are wearing if they are coming by you close enough. In short be friendly and look for reasons to strike up a conversation. People know you are at the show to do business so don’t worry about appearing like you want new business.
- Work out what the “attorney marketing funnel” will be for various types of booth visitors. What are the things you will be saying to them? What will be the objective of the conversation with them? What is the most wanted response from them? In short what do you want them to do next as a result of coming by your booth?
- The dress of those in your booth needs to be considered. You want to dress slightly above the level of the average attendee in most cases. In some cases you will wear professional dress even if those attending the show will be casual or even very casual.
- At the show be sure to ask your early visitors if they have found the booth and their time with you of value. Ask them how you are doing in essence with your attorney marketing in this setting. Ask them what message they are receiving from you and your booth. Ask them how you think the booth could be improved or what information might be needed that you don’t have now. Make improvements on the spot if you can. Do the same with the other exhibitors by asking them for feedback. Also look around the show at other exhibitors for ideas on how to improve in the future.
Well, a lot to consider here in successfully managing attorney marketing at trade shows and expos. If you will be using this attorney marketing strategy often then it pays to get real good at it. As a general rule I don’t recommend trade shows to solo and small firms. If you are wondering if you should or should not use attorney marketing at trade shows after reading this article feel free to contact me and let’s sort it out together on my nickel.
Comments, ideas, questions or topics you would like to see addressed in future newsletters? I would love to hear from you. Just reply to this newsletter and tell me what you think.
To your success,
Henry Harlow
Founder, www.Law-Firm-Marketing-Coach.com
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