Bob is an average salesman from a company that sells printers and copy machines. Larry is also an average sales rep for a competing distributor of similar equipment. The printers and copiers the two companies sell and service are of excellent quality, and are, realistically, commoditized products.
This week, Bob and Larry both loaded up their marketing kits, which include portable trade show booths, brochures, business cards, a multimedia kiosk, and a table top display and headed to a regional business technology trade show.
Bob’s marketing director, however, purchased a couple new double sided banner stands. Larry’s marketing director sent him to the tradeshow with a couple pull up banner stands and an X-stand banner, all of which are attractive single-sided units.
Wouldn’t Double Sided Banner Stands Be The Obvious Choice In Most Situations,? An X Stand Banner Or Single Sided Pull Up Stands Would Have Less Exposure, Right?
That is a logically correct thought process. However, the outcome of this trade show may surprise you. All things being pretty much equal, Bob and Larry happen to be right across the aisle from each other in a good location in the convention center. Bob sets up his two-sided banner stands at each end of his 20′ x 20′ booth, and Larry does the same.
Bob’s displays are place correctly, perpendicular to the aisle. Larry is at a disadvantage as he has to place his single-sided pull up banner stands at about a 30° angle at each end of his company’s 20′ x 20′ booth, and he places the X stand banner facing the aisle next to his multimedia kiosk.
Right now, Larry appears to be at a slight disadvantage: the score is Bob, 2, and Larry, 1 (they both get one point for showing up). It is now up to the sales reps to convert passersby into leads (in our experience, very few sales are actually closed at tradeshows, mostly afterwards). As people stream in, though, Larry’s booth, with his disadvantaged 30° angled positioning of his company’s single-sided telescopic trade displays at each end, appear to be out-pulling Bob’s superior two-faced pop up displays.
Analyzing Bob’s And Larry’s Sales Techniques: What Would Improve Bob’s Results Even Though His Advertising Display Stands Are Getting More Views. And What Larry’s Company Should Do With The X Banner Stand To Get More Leads.
OK, so we know that Bob is getting more views because his ad graphics are positioned better than Larry’s. But we’ve also noted that Larry is getting twice as many booth visitors. Obviously, his medium are attracting more visitors even though they’re not as optimally positioned. Bob’s display banner are bringing in convention goers to his booth, but they’re just getting a business card and a brochure that shows printers and copiers and mentions the features and benefits of each unit.
Over at Larry’s booth, though, convention-goers are engaged in filling out a form entering them into a drawing for a FREE $1000 Fax/Copy Machine. The pop up trade display by the multimedia center offers FREE ink for the first year with the purchase of any printer or copier from Larry’s firm if purchased within 30 days of the end of the trade show.
The advertising banners at either side of the booth are bringing prospective clients into Larry’s booth, too, by offering to let prospective clients use, with no obligation to purchase, any printer or copier free for 30 days, subject to a couple minor approvals.
At the end of the show Sunday, Larry has garnered 4,239 leads via the FREE drawing box, AND 377 leads indicating a possible 30-day placement of one of his company’s printers or copiers. Although Bob had a viewing advantage with his two-sided ad print, Larry’s single faced X stand ad won the tradeshow marketing competition over Bob because the message out-pulled the medium. Bob had garnered 1288 business cards. But by the time his company’s sales team calls those leads, Larry’s company likely will have already placed a printer with these clients for a free 30-day trial.
One final point to be made, though, is that if Larry’s company would have utilized a couple of new double sided banner stands, those could have potentially increased exposure as much as 20 to 30%, versus using angled pull up banner stands or the X banner stand. So, while Larry’s company had the right message, it could have been more effective had it gotten more views. Either way, the message is still the difference between Larry’s success and Bob’s mediocrity at this trade show.
How about you? Double-sided banner stands versus single-sided X or Pull-up banner stand, which would you rather use? Or, do you have any experience using both at any trade or marketing event? Tell us more about it in the comment form below.
Should you be interested to discover much about these banners, see here.
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