Tips for making your on campus science trade show a success!

In the virtual world of life science product sales you are the public face of your company. What you say and do directly affects the perception that the research public has of your company, its products and services. Science trade shows, large and small, are the single best way for your company to interact face to face with researchers and other life science professionals. The way you present yourself and your company directly impacts your short and long term sales and your opportunities for success in this tightly linked niche market. Our company produces on campus life science trade shows nationwide. With regularity we see behaviors that impact our exhibiting companies both positively and negatively. Please enjoy these tips on what does and doesn’t appear to work when presenting at science trade shows.

Do’s

1. Dress for success and wear comfortable, professional shoes
2. Ship heavy materials and literature in advance, using an insured carrier. Standing with an injured back, or even sweaty clothes, will not improve your sales results
3. Bring lots of business cards, lead sheets, company literature and pens.
4. Network with other sales reps prior to and after the show, not during the show hours.
5. Bring water, a protein bar or other snack and breath mints, especially if you are at your booth alone during the show.
6. Arrive on time, allow plenty of time for travel, unloading, and set up. This will allow you to be relaxed and available to laboratory researchers when they arrive.
7. Double check to see if you have all of your shipped materials
8. Put a smile on your face and speak pleasantly to others even before the show starts- this puts you in the right frame of mind to interact with your customers later
9. Make cell phone calls, and set up appointments, prior to the show's opening hours and after the show closes. If you must answer a call during the show, take a message quickly and arrange to call back later.
10. Be available to your public. Plan on standing, using open body language and initiating conversations
11. Be prepared with conversation starters and sales interview questions. Then actively listen to responses
12. Treat your lead sheets like your wallet. Don’t leave them out and around, especially after the show. They don’t often get stolen; however, they are often misplaced or left behind.

1. Arrive late
2. Speak negatively about anyone or anything. If you have issues, take them directly to the source and address them with a solution in mind or save them for another time.
3. Decide to have a bad day on a show day
4. Leave your booth unattended
5. Encroach on your neighbors' exhibit space
6. Sit slouched, cross your arms, put on a frown, or keep your backside facing front
7. Spend show time away from your booth
8. Talk with other exhibitors during active show hours.
9. Leave early
10. Leave your booth lead sheets
11. Forget to pack up and ship out equipment and supplies
12. Forget to be professional even after the science trade show, when socializing and dining with other exhibitors. It’s a very small world in the life sciences