Chapter #1: Rethinking Trade Show Giveaways!

I  was about to hammer a nail into a board when my 7 year old son asked if  he could do it. Without thinking, I handed him the hammer and held the  nail between my thumb and forefinger. With tongue sticking out the side  of his mouth he began to take aim … giving me a minute to rethink the  situation. I said, "Hang on a second." I grabbed a pair of pliers and  secured the nail between the gleaming steel jaws. "Go ahead," I said. He  swung with everything he had, the hammer landing perfectly … on the  pliers — in the exact spot my fingers had been just moments earlier.
 

"Good thing you rethought that, huh dad," my son said sheepishly.
 "Yeah," I replied. "Good thing."
 

Sometimes  rethinking our position or rethinking a situation can yield an  eye-opening or finger-saving revelation. In the world of promotional  marketing and the use of promotional products, rethinking may not save a  finger … but it can save money, time, effort and frustration.
 

I’ll  bet you know of plenty of cases where things are being done because,  well … because they’ve always been done that way. Every so often,  someone has the time to step back and rethink the status quo. And many  times, a better way emerges.
 

ReThinking Trade Show Giveaways is a textbook example of that. This book is written to help you:
 

• ReThink the role of promotional products in your trade show marketing plans,
 • ReThink how you select the promotional products you will use,
 • ReThink how you will use them to achieve your desired trade show goals,
 • ReThink how you will distribute those products.
 

My trade show message is simple. Stop simply giving stuff away. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about.
 

Would  you stand out front of your business and hand everyone who walks by  your business card … and a quarter? How about 50 cents or maybe even a  dollar? You know. Sort of reverse panhanding.
 

No?  Why not? 
 

Think about that for a minute before you continue. (Imagine Jeopardy! music here)
 

Then  why, as people walk by your trade show booth, would you hand them an  item with your contact information that cost you 25¢, 50¢ or even $1 or  more?
 

Is it because:
 

1) You believe they’ll look at it and fall all over themselves to do business with you?
 

2) You believe that at some future point in time they’ll have a need for  your product or service and suddenly remember that pen they stuck in the  drawer, pull it out and call you?
 

3)  “Everyone else is doing it?”  
 

4) You really never gave it much thought?
 

Every  day, companies spend a lot of time, trouble and money to participate in  a trade show …  so they can give a bunch of stuff away. Their return on  investment is dismal. They have little or no actionable data to follow  up on, thus, few qualified prospects.
 

If  you wouldn’t stand out front of your business and give away money, then  perhaps it’s time to rethink your trade show protocol. Ask yourself,  “Why do I stand at a trade show booth and give away money in the form of  promotional products?”
 

“ReThinking Trade Show Giveaways”will help you avoid promotional product pitfalls  that entrap others. This short book will guide you toward using  promotional products effectively to promote your company and enhance  your prospecting efforts. You’ll learn how to wrap a promotional product  in a concept that will yield better results than simply giving stuff  away. And, you’ll learn why giving away LESS stuff to the right people,  pays greater dividends than giving away tons of stuff to the wrong  people.
 

So get comfortable. Take off the blinders and the rose–colored glasses. Because we’re about to ReThink Trade Show Giveaways.

Click Here to Download ReThinking Trade Show Giveaways for $20.99