Do Tradeshows Make Sense for Your Staffing Firm?
Let’s be clear about one thing; tradeshows offer tremendous lead generation opportunities if handled properly, but they also have the potential to sink the ship when you fail to do your homework. Meet with your recruiters and sales managers to identify the best possible opportunities for your firm and consider the following points when assessing tradeshow participation for staffing firms.
Proceed with Caution
Exhibiting or presenting at a tradeshow is a costly marketing effort, so it is imperative that staffing firms are aware of the associated risks. There is more to tradeshow participation than simply buying a display booth and renting a space. You need to create a marketing plan, set goals, design collateral, carefully select booth staff, and invest time into properly training your team. Tradeshow participation for staffing firms requires a lot of hard work to ensure success and realize ROI.
Know Your Options
Before committing to a tradeshow, invest time into researching your options. Do tradeshows offer you the best value for your marketing dollar, or are field events a better option for your staffing firm? Are you looking to generate a large number of new leads quickly? Are you looking for professionals with specific skill sets? There are both pros and cons to tradeshows and field events, so be sure to carefully consider all factors when deciding whether tradeshow participation makes sense for your staffing firm.
Put Your Best Foot Forward
Tradeshow participation for staffing firms involves a commitment to excellence in all areas. Don’t try to make due with an exhibit booth that was designed over a decade ago or the tried and true collateral that you have handed out in the past. Take the time to update your tradeshow booth and design a welcoming space that incorporates your branding message. Put your best foot forward by selecting handouts and giveaway materials that are sure to appeal to your staffing firm target audience.
Identify Decision Makers
In order to optimize your chances of success and realize ROI on your tradeshow investment, you need to conduct market research and identify the decision makers in your niche of the staffing industry. In addition to potential clients, don’t forget to work on enhancing your communication with prospective candidates. Once you have accurately determined which individuals you need to build relationships with, you are going to be in a better position to qualify trade shows and identify the best tradeshow opportunities for your staffing firm.
The Bottom Line
As is the case with any major marketing initiative, the bottom line is that in order to be successful you need to realize ROI from your staffing firm tradeshow efforts. Do the costs and risks associated with tradeshow participation outweigh the potential for lead generation? Have you decided to present at a breakout session or host a cocktail hour? Keep track of all leads and conversions that result from each show, and use the information to make decisions on future attendance.
Key Takeaways for Do Tradeshows Make Sense for Your Staffing Firm:
- Do your homework to ensure that you are aware of the risks associated with tradeshow participation
- Research all of your options before committing to a major marketing initiative
- Update your tradeshow booth to maximize your ROI
- Identify the decision makers in your target audience
- Carefully track all leads and conversions to assess your tradeshow ROI
About S.J.Hemley Marketing
S.J.Hemley Marketing is a marketing and sales consulting firm focused on driving tangible results for professional services firms. Brand matters, but not without ROI. With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience within staffing and recruiting, we have helped to drive successful branding, sales training, lead generation activities as well as defining marketing strategy for top organizations.