How Vendors Can Turn Event Visitors Into Customers Before, During & After the Event
For many vendors and exhibitors, success at a festival, fair, market or trade show is measured by one thing:
How much did I sell today?
Obviously, event-day sales matter. But they are only part of the opportunity.
Think about how many people may walk past your booth during an event. Some stop and buy. Others look around, ask a question, pick up a business card or tell you they'll come back later.
Then the event ends.
The tents come down. The booths are packed. Everyone goes home.
What happens to all of those potential customers you met?
For many vendors, unfortunately, the answer is nothing.
And that may be one of the biggest missed opportunities in event marketing.
A Booth Visitor Can Be Worth More Than One Sale
A person who visits your booth doesn't have to represent a single transaction.
That person could become a repeat customer. They could follow your business on social media. They could visit your website. They could tell friends about you. They could come looking for you at your next event.
But that becomes much more likely when you create a way to continue the relationship.
The objective isn't simply:
ATTRACT → SELL
A better long-term strategy is:
ATTRACT → ENGAGE → CAPTURE → CONNECT → FOLLOW UP → CONVERT
That changes how you think about the value of every event you attend.
Give People a Reason to Stop
Before you can build a relationship, you first have to get someone's attention.
That's not always easy at a busy festival or market.
Attendees may be walking past dozens—or hundreds—of booths. Your booth is competing for attention with other vendors, food, entertainment, friends and everything else happening around them.
Your display matters, but so does giving people a reason to interact with you.
It could be a demonstration, sampling, contest, giveaway, game or another interactive experience.
The goal is to turn someone who was simply walking by into someone who stops and engages with your business.
Don't Let the Relationship End at Your Booth
Once someone is interested, think beyond today's transaction.
Look for appropriate ways to invite customers to stay connected with your business.
That could mean joining your email list, opting in to receive messages, following you on social media or learning where you'll be exhibiting next.
Now you have an opportunity that didn't exist when that person was simply another face in the crowd.
Follow-Up Can Be Especially Powerful for Local Vendors
Consider a farmer selling produce at a weekend farmers market.
A customer stops at the booth, makes a purchase and joins the farmer's customer list.
A few days later, the farmer has strawberries, tomatoes or another perishable product that needs to be sold quickly.
Instead of simply waiting for the next market, the farmer may now have a way to reach local customers and let them know what's available.
The same principle applies to many businesses.
A baker can announce a seasonal product.
An artist can show customers a new piece.
A jewelry maker can announce where they'll be exhibiting next.
A food vendor can promote an upcoming event.
A retailer can introduce new inventory.
The event helped create the relationship.
Follow-up gives that relationship an opportunity to grow.
Think Beyond Discounts
Following up doesn't always mean sending coupons.
You can share useful information, announce new products, tell customers where you'll be next, provide behind-the-scenes content, invite them to follow your social channels or simply stay in touch.
The objective is to remain relevant without becoming intrusive.
When done properly, you're not simply trying to make another sale.
You're working toward turning:
A visitor into a customer.
A customer into a regular.
And a regular into an advocate for your business.
Measure More Than Event-Day Revenue
After your next event, don't only ask:
“How much did I sell?”
Also ask:
How many people stopped at my booth?
How many meaningful conversations did I have?
How many new customer connections did I create?
How many people joined my list?
How many new social connections did I make?
How many future sales opportunities did the event create?
Those numbers can give you a much better picture of what an event actually produced for your business.
Want to Learn More? Join Our Free Training
We've created a free online training specifically for vendors and exhibitors called:
Turn Event Visitors Into Customers
The training covers practical strategies you can use before, during and after an event to help:
✓ Attract more people to your booth
✓ Create stronger customer engagement
✓ Build your customer list
✓ Turn brief interactions into customer connections
✓ Use prizes and interactive experiences effectively
✓ Follow up after an event
✓ Create more opportunities for repeat business
Whether you participate in festivals, fairs, farmers markets, craft shows, trade shows or expos, the goal is the same:
Don't let your customer opportunity end when the event does.
Register for the FREE Vendor & Exhibitor Training:
REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE TRAINING NOW!
