Looking for new leads for your business? Why spend time searching them out one by one when you can connect with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of ideal prospects, all in one place, and in just a few days?
Many network marketing and direct sales professionals already know the value of showcasing their business and products at expos, tradeshows and conferences (one of the most highly-leveraged networking experiences around). It’s surprisingly affordable to get booth space, “set up shop” and start connecting with people passing through.
These days, there are so many different groups and events that can help you build your business. You may already be working local bridal shows or health and wellness expos, but
with just a little research, you’ll find MANY other events (local, regional and national) where you can easily reach your ideal customers and potential business partners.
But First – Narrow Down the Field
Although all kinds of people buy your products and join your business, it’s important to identify your “most ideal” prospects. This way, you can target the conferences and events they attend, while leveraging your time and energy (because you’ll only attend events where you’ll find people who are a true fit for what you offer).
Take a moment to answer these two questions:
1. What kind of prospect is perfect for your products?(Who’s already buying your products? Who are your BEST customers)?For example: Men over 40, women under 30, moms, busy professionals, people who want to lose weight, or baby boomers?
2. What kind of person would you love to recruit into your business? (Who are you already attracting? What kind of people are doing especially well in your company?) For example: Stay-at-home moms, corporate professionals, baby boomers, teachers, wellness professionals?
Come up with a “top 10 list” of your more ideal prospects (ideally people who are a great fit for both your products and business) and then narrow the list down to your top 3 “ideal prospects.”
This will be your “target market” or the ‘niche” with which to start.
Conferences and Trade Shows for Any Market
No matter who your ideal prospect is—there’s an event where you can find them (often in large numbers).
It’s amazing how many different associations, trade shows, expos and conferences exist these days. With just some quick online research, I found associations for all of the prospects listed below. Indeed, many have more than one association—and some hold events at the national (and even international) level!
Teachers – Nurses – Dentists – Doctors – Health Care Providers – Chiropractors – Dental Hygienists – Massage Therapists – Stay-At-Home Moms – Working Moms – Dads – Baby Boomers – Small Businesses (lawyers, financial planners, accountants, etc) – Executives (men and women) – CEOs – Female Entrepreneurs – Military Officers – Military Wives – Gen-Xers – Retirees
There are also many trade shows and conferences dedicated to specific topics or interests. I was able to easily find trade shows or conferences on the following topics:
Golf – Travel – Beauty – Fashion – Shoes – Spa and Salons – Bridal – Wellness – Fitness – Cosmetics – Spa – Weight Loss – Electronics
If you can identify a specific group or area of interest, there’s probably an association, conference or trade show that already supports it! (Did you know there’s a national association for “Stay at Home Mom’s?)
This is great news for you! If you’re willing to research your niche and come up with a well-planned and executed strategy, you can be showcasing your business at some great new events (likely ones not being thought of by others in your company, or your competitors). Even by attending a few each year, you will connect with hundreds of new leads, and attract many new customers and team members in the process.
Where to start?
Do Your Research
Start by poking around the Internet to find groups or associations for your target market, and see what conferences or trade shows they attend. Use a few different search engines (like Google and Yahoo) to get a good mix of results.
Enter “Target Market + Association” in the search bar and see what comes up. Try this with the words “trade show” and “conference” too.
For example:
Weight Loss + Association
Weight Loss + Trade Show
Weight Loss + Conference
Weight Loss + Organization
Teachers + Association
Teachers + Trade Show
Teachers + Conference
Teachers + Organization
If you want to find events closer to home, or in a specific part of the country, you can also add specific geographic search terms to narrow results by state or city.
Teachers + Association + California
Teachers + Association + San Diego
More Resources
There are some great websites that pull together information about trade shows and conferences in different markets. Be sure to check these out:
- BizTradeShows.com
- The Trade Show News Network- www.TSNN.com
You can also check with your local chamber of commerce or state convention and visitors bureau to see events scheduled in your area. Tourist information centers and city websites are also great sources of information. (Most major cities have a website showcasing local events.)
Pickup magazines catering to your target market and look through the ads (usually at the back) for events and trade shows. Look at the other ads too—they might give you ideas about other companies and organizations that cater to this market.
And don’t forget to ask around! Talk with people you know in this target market to find out about other events, groups, associations and conferences. Your contacts can often give tips or insider information about these events to help you determine if it’s worth your time to attend or book an exhibitor booth.
Identifying a good conference or trade show to promote your business takes time and research, but the dividends can be huge. Get ready to have fun, work hard and show off your business!
No matter who your ideal prospect is—there’s an event where you can find them (often in large numbers). It’s amazing how many different associations, trade shows, expos and conferences exist these days. With just some quick online research, I found associations for all of the prospects listed below. Indeed, many have more than one association—and some hold events at the national (and even international) level!