Capturing Franchisees at the Right Show

When it comes to franchise shows, geography will be an equally important consideration. While some shows command an international audience, for the most part, franchise buyers will be driving two hours or less to come to your show. So if you are not targeting franchisees within that radius, your marketing dollars may well be better spent elsewhere.

Trade Shows by the Numbers

The most important thing to remember at trade shows -- aside from bringing a comfortable pair of shoes -- is that these shows are about lead generation, not sales. While you want to do everything you can to build rapport with your prospects and to qualify them on the floor, a good show provides you with a constant stream of traffic. And that traffic may walk by if you are too busy with a prospect to engage them.

One solution: Bring more people to help you work the booth.

While booth space will cost you several thousand dollars and up, numerous "hidden costs" need to be included in your trade-show budget -- and should be included when tracking costs-per-lead and costs-per-sale. Perhaps the biggest cost is that of travel, food and lodging for those working the booth.

Another "hidden cost" is the cost of the material you provide to those who pass your booth. On one hand, you'll be meeting with prospects who just met your competitor, so you want to put your best foot forward. On the other hand, with hundreds of prospects stopping by over a four-day period, you could go through a small fortune handing out brochures that you printed at $3 or more per piece. It might help to develop a small but professional flier or handout that you provide to all the "bag stuffers" who pass your booth -- but keep a supply of your full-sized brochures under the table to pass out to your most serious prospects.

All tolled, you can probably expect to spend at least $10,000 on any given trade show. If your experience is similar to the anecdotal experience of some of our clients, a good show will probably generate a couple of hundred leads, several strong prospects and, assuming you are handling the sales process correctly, one to three franchisees.

Some years ago, as the popularity of the Internet began to rise, trade shows and expos declined in popularity and foot traffic. In more recent years, our experience has been that they have bounced back strongly. And while they no longer generate the foot traffic they once did, trade shows and expos provide many franchisors the ability to get up close and personal with a specific prospect in a specific geography, which can be a strong combination indeed.