Effective Small Business Outreach – Hispanic Style
We had the pleasure of
attending the Annual Convention and Business Expo 2018 organized by the
Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey at The Palisadium in Cliffside
Park, NJ, on Friday, October 12.
Without a doubt, it was a
well-organized and successful event. It was filled to capacity with
enthusiastic and upbeat Hispanic American business entrepreneurs and vendors
ready to learn, network and do business. Always ready consultants from the banking
community as well as federal and state agencies, such as the Small Business
Administration and the New Jersey Business Action Center, were also on hand to provide
information and advice.
It was a great place to boost
your outreach.
The warm and friendly atmosphere,
abetted by the aroma of spicy, exotic, vibrant, delicious, fresh and fun
Hispanic cuisine, was conducive to building long-term business and
interpersonal relationships. Indeed, it was the place to launch commercial
interests for Hispanic American business people as well as non-Hispanic ones.
The event attracted 956 business
people and more than 100 vendors.
The message of the expo was
that the Hispanic American community is vibrant and eager to grow its business,
according to John C. Leon, member of the board of the Statewide Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey and government relations strategies chair.
“We have a large
cross-section of businesses involved and the chamber serves as the catalyst to
bring these businesses together to express their services and to collaborate
and provide them with opportunities to grow their businesses,” Leon told us.
With the exhibit hall and
aisles teeming with entrepreneurs looking for these new opportunities, Leon
indicated that was proof enough of the event’s success and the chamber’s
ability to service its constituents’ needs.
“If you provide service, the
members recognize it, appreciate it and respond. They want to be part of the
chamber. Success breeds success,” Leon explained. “The better the chamber
performs, the more others want to partake. It’s a self-fulfilling prophesy in
doing a good job for members. The growth is a result of the good word that goes
out from the interaction. It is beneficial to all stakeholders.”
Hispanic small businesses
today are in need of financing resources and the chamber steps up to the plate
to satisfy this need as well, he said.
“The chamber is involved in
bringing various lenders and grant programs to the forefront so that small
businesses that don’t have that knowledge and information can learn about them
and take advantage in order to grow their businesses,” Leon said.
Undoubtedly, a well-honed
success formula.
¡Buen trabajo!
Getting the most out of a Trade Show
The attendees and exhibitors
at the Annual Convention and Business Expo 2018 of the Statewide Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey did not just happen to come together at The
Palisadium and had a successful and fun event. A lot of planning went into such
a beneficial outcome.
Trade shows – like
conferences – are not for the squeamish. Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert,
getting the most out of any business gathering is a challenge. It’s one thing
to go home with a stack of notes and takeaways; it’s another thing entirely to
leave with fresh relationships, meaningful connections and the likelihood of
profitable business.
Attending a trade show can be
an excellent marketing and sales opportunity for your business, whether you are
an entrepreneur or you are representing the company for which you work.
Yes, the art and science of
successful trade shows is in the people. You pound the carpeted aisles, shake
hands and talk, talk and talk.
Planning a successful trade
show requires organization, creativity and resilience. Before you attend any
event, know why you’re attending. Attendees and exhibitors must be very well
acquainted with the topic or theme of the show and the potential sea of humanity
that will flood the aisles and booths.
The easiest way to start is
to include in your planning your customers, contacts, acquaintances and known
prospects. You not only want to let them know that you’re going to be at
the show, but also market the show itself to entice them to attend if they
weren’t already planning to. While it may be the trade show organizers’ job to
get people to attend, it’s your task to ensure you’ll see as many potential clients,
colleagues and vendors as possible. You can also plan to contact the show’s
registered attendees.
In addition to event
logistics, pre-show campaign planning is key. Exhibitors, are you launching a
new product or services around the same time as the event? Attendees, are you
looking for new products or services or just planning to understand the
exhibitors?
Be active on social media. Take
advantage of your Facebook and Twitter networks to announce your impending
presence and suggest your availability for meetings. You can start the buzz.
Post photos from the event to
your social channels before, during and after the event. This not only promotes
you and your company but also your sphere of business associates. If you’re an
exhibitor, invite attendees to stop by your booth to enter a contest, pick up a
giveaway or watch a demo. Make sure to include your booth number and event
hashtag so attendees can easily find you.
Don’t overlook emails and
start preparing them for the trade show four to six weeks before the event. You
will want to inform your audience of your attendance at the trade show and use
email as a platform to announce any important news, teasers and opportunities
to meet the team. Email campaigns, such as Constant Contact, are great because
they’re cheap and easy to execute. You can also get a sense of how much
engagement your email is getting by tracking open rates and click-through
rates.
Direct mail may be seen as a
thing of the past, but it’s still an effective way to reach people about an
upcoming event. Industry experts recommend postcards as one of the most
effective direct mail assets, especially postcards printed in unique shapes,
colors and designs. The goal here is to make sure your company, products, and
sales message are in people’s minds before the show even starts, so they can
make a note to visit your booth.
As an attendee, develop a
plan of which exhibitors you want to visit and then organize your list into two
parts – “must see” and “want to see” companies. Decide how much time you want
to spend at the show and then at each booth. Allow extra time for browsing,
distractions, waiting in lines and simple meeting and greeting.
There are really three ways
to spend time at a tradeshow: seeking out vendors on your list, attending
seminars, or wandering to see what you discover. It’s a good idea to make time
for all three, but know which one you’re most interested in. Is your main goal
to grasp speakers’ knowledge? Or, are you more interested in finding new
vendors on the floor?
Next, make a plan of attack
for reaching all of the exhibitors on the list you made. Insider tip: if you
want to have the booth’s full attention, try to hit it on the second day – if
the event lasts more than one day. The first tends to be hectic and if you wait
until the end, you risk missing the vendors – some pack up and leave early.
It’s a good idea to visit
some vendors you already know. Say hello, reconnect and see what new projects
they’re working on. This gives you the opportunity to verify that you’re still
in business, they’re still the best fit for your business and builds a
relationship by connecting face to face periodically.
Look everywhere for
networking opportunities with industry thought leaders. Get invited to
exhibitors’ hospitality suites and cocktail parties. At workshops introduce yourself
to people around you and hand out/collect business cards. Hook up with new
contacts at mealtimes for added information
Yes, you’re most likely there
for business purposes, but social events are excellent places to network. You
can meet other people working in your industry and collect recommendations from
them of who to seek out at the trade show during the day. Sometimes guest
speakers will also attend the social events of a show, which gives you the
opportunity to gain insight from them you wouldn’t have in a large lecture.
After the event, go through
the dozens and dozens of business cards that you’ve collected and be prepared
to follow-up after the show with emails. Remind them of your visit and chat. Express
your gratitude for the opportunity to talk and network, ask for additional
information and suggest establishing stronger relationships.
Send me your successful trade show experiences
and I’ll share your achievements with others in cyberspace.
Scroll through my blog to
read about more ways to promote yourselves and boost your outreach.
I’d also like to invite you
to visit my Thought Leadership website:
If you’re looking for advice
on recruiting, company handbooks and other human resources topics, I’d like to
suggest to you this interesting website:
