How to Generate More Leads at Trade Shows?
“Collecting Leads” is generally the first reason why marketing teams use trade shows in their strategy. But when asked, only 6% believe that they convert trade show leads well.
Participating in trade shows without a strong plan to convert your leads is a waste of time and money.
How can you capitalize on the sales opportunities you encounter? What content strategies should you use to effectively convert visitors into leads?
Stand out with an interactive digital representation of your product
Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.
How you present your product to potential customers is important. As the saying above implies, interactivity and active engagement are the most effective ways to leave an impression on visitors and to have a chance to continue the conversation after the show.
So, how can you get visitors to engage with your products?
Based on feedback from our clients, we found that the use of 3D models at trade shows generates tremendous traffic and positive reactions from visitors.
Visitors can interact with your 3D models—explore them from all angles and zoom in to details as if the products were physically there. This interactive experience is more engaging and memorable than traditional brochures and flyers.
Example of a 3D model by Schneider Electric. Visitors can interact with the model and explore all around.
Try the model above: click and drag with your mouse or move with your finger on mobile to rotate the model. The interactive annotations take visitors on a guided tour of the product.
These 3D annotations can include text, images, links and GIFs; and are especially engaging if you showcase complex products with various features and components.
Sharing this new form of visualization will help visitors remember your products and differentiate your company as innovative when compared with your competitors.
You can easily extend the experience by sending the URL of your 3D model to your visitors so that they can interact with your products even after the trade show.
Let visitors configure your products
If you are selling a customizable product, a 3D Configurator will help you showcase the different variations of your products.
This powerful tool allows visitors to customize a product in 3D to their exact needs and specifications, leaving a memorable impression on trade show attendees.
Brooklyn Solar Canopy manufactures solar panels for the New York City market. They built a 3D Configurator using Sketchfab’s Viewer API. It was introduced on a large touch screen at the Solar Power International 2019 exhibition in Salt Lake City.
Hundreds of Brooklyn Solar Canopy’s visitors interacted with the 3D Configurator and configured their own installation in 3D. It was a massive draw and allowed visitors to familiarize themselves with the product and its variations.
You can try the 3D configurator here.
“The configurator is an excellent design, sales, and marketing tool. It draws in customers and gives them a very clear sense of what we offer, and builds excitement in a really tactile way. It is definitely accelerating the sales process, no doubt about it. Our first conversations with people start at a pretty advanced place now.”
—Christopher Neidl, Director of Business Development at Brooklyn Solar Canopy
Explain complex products with exploded 3D models
Most of our clients that manufacture intricate products or construction materials face difficulties using physical samples to effectively showcase the interiors or the features of their products.
Sharing an exploded 3D model is in an interactive and engaging way to give a detailed look inside your product and unveil key attributes or hidden parts.
For example, this exploded and animated acoustic wall helps The Green Retreats Group explain the product’s components and what sets it apart from competitors.
Similarly, the example below shows the different parts of a heat exchanger and how they interact with each other. Hence, potential customers are able to get a better sense of the capabilities and internal structure of this particular system.
Create an immersive experience with VR and AR
The same 3D models that you showcase on touchscreens can be viewed in both VR and AR directly from the Sketchfab app, providing visitors with an even more immersive experience.
These entertaining experiences usually generate lots of traffic and attention at trade shows and are proven ways to turn leads in actual sales.
Faber showcased its product in 3D, Vr, and AR during the Milan Design Week 2019.
For instance, Faber created an immersive experience at Fuorisalone 2019 utilizing 3D interactive models on tablets, VR, and AR. Faber’s approach was a powerful way for them to increase brand awareness, customer interaction, and conversion.
Your 3D visualizations everywhere
Leveraging 3D models, 3D annotations, exploded models, AR and VR are proven ways to actively engage and convert trade show visitors into leads.
A 3D strategy is not only effective at trade shows but also in other marketing initiatives to boost conversion. For example, you can reuse your 3D models on your eCommerce website to increase conversion or in-store to showcase products that are not available in the shop.
Made.com embed 3D models on its website and built a kiosk app for its London flagship showroom, which allows customers to view those 3D models on a large touchscreen. This is particularly useful for items that aren’t physically available in the showroom.
? If you want to explore using 3D at your next trade show, visit our plans page and subscribe to one of our licenses.
