[Focus On Marketing] Making The Sale

Pest management professionals eagerly swarm convention trade shows across the country; A walk through October’s expansive trade show in conjunction with the National Pest Management Association’s annual convention demonstrates its popularity. The NPMA trade show, Pest Management ‘02, with its 150 or so vendors ranging from truck dealers to live trap manufacturers to software companies, is arguably the primary reason why many busy pest management professionals travel across the country to attend the convention. Those pest management professionals walking down carpeted halls and past draped booths are exposed to the latest in technology, equipment, products, services and techniques that could make their businesses more efficient, productive and profitable.

But when the booth tables are turned, do pest management professionals receive value as vendors at trade shows?

MAKING TRADE SHOWS WORK. Your expected and actual return on the investment of time and money should help you make your decision, recommends Paul Salvant, president of The Bug Man, Baton Rouge, La. "Make sure you’re spending time and money wisely, and that you define and meet your goals from trade shows," Salvant said.

The Bug Man is a regular — and in some years, the only pest management company — participant at the Habitat Show held annually at the Baton Rouge Convention Center. Hosted by the Louisiana Homebuilders Association, this home and garden show is open to building, lending and real estate professionals, and to the general public. More than 200 booths feature the latest in home improvement, including landscaping, plumbing, furnishings and interior and exterior lighting. Held over a weekend in the spring, it regularly draws between 5,000 and 8,000 attendees. The latest innovations in pest management fit well into the mix of other home improvement offerings, Salvant said.

While Habitat attendance is impressive, how much trade show traffic is considered good booth traffic? "At least 150 to 200 actual booth visitors make for a good show," said Lee Stout, corporate manager for The Bug Man. With this volume, Stout expects to generate about 80 qualified sales leads and will close about 25 percent of those leads, adding about $4,000 in direct trade show sales. With the booth cost in the $500 to $600 range, a good trade show can be a profitable day. And since members of the salaried management team "man" the booth, no additional operational costs are necessary to generate those extra sales. But Stout cautions that sales success can’t be measured in direct, on-the-spot sales alone. "I’ve had a termite treatment sale that took place six months after the show," he said.

The timing of a successful trade show is important; spring tends to be the time of year during which homeowners are looking to make investments in their homes, Salvant said. Installation of high-end products such as termite baits is a popular item, and "…timed with swarm season, we see a lot of interest in the service," Salvant added. As an Authorized Operator for the Sentricon System, The Bug Man has benefited from generic television and radio advertisements by Dow AgroSciences. "People stopping by the booth have heard of Sentricon," he said. Salvant said that he thinks that pest management professionals using other bait systems also benefit from Sentricon advertising, creating greater awareness for the technology with consumers.

Another key to a successful trade show booth is the "correct" traffic at your booth. Drink "huggies," key chains and refrigerator magnets simply wouldn’t do, Salvant warned. In fact, a multitude of "giveaways" may simply encourage "stuffers" — people looking only to fill bags with advertising specialties — crowding out people genuinely interested in pest management. Instead, The Bug Man has a microscope equipped with a television monitor to identify pests on site. While not using the microscope, the monitor shows a videotape of termites, termite damage and other common pests; tapes are usually supplied free from product manufacturers. The Bug Man offers candy or peanuts to prompt people to stop and talk. In addition, Salvant reserves "specialty" items for his existing customers that visit the booth.

CONCLUSION. The success of trade shows can be difficult to measure, Salvant says. In the months following the show, it is important to track the origins of sales leads to determine what part of the marketing mix is working best: Yellow Pages, cable television, seasonal radio, billboards, direct mail and trade shows are all important in developing sales leads. Salvant says that each component of the marketing plan must be evaluated on its respective cost effectiveness.

Trade shows present a unique opportunity for pest management professionals for face-to-face interaction with the public, to create sales and leads and to act as ambassadors for their industry. With the suggestions offered by trade show veterans, pest management professionals can use this personal marketing venue to experience — and benefit from — being on the other side of the booth.

Allen Fugler is the vice president of LIPCA Insurance Group, a supplier of insurance services that is owned by and dedicated to pest management professionals. He can be reached via e-mail at afugler@pctonline.com.