There comes a time in any venture when it is necessary to step back and review what has transpired. Your show effort is no different. After expending resources of time, money and talent, someone has to determine if it has been a worthwhile investment. Did the return justify the effort?

In past columns, we have discussed objectives, design, staff training, pre-show promotion, business plans and marketing plans. All were treated as necessary components to a successful show experience. All of these elements were designed, in the final analysis, to do one thing -- get the right people to your booth.

Were you successful?

Although this may seem like an easy question, it is often difficult to answer. It is difficult because some exhibitors have not taken the time to find out who visited. There are several ways to do this. Pre-show mailers inviting certain persons to come by are relatively easy to track. By having visitors sign a register, you have documentation. Be sure to ask for complete information, otherwise all you will have is a list of names. You need companies and area of responsibility. What's wrong with a visitor register? ...nothing.

As much as I dislike fish bowls for drawings (they usually fill up with cards from other exhibitors), the process can be controlled by having a staff person responsible for seeing that the privilege is not abused.

Another method is to invite targeted visitors to participate in your drawing after you have qualified them as legitimate prospects. The opportunity to enter the drawing, contest, etc., is seen as a positive reward for speaking with you.

If you use a pre-show mailing, a quick tally of how many people responded by coming to you booth will tell you how effective your effort was. Obviously, if a high percentage responded, you did a commendable job. If a small percentage showed up, you need to determine why you weren't as effective as you had hoped. Be sure to look at all the variables before you decide to take the honorable way out and fall on your sword.

Here are some questions about your mailing --

• did you have a good list'?
• did you mail too early?
• did you mail too late'?
• was your message clear?
• was your offer compelling?
• did it go to the right person?
• was it sent first class or bulk?
• did weather affect attendance?

Knowing who visited you is very important. It is also critical to know if the right people visited. Often exhibitors have found after a show that the people they thought they wanted to talk to were not the right audience and they could have made more progress by talking to persons from an entirely different area. This is often true of companies that target purchasing staff instead of persons from departments that will actually use the product or service sold.

If you are selling snow removal equipment, you probably should be targeting the maintenance department instead of purchasing. I know this sounds elementary but I have redirected many firms from this simple mistake.

By knowing who visited your booth, you have the tools to measure results and you are in the enviable position of being able to justify your expenditures ... no sword!