How to Safeguard Your Promotional Products at Trade Shows - SWAG Series

She is hovering around your booth. Big bags. Zero eye contact. In fact, eyes are focused about three feet off the floor, scanning your tables and displays. Eureka! Found your stash of promotional products. Then the dreaded question, "Is this free?" You have just been approached by a trade show promotional product thief, a show attendee who is there only to collect your promotional products and not your business card.

Every trade show has them, but some more than others. These thieves are more prevalent in consumer shows but have been spotted at business-to-business events as well. They are there to swipe as much "free stuff" as they can for their personal use and usually have no intention, authority, ability, or need to buy what you sell. Plus, it is likely they would not refer business to you either. Some of these petty thieves are courteous enough to ask for the items, as in the scenario above. Others grab bunches of giveaways, stash them in a bag, and dash to the next booth.

Trade show promotional product thieves waste your money! They are also a distraction that can keep you from identifying and spending time with valuable trade show visitors. But how can you ditch them? Try these strategies:

1. Make 'Em Earn It. Post a sign that show visitors will receive a free item if they fill out a survey, participate in a game, listen to a presentation, etc. Make them do something that helps you, such as collecting survey data. Chances are they are not going to want to waste time doing what you ask and move on.

2. Make 'Em Wait. Think about offering a freebie that you send after the show. Like with making them earn your giveaway, this delays the instant gratification of grabbing the goods. As well, it gives you a great follow-up opportunity for those show visitors that are truly qualified.

3. Prep Booth Personnel to Weed Out, Not Give Out. Booth personnel, especially if sales are not their main job or they have not been trained properly, fall into the habit of giving a freebie to everyone that wanders in the booth. They feel that giving out all the giveaways that were shipped to the booth is doing the right thing and getting the word out. Train your booth personnel to qualify, qualify, qualify! Preparing a script or list of questions to quickly qualify booth visitors will help. If the visitor qualifies and provides complete follow-up information, he's eligible to receive a giveaway. If not, train booth personnel to politely send the thieves on their way.

4. Don't Put a Table in Front of the Booth. Not only does a table in the front of a booth discourage interaction with valuable show visitors, but it also makes promotional product theft a crime of opportunity. If you have a stash of giveaways just sitting on the edge of your table, what is to stop a trade show thief from grabbing a bunch and stuffing them in a bag? If you use a table, place it at the back of the booth with your booth personnel stationed in front of it. Similarly, do not place giveaways in a bin at the front of your display. Too easy for a thief to grab and go.

5. Only Exhibit at Shows that Reach Your Target Audience. When considering exhibiting at a particular event, take time to carefully evaluate the target audience and how show visitors will be invited to the event. Highly qualified attendees are there to do business; the freebies are just a bonus, making thieves less prevalent. If it is a free event open to the public without qualification, you can expect more trade show promotional product thieves in attendance. If the type of business you are in requires attendance at public events such as home shows, utilize the above strategies to reduce loss.

Thorne, Heidi. SWAG: How to Choose and Use Promotional Products for Marketing Your Business (p. 65). UNKNOWN. Kindle Edition.