We have officially launched live assistance on our main website.  This isn't exactly new technology by any means, nor is it in place to "wow" our customers.  It is what it is, and it serves multiple functions efficienty, cost-effectively, and fast.  Nearly all websites could benefit from having live assistance installed on their sites and running at least part of the time.  We only run ours live during our standard business hours.  You may occassionally find it live at other times we have someone logged on and working.  Regardless, as long as it is up during your prime business hours, you will see many benefits almost immediately.  Some of these benefits include:

Establishing Customer Relationships

Live support allows you to identify and monitor visitors to your site real-time.  Existing customers will be identified as well.  So you will know beforehand whether you need to communicate with a focus on sales or support. This type of personalized service goes a long way in differentiating you from compettor websites. 

If your visitor is an existing customer, you can pull up his profile and find out exactly what products/services he or she has purchased from you already, and you will be able to address the customer intelligently and effectively. 

If your visitor is a new customer, you will establish a pre-sales relationship, if only by first name, that gives them a more secure feeling with purchasing your offerings.  Beyond providing enhanced customer relationship building, live assistance can bring us to our next benefit... Identifying customer needs.

Identifying Customer Needs

With live assistance installed on your web server, you can monitor the pages your visitor is viewing.  Whether you have invited your visitor into a live chat, or the visitor has initiated the conversation, you will find it very easy to assess their needs. 

Most potential customers know exactly what they are looking for.  However, they almost never have time to read everything on your site regarding what you are offering.  Generally speaking, when you have the opportunity to speak with the customer, you can guide them to exactly what they are looking for in a fraction of the time they would be able to find the content themselves, all while building a relationship with them and eliminating the chance of them not finding the right information.

Saving your customers time

Your visitors are looking for something specific when they come to your site and often do not have the patience or time to search through everything, only to not find the information anyway and leave your site confused. Live assistance tools can be a very effective solution for such a visitor. All they need to do is to request assistance from a representative.

Using an easy to use text based chat, your sales rep will be able to answer the visitors questions immediately. often times, upselling services is much easier in this low-pressure alternative to telephone sales.

Even if the customer doesn't buy, you are constantly refining your own technique, giving customers the best possible experience on you site, and strengthening your brand.  Remember, your brand is every means by which you leave your mark, and one on one communication is one of the most effective tools to build awareness, trust and retention.

There are far too many more benefits to attempt to list them all.  These benefits will vary depending on your implementation of live assistance.  The possibilities are vast, and many companies can be very creative in how they utilize this powerful web tool.

R.J. Frasca
President & CEO
3 Guesses Media, Inc.

So you've decided on which trade shows to exhibit in. You know who you're sending. You've got just the right giveaways. What could possibly go wrong?

Anything and everything. Trade show exhibitions often leave companies scratching their heads, wondering what went wrong and why such a dismal turnout. Everything seemed like it should have gone fine, but somewhere along the line, the strategy faltered. While there will always be room for error, there are some surefire ways you can maximize your ROI and minimize your disappointment.

12 months to 6 months out - Goals and Objectives:

First things first. Have you defined which trade shows are right for you? Have you defined your goals and objectives for the show? Are they realistic? Sit down with your team and get a solid exhibit plan in place. Remember that your plan has to find synergy with your overall brand and company marketing strategies. Always keep the big picture in mind. You must leverage your existing brand to succeed in any marketing venture.

So what is it you're trying to achieve in the show? Lead Generation? Increased brand exposure? Launching next year's line? A new brand? Figure out what your purpose is, get everyone on the same page, and carve it in stone. This is by far the most crucial step in the process.

It is in this phase that you shouold also be contracting your booth space. You will want to contracts space for some larger shows as early as 12 months prior. If you are looking for a new exhibit. If so, start planning that now. Find out what your contract entitle you to for your booth space (pipe and drape, waste removal services, etc.). Work your exhibit plans around that accordingly. Booths, kiosks and other essential items can be purchased or rented for very reasonable costs if you shop prices and availability early.

6 months to 4 months out - Promotional Marketing Strategy:

Many companies spend so much time internally planning their exhibits, they literally forget to promote their attendance to their target audience! I recently received an informal invite to a trade show in New York from a friend. He had forwarded me the invite he sent out to all of his target audience. The email neglected to give me the dates or location of the trade show! It only gave the name. Granted, this is an extreme example, but I think it demonstrates this point perfectly. If you want peopla to come see you at a show - make sure they know when, where and how to find you. Send them information on the show itself, your exhibit, and even travel and lodging information if Get creative, and get the message out early. Make sure to follow up regularly as the show approaches. Now is the time you should be planning you advertisements, direct mail strategy, email campaign, travel and lodging arrangements (including any special rates you can negotiate for your attendees), etc.

It is also at this phase that you should be finishing up all final design plans with your exhibitor house and beginning and graphic design for your signage and giveaways.

 

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Bookmark this page and make sure to check back later this week for the rest of the article. After learning how to prepare for a tradeshow, the series will continue as we will examine the proper strategy for the show itself, and how your staff should be maximizing lead generation while on the show floor.

 

R.J. Frasca
President & CEO
3 Guesses Media, Inc.