Successful customer-orientation at trade fairs

Customer-oriented behaviour plays a decisive role in the world of corporate success. It means that companies consistently orientate their communication towards the individual needs of their customers. But why is this so important? 

Why is customer-orientation so important?

The goal behind the customer-centred approach is clear: you want to increase customer satisfaction and strengthen the bond with your customers. Because if your customers are satisfied, they will stay with your company for longer and develop a stronger bond with this brand. This unity goes beyond the simple purchase process. It motivates customers to work with you again and again, and not just on a smaller scale, but often in order volumes with higher turnover.

But that's not all. Satisfied customers become ambassadors for your brand. They recommend your products and services to others and bring numerous new customers on board. In this way, customer-oriented behaviour not only contributes to considerable customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, but also to the sustainable growth of your company.

In a world where customer experience is becoming increasingly important, customer-centric behaviour is therefore the key to success. It not only enables you to ensure the satisfaction of your existing customers, but also opens up new opportunities for the company to grow further. Nowadays, customers have a wide range of products to choose from. It is therefore a challenge for companies to inspire customers. Instead of focussing exclusively on the product, companies should adapt the entire purchasing process to the needs, expectations and preferences of the customer.

What is a customer journey?

A customer-oriented and effective marketing and sales strategy is based on analysing and understanding the customer journey. The ‘customer journey’ refers to a type of journey that a customer undertakes with a company or brand.

The journey begins when the customer first becomes aware of the company through advertising or recommendations from family or friends. During this journey, there are various stops (touchpoints), such as browsing the website, reading reviews or asking questions to customer service.
The goal is to understand and improve all these stages so that the customer has a great experience and is happy to come back. In the end, the company benefits from satisfied customers who are happy to shop there and recommend the brand to others.

Buyer personas are crucial to understanding and targeting the diversity of customer needs. These fictitious people represent typical characteristics and behaviors of their target group and serve as models for different types of customers. The customer journey, the path a customer takes from first contact to purchase, varies significantly depending on the buyer persona. This model makes it possible to better understand customer expectations, even if it is impossible to take all individual needs into account. By creating buyer personas, the different wishes and preferences of the relevant target groups are incorporated into the analysis. These fictitious representatives act as the key to identifying the specific needs of individual customer groups.

Based on these comprehensive evaluations, targeted measures can be taken to optimize the customer experience at all touchpoints. Each buyer persona requires an individual approach and customized marketing strategies. This personalized approach is crucial to strengthen long-term customer loyalty. By taking into account the diverse needs of buyer personas, effective and targeted customer communication is made possible, which ultimately has a lasting impact on the company's success.

Examples of customer orientation

An exemplary case that illustrates how a pronounced customer orientation can be put into practice can be found in our company WWM. It shows how we have responded to the increased demand for flexible planning and execution at trade fair events.

In an increasingly diverse and global economy, customers expect products and services to be tailored to their specific needs. A customer-centric approach is demonstrated by responding to the diversity of customers' requirements in order to best satisfy them. In the business world, customers expect companies to adapt and respond flexibly to new market trends and technologies. Due to changing market conditions, diverse target groups, technological advances and competitive pressures, the demand for flexibility is also increasing in exhibition stand construction. Stand construction companies must react flexibly in order to respond to changes in the event industry.

Over the course of time, WWM has diversified and specialized its activities and business areas since its foundation in order to meet the diverse requirements. In an increasingly digital world, personal communication at trade fairs and events is gaining in importance. At the same time, event marketing must be just as simple, flexible, fast and measurable as digital marketing. This is where ExpoCloud comes into play, enabling fully digital planning, execution and analysis of event marketing. This solution is fast, efficient, flexible and measurable. By using digital technologies and processes, ExpoCloud automates event marketing tasks, transforms investments into flexible services and offers a holistic solution for Exhibition-as-a-Service (EaaS).

The growing demand for customized exhibition stands shows that companies recognize the need to differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive business world. RocketExpo plays a crucial role here by enabling companies to present themselves uniquely, stand out from the competition and cater specifically to their needs and objectives. The flexibility, adaptability and ability to target different audiences contribute to the growing importance of customized exhibition stands. RocketExpo creates a platform for creative and interactive elements that attract the attention of the target group.

In response to the challenges during the initial phase of the pandemic, WWM has created a new business unit - Metapilots. These focus on virtual worlds such as the corporate metaverse to meet current and ongoing customer needs. This once again demonstrates WWM's ability to respond to new situations and offer innovative solutions that are in high demand both in the past and today.

After looking at these examples, you are probably wondering how your trade fair presence can benefit from similar approaches. In the following sections, you will learn how your company can take the path to successful customer orientation in your trade fair presence.

Ways to achieve successful customer orientation at your trade fair appearance!

Market research and customer analysis: Start with thorough market research to understand the market and your target group. Record demographic data such as age, gender, income and location of your customers. In addition, analyse behaviour, buying habits and preferences. This information forms the basis for your customer targeting strategy.

Trade fair objectives: Formulate your trade fair objectives clearly and concisely. Trade fair objectives are clear, concise statements that describe the desired purpose and results of a trade fair participation. They serve as a guideline for the trade fair appearance and help to evaluate its success.

Customer satisfaction surveys: Carry out regular surveys to obtain feedback from your customers. Ask questions about satisfaction, expectations and specific experiences with your company or products. This allows you to gain direct insights into the opinions and wishes of your customers.

Targeted advertising and promotion: Identify the right channels and media to reach your target group effectively. Your advertising and promotion should be tailored to the interests and preferences of your customers. Use appropriate images, language and messages that appeal to your target audience.

You should also ask yourself the following questions to pave the way to successful customer orientation:

What will most encourage potential customers to make active contact with us?

Think about which elements, speeches, attractions or incentives you can use on your exhibition stand to arouse the interest of potential customers and encourage them to ask questions or find out more about the product range.

Which arguments are particularly convincing in sales and consultation discussions about our capabilities?

In this context, look for the key arguments and convincing points that can be presented during discussions at your trade fair in order to arouse interest and convince customers that the product or service on offer fulfils their needs and requirements.

Which products and which profile make us stand out from the competition?

The aim here is to find out which special products, services or features make the company unique and how it can present this uniqueness effectively at the trade fair. By realising how you stand out from the competition, you can develop a targeted marketing and presentation strategy to highlight these differentiating features and appeal to potential customers.

The aim here is to find out which special products, services or features make the company unique and how it can present this uniqueness effectively at the trade fair. By realising how you stand out from the competition, you can develop a targeted marketing and presentation strategy to highlight these differentiating features and appeal to potential customers.

Where is the greatest benefit for our business partners recognisable?

This means considering the perspective of business partners or customers and understanding what specific benefits or added value they can gain from interacting with your company at the trade fair.

To summarise, it can be said that the steps and considerations listed are of crucial importance on the way to successful customer orientation at your trade fair appearance. Along the way, it is important to ask yourself further questions to ensure that your trade fair presence achieves maximum success. This includes thinking about how you actively approach potential customers, which convincing arguments emphasise your capabilities, how you stand out from the competition and where the greatest benefit for your business partners can be identified. Careful consideration of all these aspects will strengthen and successfully promote customer-orientation at your trade fair appearance.

Conclusion

Ultimately, customer orientation is far more than just a business strategy. Every company is unique, which is why customer orientation is an ongoing process that must be defined individually in each company and constantly adapted to an ever-changing business world. It forms the foundation for the success of every company, regardless of its industry. Trade fairs offer an excellent platform for putting this philosophy into practice. A customer-centred trade fair presence requires a carefully crafted strategy that focuses on the needs and wishes of trade fair visitors. Such an approach offers numerous advantages that go far beyond customer satisfaction. Customers who feel understood and valued are also more likely to recommend your company to others, leading to positive word of mouth. In addition, customer orientation helps to promote the innovative strength of your company. Through direct contact with potential customers at trade fairs, companies gain valuable insights that can lead to the development of new products, services and solutions.