Planning a Successful Roadshow

Sometimes you have to leave the sanctity of your office to get your message out to the masses. There’s more to making sure your company is successful than just the usual advertising methods like television commercials and Yellow Pages ads. If you really want to get your business out there in the minds of those that matter, you have to get out of your comfort zone and hit the road.

A roadshow has become an excellent way to take your business to the next level. There are consumers out there looking for companies to invest in that aren’t located in their city, so they’ll need you to come to them.

If you want to plan a successful roadshow, keep reading and we’ll hopefully guide you to your goal.

Location, Location, Location

Picking the right cities to visit on your roadshow is just as important as the content you choose to present. You won’t be able to hit up every business mecca in the United States, so you’ll need to figure out which ones will be the best for your particular industry. Think of the largest cities in the country and those should be at the top of your list. These would include New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Austin, TX. Once you’ve plotted those on your map, make a few stops along the way between each one to reach out to the “little people”. Although they may not be able to invest as much as some of the wealthier benefactors, in larger numbers these investors can sometimes make or break your company. They are, after all, the people that will be using your products or service on a regular basis.

Developing Your Presentation

The quickest way to lose interest in a presentation is to let it drag on longer than it should. Before you even set off on your roadshow, you should have a detailed itinerary of everything you want to discuss and make sure you stay within that set time frame. Figure out the most important points you want to review and make those your defining moments within your presentation.

You want to make sure those in attendance have plenty of time to offer up questions that may not have been covered, so be sure to allow for these at the end of every stop on your trip. These questions will also help you develop a more successful roadshow every time you go out. You’ll be able to figure out what is more important to each city you visit, which will allow you to customize presentations for each stop.

Get the Word Out

You can’t just show up in a city and expect people to attend. In the months before your scheduled appearance you should invest in radio advertisements, newspaper ads, and the power of word-of-mouth. Let any sister companies know you’re coming into town and offer them sponsorship if they let their own customers know about your upcoming roadshow. Let them know that you’ll return the favor should they ever decide to come to your neck of the woods for their own roadshow.

Now that you know the basics of planning a successful roadshow, just be sure to learn as much as you hope your potential consumers will. Remember those that attend by sending out thank you notes and adding them to your mailing lists. You’ll be able to stay in their minds better this way, and they’ll feel as though they are truly an integral part of the success of your company. So, get out on the road and put on a show and watch as your company grows.

Image Credit: freedigitalphotos.net/Salvatore Vuono