Every year kicks off with the Home Show season – usually with the largest home show in Denver taking place at the Convention Center. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran, or coming out for your very first home show, we wanted to make sure you had the tools and tips necessary to succeed. Most tips and tricks are for the businesses in how to make the booth the best they can – but we wanted to take a different look at it. We wanted to help the consumer in what to expect and how to make it worth your time. Outlined below, are some of the top tips of the trade when it comes to getting the most out of your next home show experience.
1. Educate Yourself Ahead of Time
With how easy it is to research online, it’s always a best practice to do some initial internet browsing prior to the home show. If you’re looking for Siding, make sure you research the different types of options (vinyl vs. fiber cement, or natural wood vs. engineered wood for example). If you’re interested in Windows, Roofing, and Painting, we’ve got you covered too. Come prepared by taking notes and figure out what products you’d want to learn more about. You’ll be able to have more in-depth conversations with the booth attendants on how their process or product offerings match your preferences.
If you’re set on what type of product you want, but unsure of the manufacture or brand, you can always find information either online or at the home show. Many booths have product specific informational packets or nuggets of knowledge you can find just by talking to them. By bringing those points of interest with you, it can speed up the conversation and allow you to hit more booths.
2. Know the Exhibitor List and Floor Plan Layout
Home shows can vary in size – smaller home shows or larger home shows. Some of the floor plans can get a little confusing, especially if it’s inside a large convention center. If you know you’re going to go to the Home Show taking place “next month”, do some research on the show itself and locate the exhibitor map ahead of time. You can print out the map and highlight the booths you want to make sure you hit. For example, if you’ve already been speaking to a specific company – make sure you visit them! Walking around and trying to find them can prove difficult. By printing out the map, you can save yourself some time and plan a route to maximize your time at the home show.
3. Collect as many information packets as you can
To make the most of your time at each booth, pick up as many brochures or content packets as you can. Once at a booth, ask the attendant for information on their product offerings or company literature to learn more about them when you have time at home. Not only will it allow you to soak up more information after you leave, but it’ll allow you to compare the different company booths to find which product offering or company stands out the most. Many businesses have smaller product offerings that aren’t even included on their website but they have informational packets that they hand out if requested.
4. Know Your Project Timeline
Going to a home show can be rewarding in so many ways. One of the most commonly asked questions you’ll be asked is regarding your own timeline. Make sure you have an idea on when you’d like your project to begin to be able to answer this regularly. If the timeline is around the corner, you may be given incentives to lock that project in before the busy season occurs. If the timeline is still a few months away, it’ll allow you to price shop a bit more and be patient until you’re ready to commit. It’ll allow the home show attendee to know if they need a quick follow up, or if they need to be a little bit more courteous about your timeline.
This is a great opportunity as well to get a feel for how quick companies can turnaround a project, or get a feel for which companies are the busiest. In theory, it can allow you to know which company has the most jobs in the pipeline or which company has the slowest timeline due to staffing. It not only helps the home show booth to understand your expectations but it also helps you know if the company you’re speaking to is well fitted to take on a number of projects at once.
5. Visit as Many Booths as Possible
It’s not every day that hundreds of companies gather at one location in order to talk with you. Each home show is really catered to you in that you can talk to as many companies as you’d like! The tips that are listed above is really geared towards maximizing your time. By making the most of your time, you’ll be able to visit nearly every booth you’d like to. There are likely going to be businesses you’d never heard of before – allowing you to speak to their representative to find more about them. The more you can approach, the more opportunities there will be of finding your right company to work on your project.
And there you have it! The Top 5 Tips from 5280 Exteriors on how to succeed at your next home show. Regardless if you’re looking for home exterior work, garden, or landscaping – you can normally find it at a home show. Be sure to check out our Facebook page regularly this time of year to see when we’ll be at a show close to you or reach out to us if you have any additional comments or questions.
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