Invest heavily in tradeshows despite tight margins
Insight from Brandon Wong
When to use
When your target customers gather at industry events and you need to demonstrate physical products or build trust through face-to-face interactions, especially in B2B or equipment sales where hands-on experience drives purchasing decisions.
Don't do this
Avoiding tradeshows because of cost concerns when your competitors are building relationships and demonstrating products in person, missing the opportunity to convert high-intent buyers who attend specifically to evaluate solutions.
2 Founders Who Did This
Invested heavily in fintech exhibitions and events as a secondary distribution channel alongside direct sales for their embedded finance API
Invested $10K on location plus $10K on staff per trade show, making margins tight, but chose shows where existing customers gathered. First trade show ever resulted in 10+ booth sales plus double that the following week.