If your company participates in trade shows or conventions, its ultimate goal is to generate business. The right promotional products can be a big help in doing just that.

The perfect promotional product is one that represents your company and its business well, and is used - often - by the recipient. Practical, attractive giveaways can include simple items like pens or mechanical pencils, pads of paper, or rulers, or can be more substantial, like hefty three-ring binders, canvas totes or portfolios or backpacks. A pen with your company's name, phone number, and website address puts your company's essential info literally at the fingertips of prospective customers; and, considering the propensity of writing implements to get passed from hand to hand, you've no idea how far your company's message will really travel. If you have lots of printed material to hand out to prospective customers or conference participants, a great giveaway is a sturdy tote with your company logo and contact information printed on it. Participants will use your promotional tote throughout the day and likely after they return home, either at work or in their personal life, thus keeping your company in their mind.

Trade your info for theirs.

Offer a high-quality giveaway like a sturdy book bag in exchange for participants' business cards or other contact information; for a modest investment, you'll gain a substantial list of prospective customers. You may also want to tailor your giveaways to your company's industry, or to the industry of your potential clients. A company marketing to architectural firms, for example, may want to offer drafting pens or even a small drafting kit; an architectural firm may want to offer an attractive day calendar with spectacular photos of some of their most dramatic designs.

Offer a free service to participants.

If your company is service-oriented, you may find that offering a free analysis of customer needs, something you would ordinarily charge a fee to do, will bring in extra business. Tuck a coupon for the service in with your other promotional materials, or pass them out to participants after a lecture if the opportunity presents itself. Or provide a special website address which will allow participants to receive a free online analysis and quote, or will allow them to ask questions of an expert at your firm. A marketing firm or job training company may offer free training seminars to interested individuals to promote their expertise.

The right promotional products or services can reflect your company's professional image and expertise, and can go a long way toward making connections with future customers. The trick with products is to make them attractive, useful, and durable, and to somehow make the recipient's life easier; with services it's to provide value. With both products and services, the aim is to make a professional, personable, and enduring impression on people who may decide to do business with you in the future.