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Home shows provide a fun and interactive way for residential contractors and service providers to acquire new business, accumulate leads, and gain exposure. Here are some tips for making the most of your home show booth rental.If you're in the landscaping business, you already know the importance of showcasing your work to the right kind of audience. But do you know how to make each home show count? Unfortunately, many business owners arrive at a home show with nothing more than a couple of banners and some pamphlets. Whether you plan to create a presence at just one home show this year (or at dozens), these tips can help you reign in a crowd, gather more leads, and grow your business.

1. Go visual and make it count.Landscaping is a visual art that demands visual representation. The more predominantly you can present your past (and current!) successes at a home show, the more of an impact it will have on your potential customers.Just think about it...from a potential customer's perspective which of the following makes your work seem most impressive?A photo album containing 4x6 photos A 3-ring binder with 8x10 images A hard-bound photo book with images of varied size and content, with printed text descriptions on each page A projector and big screen with life-size slide show images, set amidst a smattering of healthy plants and flowers in your boothOr possibly some combination of the above?Additionally, you can use a service like apple.com or shutterfly.com to create a hard-bound coffee-table version of your portfolio (which positively exudes professionalism!) for around $30-40. Again, a small investment that can go a long way in presenting you as a credible vendor and a viable choice for potential customers.

2. Incentivize with a juicy offer.OK, you've made a splash with some powerful eye candy....now how do you connect with these potential customers and turn them into sales? Consider creating a compelling offer that prompts them to retain your services now or book an appointment today -- book during the show for future appointments. Remember -- you may not be the only landscaper at this show. How will you stand out in your potential customer's mind after the show ends and they're left with a stack of business cards? If you can connect with people and get future consultation appointments booked at the show (or give people a compelling reason to contract with you right now), you're leaps ahead of your competition.In the next segment, we'll look at the number one mistake most business owners make after the trade show ends.