| What You Should Know about Speaking with | | | | primarily about asking the right questions and listening. |
| Prospective Customers on the Trade Show Floor | | | | When delivering your pitch, keep it brief, no more |
| - Your staff should appear comfortable and confident | | | | than thirty seconds to a minute and maintain |
| and be knowledgeable about your product or service | | | | eye-contact the entire time. As you converse, look |
| - Listen attentively | | | | for body language cues. If a person looks bored, |
| - When possible, take notes and write those notes | | | | don't hold them hostage; consider handing them off |
| on a preformatted lead form | | | | to another staffer. On the other hand if the person is |
| - Follow the Golden Rule and treat others as you | | | | enthusiastic, you should guide them to the person in |
| would like to be treated | | | | your booth assigned to answer their questions or |
| You have designed the perfect trade show booth, | | | | take down their information. Too often, eager, |
| everything is set up and ready to go, you have | | | | positive customers are dismissed in order to talk to |
| assembled your staff, and the first prospective | | | | the next person in line. |
| customers are approaching your trade show exhibit. | | | | When possible, take notes and write those notes on |
| Now what? Your staff must be trained to be | | | | a preformatted lead form or on an electronic lead |
| assertive, yet not overbearing when engaging the | | | | generation slip. Customers appreciate your desire to |
| customer. Some managers even hire professional | | | | capture their information. Write your name on the |
| trade show trainers to prepare for the big day. Here | | | | form. Details matter and within a day or two, often |
| are a few common sense tips to think about before | | | | within hours, you will forget about specific |
| you interact with a prospective client. | | | | conversations. At a successful show, you may speak |
| Your Staff | | | | to several hundred prospects. No one can be |
| Your staff should appear comfortable and confident. | | | | expected to recall every conversation. After the |
| Think of them as goodwill ambassadors for the | | | | show, these details make the difference between an |
| company. It is a no-no to be seen chewing gum, | | | | efficient and productive follow up conversation with |
| eating or drinking, or talking on a cell phone. Your | | | | the prospective client and starting from scratch. |
| staff has to appear focused on the matter at hand, | | | | Do not make assumptions based on their appearance. |
| even during the occasional lull in activity. | | | | Unfortunately, we all do this and it never fails that a |
| Your staff should not congregate in groups while | | | | client dismissed as "not worth the time and effort" |
| working in the booth since it may appear to | | | | becomes a major client for a competitor. |
| customers as a social conversation. Position them | | | | The Golden Rule |
| throughout the exhibit. This will help put the customer | | | | The most important piece of advice is to follow the |
| at ease. | | | | Golden Rule and treat others as you would like to be |
| Interacting with the Prospective Customer | | | | treated. Engaging the customer can be a delicate |
| This tip is obvious but critical: Listen Attentively. | | | | business. Karen Paxton writing in Computer & |
| Never talk over a customer in your enthusiasm to | | | | Software News notes that "A trade show booth's |
| recite your pitch. Nothing will turn off a customer | | | | staff typically has only eight seconds to attract the |
| faster than the feeling that they are not being heard. | | | | customer's attention." Your staff must be vigilant in |
| You have a product or service to sell but until you | | | | pursuit of each lead. Every person who browses a |
| know what the customer needs, you don't know | | | | brochure or grabs a giveaway must be engaged, and |
| how your product fits their specific requirements. | | | | treated as if they were the CEO of a company. |
| Good salespeople know that successful selling is | | | | After all they just might be! |