According to research by the Exhibition Organization Center, the majority of exhibition visitors are decision makers or decision makers who are planning to make purchases within the next 12 months.
Avoid slow sales
When attending a trade show, take a hard-sell approach. When a visitor shows interest in your booth, approach them immediately and invite them to learn more about your product or service. Don’t keep them waiting – attention spans at trade shows are short and people will leave your booth if they aren’t greeted within a few minutes.
Be hospitable
Avoid using boring questions like “How can I help you?”, “Hello, how are you?” or “How did you like the show?” Instead, ask questions that are directly relevant to the customer and help you gauge their interest in your product or service, such as “What would you like to know about this microwave oven?”.
Consider your attitude
Being indifferent in your booth shows that you don’t care about your customers. You should never sit, eat, or smoke in your booth. Never leave your booth unattended. Don’t gossip with your coworkers, but focus on your customers.
Quickly evaluate potential customers
The first step in meeting a new customer is to identify who they are and where they are located. This will help you avoid wasting time on people who are not responsible for buying your product, or who are not in your market segment. You can get this information by asking a few basic questions, observing their behavior, or asking for a business card with their title and address.
Ask a series of questions
Engage your prospects by asking a series of open-ended questions. This will help you identify their needs and concerns. Answer them with a focus on how your product or service can meet their needs. Be sure to follow the 80/20 rule, which means listening 80% of the time and talking 20% of the time. Don’t sound like a robot pitchman.
Take careful notes
Record all relevant information about the prospect on a business card, including name, title, address, phone number, fax number, email address (all of this information can be obtained from the business card), needs, interests, budget, and time. Use this card for post-show follow-up when you return to your business.
