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You’ve spent a lot of money on the trade show—space, booth, services, travel, promotions and personnel costs. Here come the attendees, ambling down the aisle, glancing from side to side. Some read your pre-show mailer, others didn’t. You can’t depend on promotional efforts alone to make sure your investment is worthwhile. So, how can you get attendees’ attention real-time and turn them into serious prospects?
No matter what show or who the audience is, there are five key steps to selling at a trade show:
Catch Their Interest. Eye-catching graphics and colors that stand out from the booths around you are the first thing attendees will notice. At that point they pause to determine what you do. Make sure it’s clearly communicated in easy to read type. In less than 10 seconds, a decision is made—they will walk in or walk by. The booth must be inviting and easy to enter: tables and counters at the side, avoiding a visual barrier; no clutter. Be conscious of welcoming body language.
Identify and Qualify. Attendees expect to be approached. When you see the person, pause, walk over, establish eye contact, read the name badge, and greet them by name with an open-ended question that gives you insight such as, “Hi John, what have you seen so far that interests you?” or “What are you hoping to learn at this show?” Based on the answer to your question, start probing to find out how the person fits into the organization in terms of budget and decision-making authority.
Determine Their Problem. Most attendees come to a show for a specific reason. While they may want to know what’s new in technology, they usually have a specific problem to solve or a wish list to explore. What is their present situation? What do they dislike about it? What problems or gaps exist? What’s making their job harder? What would they ideally like to accomplish? What’s stopped them from taking action thus far? Learn if they’ve spoken to your competitors. If so, what impressed them? What didn’t?
Recommend A Solution. Explain how your company’s products or services either solve the problem they identify or if it fits the bill for their wish list. Average attendees will spend no more than 10 minutes in a booth even if they’re really interested. The key here is to be sure to focus on what they tell you, not on what your company literature emphasizes. Match the solution you propose to the problem they identify.
Set Up Future Contact. Ask for an appointment to talk more in person if possible, by phone if necessary. Deliberately avoid giving more than 1-2 pieces of literature, so you have an excuse to follow-up later. Be sure the person is entered into the lead system. As soon the person leaves the booth, make detailed notes in the lead system as to what you talked about. It’s a good idea to keep a pocket-sized notebook so you can jot down information for later.
Here’s to successful selling!
copyright 2005, KC Associates, LLC