Target Trade Show Exhibitors and Not Just Show Attendees

Rather than simply gearing your trade show strategy around the attendees, look at some of the other people who are also attending trade show events: the exhibitors. Exhibitors are a profitable source of business for your company because, just like everyone else, they are also consumers of products and services. They also provide a great opportunity for you to go sales hunting because, unlike attendees who may be there to see dozens of exhibitors and will move around a great deal, exhibitors are always fixed – they have a trade show display just like you do!
Plan your trade show strategy accordingly, and that starts with taking a good look at the trade show events you are attending. It is better to go for events which have relatively low attendee volumes, but at the same time you should look for events with higher quality prospects and exhibitors there. Improving the quality of the event will improve the sales opportunities, and fewer attendees means that there will be more opportunity for exhibitors to talk to you.

You can easily source a list of exhibitors from the trade show managers. They will usually gladly hand it over if you ask for it, not least as they see the exhibitor list as a sales aid to encourage you to exhibit too. Use that list to identify opportunities and the short list of the exhibitors you really want to talk to, and also use it to research your prospective targets.
Make your approach to an exhibitor when they are not busy. They are there to sell to attendees themselves, and you shouldn’t interrupt their own sales and marketing efforts. Wait for a moment when the attendee traffic is at ebb, or when you see the exhibitor is enjoying a lull in trade show activity. If attendees do come into their booth, be professional and polite and offer to come back later – it will be appreciated.

As you are targeting exhibitors and you will know who they are well in advance of the day, you have time to personalize your marketing collateral. Always make sure that all of your contact information is included and easily accessible.

A good tip is to offer the exhibitor a chance to slip away from their own trade show booth and come visit you. You will be surprised at how many will take you up on the offer as the day itself is tiring and a comfort break is always welcome, even if they are going to be on the end of a sales pitch.

Trade Show Openings

Trade show fairs and exhibitions are fantastic forums for doing business. Each year billions of dollars are generated in sales from trade shows, and as the economy is now starting to pick up, we can expect the sales multiplier effect trade shows to become increasingly magnified.

An issue for many newcomers is how to break the ice with attendees. In the hustle and bustle of a trade show arena, which usually has a high energy feel to it, the basics of salesmanship can easily be forgotten, but they are important!

Your trade show booth looks fantastic, you have first class marketing collateral, you have prime trade show floor positioning and now it is all down to you and your staff on the day. Your staff must be prepped and ready for what lies ahead, so think about issues such as ice breakers, qualification of prospects, gaining contact information and commitment to further sales contact as well as the ultimate – making a sale on the day – all before you set foot on the trade show floor.

Booth staff should be open and welcoming. A smile goes a long way and it is very hard to ignore a smile and an extended hand for a handshake. Try it for yourself – people will naturally smile back at you and it is an instinctive reaction to take hold of someone else’s hand and shake it.

Always ask open questions, as opposed to closed ones. A closed question can be answered either “yes” or “no” – and typically it will be “no” in a sales situation. Open questions cannot be answered with anything other than an discursive answer. For instance, “What are you doing here today?”, “Where are you from; which company do you represent?” or “How many exhibitors have you seen so far?”. None of these questions can be answered yes or no; they require an explanatory answer and that helps start your conversation.

Trade Show Booth Staff Tips

Trade shows are a fantastic showcase for your company. They can be used to generate sales and establish new and lucrative relationships with customers and business partners. But you have to have the people to make this all happen.

Too often, I see trade show booth staff lounging around, eating, chatting and drinking when they ought to be working. Trade shows can be a lot of fun, but the main reason you are investing in exhibiting is to generate business. You have invested time and money in your trade show display and renting exhibiting space, but you cannot let your staff adopt a cavalier attitude to why you are there.

Here are some brief, common sense rules for trade show staff:

Appearance

Booth staff should be well groomed, cleaned and appropriately attired for the occasion. Depending on the trade show itself, this means suits and ties, chinos and gold shirts or something outlandish – it depends on the image you want to present and the nature of the show.
Cleanliness goes without saying, and forgetting to shave or looking like you’ve just stepped off the plane is not a good idea.

Attitude

Booth staff should be under no illusions what their mission is. You may have staff whose job is to act as greeters and warm up attendees with some initial chat. You may have staff whose job is to take prospects that have been pre-qualified by your greeters and have a more sales orientated discussion. You may have a nominated staffer whose job it is to handle sales which the attendee wants to effect there and then.
No matter what their role is, they must be empowered to perform and accept responsibility for their part in making the trade show a success.

Training

Training for a trade show is essential: poorly trained staff are a dead giveaway on the trade show floor. Staff should know the product lines you are pushing intimately (product knowledge is always essential for customer facing staff in any business). Booth staff should also know what procedures are in place for handling attendees, and especially hot leads that are generated. They must also understand that many of the contacts they make will need to be followed up on a timely basis once the trade show has ended.  The bulk of trade show sales are made in the three months after the show finishes, but it is a common mistake to delay or fail to follow up leads which become cold or buy elsewhere.