3 Step Trade Show Selling

This sounds simple but in practice there is more to it – follow 3 simple steps to maintain your trade show focus: Plan, Qualify and Follow Up.
Do these three things and you will maximize your trade show impact, and best of all, your competitors are probably only doing one of these (at best).

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

You can never start planning your trade show soon enough. This is where you paint the ‘big picture’ and set goals and responsibilities. Blue Sky Thinking is fine, but you also want to know just what you are really doing exhibiting in the first place. Once that is set, you then move on to be very specific about setting targets; how many sales, how many qualified prospects, how many sales demonstrations, how many sales appointments or presentations will be achieved.

Planning is continuous – it never stops. But if you know where you are going, you have a far better chance of getting there.

Qualify Attendees, Do Not Try to Sell to Everyone

Be clear – not everyone attending the trade show is going to be someone you want as a customer. Resist the urge to try to sell to everyone you meet, and remember basic sales principles. The first step when you meet an attendee is to qualify them: do they have a need or problem your business can help them with; do they have the authority to make the buying decision or can they put you in touch with who that person is; and finally, do they have the budget or the means to pay for whatever you’re selling.

If you have “yes” to all these questions, you have yourself a hot prospect you want to spend time with.

The End of the Trade Show Day is Not the End of the Work – Follow Up

This is where many exhibitors fail – they relax after the show and do not follow up in a prompt and professional manner. All the information you have collected on potential prospects and customers should now be put to good use. Phone calls and mailings need to be performed so the people you spoke to see you are professional and looking to do business. Don’t forget that these same people will also be dealing with your competitors from the show – stay ahead of them by doing the follow up and keep the promises you made at the show.

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.