Some of the best people I’ve seen at trade shows all have something in common – they know how to work a room and they just ooze schmooze!

Stop pretending that a high class booth with Tiffany cufflink giveaways and the GoDaddy girls on loan is what it is all about – they all mean precisely zilch when it comes down to producing the results you are looking for; good contacts leading to good business orders and sales.

Everything we are working towards is $$$$$$$$$$$$$ !!!!!!!!!!

The very best trade show promotional tool you have is yourself and your staff – you may have a bad exhibition presence and a really dire product or service offering, but, you still have you and that can make all the difference between sales glory or business disaster.

Make sure you take time out to work the trade show itself – circulate and make yourself known – this is just the place to be  introducing yourself and sharing with complete strangers just who you and your company are – it does take confidence but with practice you will have no problems.

Schmoozing 101

Dress to impress – don’t be outlandish but dress like you mean business not least as if you feel you look the part you will also act like it too!

Smile and offer your hand – people find it virtually impossible to resist smiling back at you – try this as an experiment – next time you pull up at the stop light, look over to the next vehicle and smile at them – guaranteed you’ll get a grin coming right back at you!

Forget corny lines – tell them your name and who you’re with and have something vaguely intelligent to ask such as, “What have you found the most interesting so far?” – make sure it is an open question so they get engaged with you.

Schmoozing is work!

Don’t forget this because it is important – I’ve seen too many people working the room with a martini or bloody mary in hand and it’s obvious it has not been the first.