Know-How Exchange : Career/Training

If you are a person manning the booth (someone else set it up):
- don't talk to coworkers when there are prospects even near the booth (you appear unapproachable)
- don't sit in a chair in the booth (a possible exception would be if you are sitting at a table right at the front in a pose that says you are there to help people who come to you - think reception desk, not your office desk)
- watch your body language. No crossed arms, etc. Make sure you appear approachable.
- remember that the trade show information goes 2 ways - you want to provide details for the propsects, but also want to capture information for your company's marketing/sales use.

Jason,

do the following.

SMILE
(smiles attract customers and warm the heart)

BE PASSIONATE
(People love people who love what they do)

GET INTO THE PEOPLE
(When people come by the booth get into them. Getting into the customer will make the customer feel incredible.)

BONUS THE CUSTOMER
(Have a bonus gift or a drawing for those who put in their business cards. If you do this every hour on the hour you'll make people come back twice. Getting them to stop back again is very important toward securing your chances of turning a prospect into a customer. The more they come back the better)

I know these things will work because this is what I used to successfully attract customers to our booth when I was in the Security Consulting Industry. Is there anything else I can do for you?

Your Servant, Deremiah, *CPE (Customer Passion Evangelist)

jason...

Cannot disagree with any of the earlier suggestions - just one more, on a very personal (but practical) topic...

...wear a comfortable pair of shoes and two pairs of thin socks!!! Seriously - that will make you feel much more comfortable when you're on your feet all day, and make it much easier for you to follow Deremiah's first suggestion above!

This idea comes from (lots of) personal experience on my part.

Good luck,
Bob

Regarding generating orders from trade shows - some time ago I read a statistic that 75% of folk who visit a trade show purchase something... within 18 months. And so when you are planning your program, be sure to plan to follow up these opportunities over time.

Jason, all I can add is:

Take your Extrovert Pills that morning.

You know that 2-foot-by-6-foot table they set up for you in the front of the booth? Move it to the BACK. Keep your booth open and welcoming.

Remember, you are there for two reasons! Collect leads. Get exposure for your company or product.

That's it!

- Shelley

After writing this I see that some is repetitive of earlier, and doubtless excellent answers :)

- Stand only, never sit. (leave booth for breaks)

- No food or drink in booth.

- Body language open, inviting.

- Stand near front or actually in the aisle.

- Crowds make crowds. The more people gather, the more others will come. If possible, have something that draws people in out of curiosity to watch (a demo, a brief and reasonably loud group presentation, something Relevant).

- Relevance is important. I'm not a big fan of random giveaways that have nothing to do with your product/service.

- Make sure booth displays, signs, etc., are very easy to read and explicity name and detail what you do. Think "headline" in creating such signs. It should draw them in, and filter out non-players.

- Be open, direct, ask lots of questions of visitors. This is much more effective than diving into a too-scripted presentation, telling too much, only to have them leave.

- Make notes about booth conversations on back of their card.

- Have a way for them to drop their card into a For More Information box when you're busy.

- Make the booth display, layout, materials, videos, staff etc. look alive and active, not static. People are attracted to motion and activity. They're also attracted to people who are interested in what they do, rather than those that are trying to Be Interesting. So the best bet is to be obvious in your enthusiasm for your job, products and company, but be Very Interested in those who stop at your booth. Ask them Q's...

- Make it feel safe for people to stop and talk. Over-eagerness feels like over-aggressive and trade show attendees are really in an overwhelmed daze. All they really do is walk around trying to absorb all the sites, sounds, data. Be different and get them give out rather than more hypnotic droning inflow. They're more likely to remember people they talk TO, rather than hundreds of booth folks that talked to them...

- Make sure they leave with something large, not a small biz card. Make notes on the paper you're giving them as they talk to you, and they leave with those notes too. More personalized.

- If the booth is larger than the 10x10 thing, get them inside the booth, walking around and seeing different things. Involve them more.

- Always try to arrange a specific next step with ANY half-interested visitor. A phone appt later, a mail package, something. Something they've agreed to have happen.

- gather lots of names of reaching visitors. Mail them after the show, possibly 2 or 3 times, whether you phone follow-up also or not.

- database the names and make at least 1 contact with each name within 5 work days after the show, even if it's a simple, brief call to tell them the info package you're sending them is on its way.

- If the show is focused enough, the attendees are majorly going to at least be valid "suspects", buy the show attendee list and start follow on mailings to this list. A photo of the busy booth, that you took during show, in these mailings, is always helpful for memory sake.

- take enough breaks often enough that you stay fresh. Brush your teeth, wash your face and hands (especially hands), etc...

- remember that in most cases, driving rock and roll, loud speakers, imposing noises, shouting demo people, and other such things coming from your booth really act like a force field. Most of the time, it repels people rather than pulling them in.


Hope that helps.