Generating Leads And Making Sales: Advice For Trade Show Exhibitors

Do you ever go to a trade show and walk away exhausted? Well, we’ve got the solution for you!

There are many ways to generate leads and make sales as an exhibitor. We're going to go over some of our favorite strategies that have helped us at trade shows like SXSW, Comic-con, E3, and more. Here's what you need to know: 

• Stand Near Your Competitors: This is different than standing near the entrance where people enter in order to greet them. Instead stand at your booth with your competitors and chat with attendees who are walking by. Find out what's going on and if they are networking or just curious to see what you have to offer.

• Make your Experience About Them: You don't want them to walk away from a trade show saying "That was boring; I didn't get any leads."

• Not-so-Obvious Lead Generating: Find a way to make your experience unique. A lot of people go to trade shows just for the experience, so use this! One example is looking at the artwork on the wall, and then discussing that with the attendee with you. Introductions can work well here as well – even if it is just by name. Follow up by sharing something interesting about yourself that is related to your company.

• Always Have a Question Ready: This is a strategy that works especially well in social situations. If you are in a conversation and the person isn't giving you the full attention you need, ask an open ended question about the person. For example: "Where are you from?" or "What brings you to this trade show?" These questions allow for discussion and for your potential customer to feel like they are being heard. It also allows them to talk about themselves, which is often when people feel connected to each other.

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One of our favorite things to do at trade shows is hand out promotional items (that weren't handed out at any other show). We call them "swag," and they usually include:

• T-shirts

• 150-page flip books

• Postcards

• Stickers

We have found that attendees love to collect swag and will use it for years to come as a reminder of their experience. They also love collecting different things from different companies. It's a great way to not only promote your business, but also build a lasting impression with potential prospects. Another option is to have an Ultimate "Giveaway" where you give away a product or tickets for the near future.

• Make Sure Your Quenchable Thirst Is Real: We know; these aren't exactly the most exciting things to talk about. As an exhibitor, however, you need to make sure that you are readily available to your customers. This is a very important part of the trade show world. Making sure they know you are there and ready and willing to assist them is key to their experience. Many attendees will walk past your booth several times because they need something from you that you don't yet have on hand, or want something modified in order for them to use it at home. So make sure that there is always a water bottle nearby and if possible some coffee or snacks nearby as well.

• Small Talk: As we mentioned in the introduction, people don't like to have boring conversations. Having small talk with your customers keeps them relaxed, and they will enjoy you more. Small talk can be anything from the weather to the conference itself.

• Don't Forget The Little Things: This is really important if you are going to be showing up at a long trade show like SXSW for an extended period of time. One thing that will help your chances of making sales is to always have something in hand; even if it is just a pen and highlighter as you walk by an attendee's booth. This will also help with that not-so-obvious lead generating strategy we mentioned earlier.

• Follow Up: You are going to have clients, customers, and attendees walk by your booth a lot. Whether they stop or not is completely up to them. But it's important that you keep track of them in order to follow up with them. We recommend using Gmail, LinkedIn, and Facebook when you can as these social networks offer some of the best follow up tools out there.

• Ask Questions: Another thing that helps with lead generation is asking questions that helps build rapport between you and your potential client. It's not about selling them on your service or product, but instead about making a lasting impression. One example is asking if they have any questions for you: "I'm sure you are curious about our service. Do you have any questions?" This is also a great way to measure how interested they are in your product. If they don't ask any questions you may want to redirect their attention elsewhere or put more of an emphasis on what your company has to offer.

• Don't Be Afraid To Ask For the Sale: We know, this goes against the entire idea of building rapport and making a connection with your prospects. However, it can't hurt to ask: "Are you interested in our services?" "Would you like to schedule a time to discuss your business needs?" By asking questions you are establishing trust and building rapport.

• Don't Forget the Smaller Companies: These guys don't have the budget for booths and displays, but they do need something from everyone that comes to their booth. Here's where we come in with a special offer! We will give a free point-of-sale system (most commonly used by restaurants) to anyone who needs one! These systems are powerful and very cost effective, especially if you are just starting out in the business or service industry. However, we have found that many owners of these companies will often not ask you to help them with their computer systems if they don't see a direct connection. So offer up the service and often times they will gratefully take it.

• Get Personal: If you are one of the lucky ones who gets to go to fun parties and receptions, don't be afraid to talk about your personal life. This is a great opportunity to build trust and make a lasting impression. One way to do this is through pictures and videos on your phone or camera; this usually gets people's interest as it feels more personal.

Conclusion

We hope that this has been a helpful guide for you to help you with your trade show strategy and operations. Trade shows are a great way to connect with technology industry leaders and see new services, products, and ideas come to life. To us, they are where the cutting edge of the industry is being created.