Small Business Trade Show Marketing - Keep Conversations Short and to the Point
Most businesses are at expos and trade shows for the purpose of finding prospects that can be turned into customers. The greatest advantage of this form of face-to-face marketing is the ability to engage people in conversation about your products or services and their needs. Oftentimes the greatest challenge is keeping the conversations short.
Typically, effective trade show marketers like to talk. Give them a new product or service that they are excited about and there is no holding them back. While this level of enthusiasm is appreciated at most social settings it can actually prove to be detrimental while prospecting. For every person you engage in conversation another potentially interested person could be walking by because they do not want to interrupt.
Limit conversations to the information needed to determine if you have a prospect. Then efficiently collecting the contact information and moving on to the next person will assure that you maximize the number of people you can talk to, usually 6-10 per hour.
Try to make eye contact with people who appear to be hovering around waiting for you to be available. A nod and a smile will let them know you are aware that they are waiting to talk to you. If it is at all possible, draw them into the conversation you are already having.
Some detriments to your success can be other exhibitors who want to chat about last night's game or long-winded visitors who are not likely to ever be a prospect. The worst case scenario is the disgruntled customer (even if it is a competitor's disgruntled customer) who wants to itemize each and everything that went wrong with his transaction. Your professionalism in handling these situations will separate you from the amateurs.
Immediately terminating your conversation with the fellow exhibitor should be easily understood, in fact you'll be doing him a favor by showing him the proper way to work a show. The long-winded person can be moved along with comments like "There is a lot to see at this show and I do not want to take too much of your time". He may react with a "no, that's okay" or he might actually catch what you are really saying. Either way, thank him for stopping and focus your attention elsewhere.
The disgruntled customer is the biggest challenge. Nobody needs to have somebody complaining to them while they are trying to find prospects. People walking by will hear the complaints and feel a negative impression. If this person is actually your customer, promptly give him your business card and ask him to contact you at your office where you will have more time to address his concerns. If he is not your customer, and not likely to become one, let him know you are sorry for his experience and focus your attention elsewhere.
If neither of these options gets the person moving, you might actually have to walk him down the aisle. This is particularly effective if you have someone else helping you staff your booth. Make a move, while still talking, like you are going out of the show area to go to a restroom or make a phone call and it is more than likely this person will walk away with you. When out of the exhibit hall, give him some recommendations on how to proceed with his complaints through normal business channels. Then let him know that is all you can do for him at this show.
Though all of these suggestions focus on ways to limit other people's conversations, the more likely challenge is limiting your own. Effective exhibitors ask qualifying questions, then listen to the answers.
Most businesses are at expos and trade shows for the purpose of finding prospects that can be turned into customers. The greatest advantage of this form of face-to-face marketing is the ability to engage people in conversation about your products or services and their needs. Oftentimes the greatest challenge is keeping the conversations short.
Typically, effective trade show marketers like to talk. Give them a new product or service that they are excited about and there is no holding them back. While this level of enthusiasm is appreciated at most social settings it can actually prove to be detrimental while prospecting. For every person you engage in conversation another potentially interested person could be walking by because they do not want to interrupt.
Limit conversations to the information needed to determine if you have a prospect. Then efficiently collecting the contact information and moving on to the next person will assure that you maximize the number of people you can talk to, usually 6-10 per hour.
Try to make eye contact with people who appear to be hovering around waiting for you to be available. A nod and a smile will let them know you are aware that they are waiting to talk to you. If it is at all possible, draw them into the conversation you are already having.
Some detriments to your success can be other exhibitors who want to chat about last night's game or long-winded visitors who are not likely to ever be a prospect. The worst case scenario is the disgruntled customer (even if it is a competitor's disgruntled customer) who wants to itemize each and everything that went wrong with his transaction. Your professionalism in handling these situations will separate you from the amateurs.
Immediately terminating your conversation with the fellow exhibitor should be easily understood, in fact you'll be doing him a favor by showing him the proper way to work a show. The long-winded person can be moved along with comments like "There is a lot to see at this show and I do not want to take too much of your time". He may react with a "no, that's okay" or he might actually catch what you are really saying. Either way, thank him for stopping and focus your attention elsewhere.
The disgruntled customer is the biggest challenge. Nobody needs to have somebody complaining to them while they are trying to find prospects. People walking by will hear the complaints and feel a negative impression. If this person is actually your customer, promptly give him your business card and ask him to contact you at your office where you will have more time to address his concerns. If he is not your customer, and not likely to become one, let him know you are sorry for his experience and focus your attention elsewhere.
If neither of these options gets the person moving, you might actually have to walk him down the aisle. This is particularly effective if you have someone else helping you staff your booth. Make a move, while still talking, like you are going out of the show area to go to a restroom or make a phone call and it is more than likely this person will walk away with you. When out of the exhibit hall, give him some recommendations on how to proceed with his complaints through normal business channels. Then let him know that is all you can do for him at this show.
Though all of these suggestions focus on ways to limit other people's conversations, the more likely challenge is limiting your own. Effective exhibitors ask qualifying questions, then listen to the answers.
Being able to make conversations short and show sincerity at the same time is very helpful in turning prospects into customers. You have to give them the impression that if they choose your product, any transaction that will happen between the two of you will be as easy as A-B-C.
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