When you’re vying for attendee attention at trade shows, the most important thing you can do is find a way to differentiate yourself from the other booths. That can get expensive – trying to come up with the latest technology and innovative marketing techniques to show off your product.
But, there is something that can differentiate you from the competition without costing a lot of money – how you talk with the attendees. Great gadgets and pretty marketing materials will get attendees to your booth, but what happens after you get them there? They take a glance for 5 seconds and then walk away? Not many people know how to ask effective questions and engage trade show attendees in conversation. This article will tell you how. Here are 3 ways your team can start reigning in and keeping attendees’ attention that will translate into a sale:
Listen – don’t just wait to talk
Train your salespeople to use the 80/20 rule – they should listen 80% of the time and talk 20% of the time. Make sure they know the difference between listening and waiting to talk. Listeners take stock in what the other person is saying and nods or says “uh-huh” to show they are listening. People that are just waiting to talk don’t show any signs they are listening, and they don’t comprehend anything that’s being said. They’re just waiting for a pause to get their point or question into the conversation. You can miss a lot of valuable information that could cause you to miss a sale if you aren’t truly listening. Pick up on cues of what the person likes and where they’re from. Getting to know an attendee more personally creates a relationship and people buy from companies that they have a relationship with.
Learn the attendee’s identity right away
One of the first questions a booth staffer should ask an attendee is who they are and what they do. Relying on badges is not a good strategy for getting to know people because people can swap them, plus the badge doesn’t tell you much about that person. By asking what the person does, you’ll know whether you’re talking to the head of a supply company or an intern from a complementary company. This will shape your conversation in that you’ll know the buying power of the person and how that person can influence other people at his company.
Ask open-ended questions
An open-ended question is one in which “yes” or “no” is not a possible answer. Questions like “Where are you from?” are open-ended. Closed-ended questions, which can be answered with “yes” or “no” won’t keep the attendee at your booth. These questions don’t engage the person in conversation. Plus, open-ended questions allow you to learn how you can really help the prospect: “What problems are you having with X” will allow you to showcase the benefits of your product, rather than asking “Have you ever had a problem with X?”
This allows you to also use your business card printing budget wisely – offering a business card after someone has simply said “yes” or “no” is not likely to garner any contacts later on. But, by asking open-ended questions, you create a conversation that is more likely to be memorable down the road and the person will be more likely to contact you.
