Gathering and Working with Leads

Exhibitors have 5 minutes or less to engage a customer. Make sure you have a good opening line that is open ended. Get customers talking about themselves. Determine a prospective customer's level of interest, purchasing timeline and budget. If they are not interested, let them move on.

Trade Show Value - Easier Sales with Less Work

Industrial sales calls cost an average of $308 each, with the average actual sale taking place on the fourth sales call. Total investment (again average) is just over $1,100 for each sale.

Trade shows cost about $212 per contact, with the average actual sale occurring after 1.6 sales calls - many with only a phone call. Total investment for each sale comes to $705 each. That's quite a savings.

-- School Business Affairs, December 2010

Greeting Attendees

It’s important that your staff creates an atmosphere that makes people want to stop at your booth. 

• Today, one of the greatest problems is exhibitor staff talking on phones. If you are on a phone call, break it off immediately.  If you are busy when someone approaches, acknowledge them or try to pull them into the conversation.
• Don’t block the view of your booth. Stand off to the side.
• Don’t just hand out your brochures.  They end up in that conference bag with everyone else’s.  Mail your literature to prospects after the show.  It’s another opportunity for you to connect with potential customers.
• Never underestimate visitors to your booth.  It could be your next sale.

“Trade shows offer a huge opportunity to gain exposure for your company’s brand image.  So make your trade show exhibit true to the heart of your brand.  Trade shows let you go beyond just your brand colors and taglines.  You can create an entire experience that helps your visitors connect to what makes your company genuinely different — and better — than your competitors.” 
           
-- Mike Thimmesch Skyline Director of Lead Generation and Industry Relations