Learn how to generate leads from your exhibition stand. Simple tips for making the most of your exhibition stand.
You have spent weeks planning your exhibition stand and it all looks fabulous. So, what do you need to focus on to make the most of the exhibition stand and ensure that you get a return on your investment?
Clear objectives
This sounds obvious, but I have come across so many organisations who have vague objectives. What do you want to achieve – are you raising awareness, educating people or are you connecting with potential clients or customers?
First impressions count
Remember first impressions count – be welcoming and don’t pounce – think about what you like when you attend an exhibition and what you hate. Most people like it when the stand feels welcoming and there are interesting things to look at.
What they don’t like is when someone pounces on them as soon as they arrive.
Don’t stand right on the edge of your stand, make eye contact and smile, perhaps say “Hello” and let people arrive and have a look before you start talking to them. Otherwise, it is just like when you go into a shop and someone and the shop assistant asks you if they can help before the door has closed behind you.
Talk to as many people as possible
Talk to as many people as possible – even though you don’t want to pounce on people as they arrive, you do want to engage with people.
Avoid starting with “Can I help you?” Conversation starters might include “Hello, what brings you here today?” or “How are you finding the exhibition?”
Look for opportunities
Once you have made a connection with a visitor, you are looking for information about the visitor that suggests that they might have a need for your product or service.
You are looking for triggers that suggest they might have a problem that needs fixing or have a need for something that they haven’t already got.
Generate interest rather than sell
In a B2B sales environment, visitors are unlikely to be in a position to buy your services there and then and you will come across as pushy if you try and sell.
Benefits not features
There will be times when visitors will want to know about what you have to offer. This is not an invitation for you to talk at length about the infinite details of your products as this may switch them off.
Remember that they are probably thinking, “How can this company help me and my business?”
Talk in terms of advantages and benefits rather than features. A benefit is how a feature meets a need and it is helpful to use the phrase, “Which means that…”
Create follow-up opportunities
So if you are not selling, what are you doing? You are creating opportunities for follow-up opportunities.
Once you have engaged with someone and are spotting opportunities, I like to use the phrase, “I would love to know more. Now is probably not the time to go into more detail, how would you feel about a conversation after the exhibition?”
Follow-up
Being at an exhibition can be exhausting and you may have a backlog of work to catch up on afterwards.
So that you haven’t wasted the time that you have invested in attending the exhibition, make sure that you set time aside during the few days after the exhibition to follow-up with all the leads that you have generated.
Follow these exhibition stand tips and you will make the most of the money, time and effort you have invested in the exhibition!
Get in touch if you would like to provide some training to your team for either manning a stand or following up and converting the leads afterwards with our NLP Sales Training.