4 Essentials For Getting Prospects From Aisle To Booth
There’s nothing more cringy at a trade show than seeing a clump of booth staff cowering together around a demo station as conference attendees aimlessly stroll by in the aisle. But I get it! As booth staff, that initial expo floor contact can be really scary, especially if you’re used to email outreach, webinars, or scheduled phone calls. And if you’re naturally an introvert like me, yikes! It’s extremely helpful to approach this critical interaction with a framework that you can rely on. So to help you and your booth staff engage successfully at your next trade show, here are 4 essential techniques to help you get your prospects out of the aisle and into your booth.
Make It Personal
In his classic book How To Win Friends And Influence People, Dale Carnegie gave us the still-relevant quote “Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” On the expo floor, we’re at an advantage when it comes to names: everybody’s name badge is already visible! While it can feel cheesy to see someone’s name on their badge and then immediately greet them with a cheerful “Well, hello Phil,” you can use that awkwardness to actually create a ‘moment’ that you both can share. Let’s face it. You know you just read their name. They know you just read their name. If you can both acknowledge the silliness of the situation, you’ve already made a bridge to a conversation. Plus, honoring them with the use of their name can’t help but make them feel important. Just ask Dale Carnegie!
Make It Present
We’ve all been accosted by booth staff who clearly have been parroting a memorized opening line again and again until someone mercifully responds. Unbeknownst to them, the secret to engaging an attendee is that you absolutely must break through the repetitive monotony of the trade show floor, as well as through their personal preoccupation with whatever is on their mind. How do you do this? You make your first interaction with them completely present and in the moment. Is it time for the coffee service on the show floor? Perhaps you ask them if they’ve seen the coffee cart. Is it after lunch? Perhaps you ask which restaurant they visited in the conference center food court. Are there sponsor parties in the evening? Perhaps you ask if they have any recommendations. Engaging conference attendees like human beings starts human conversations, and that’s where engagement begins.
Make It Playful
As with playfully greeting attendees using their names from their name badges, finding other opportunities to play and have fun with attendees will make your engagements more successful. Try to make your interaction an enjoyable respite from the constant onslaught of the expo floor. Creating a sort of “inside joke” can deepen the bond between you and a conference attendee in the aisle, enabling fun, play, and further conversation. For example, if the aisle is particularly crowded and rushed, you could offer your booth as a place to relax by saying, “Hey there, why don’t you come on in a take a load off!” while perhaps offering a chair. Learn more about this concept in the Play chapter of my book, Wink: Transforming Public Speaking With Clown Presence. It’s important to remember that you can have fun with present moments, yet still be taken seriously regarding your products and services. In fact, being able to switch back and forth can be extremely effective in priming conference attendees to become customers because you’re presenting them with someone both fun and trustworthy to work with.
Make It A Partnership
Lastly, in those first few moments of aisle interaction, it’s critical to not push your product! The entire point of making your first interaction personal, present, and playful is to get on the same side as the attendee, rather than creating an adversarial relationship. I like to make an analogy of sitting at a table. If you and your prospect start on opposite sides facing each other across the table, your goal is to get on the same side of the table as your prospect. This way, when you do begin to ask open-ended questions to discover their pain points, you will both be looking at their problem together.
Without a doubt, the expo floor can be a strange environment, especially if you’re used to more controlled marketing and sales situations. Stepping out into the aisle and connecting with attendees can be challenging at first, but with a strong framework and consistent practice, it gets easier. When it comes to first interactions, just remember to make it personal, make it present, make it playful, and make it a partnership. If you’re looking for more in-depth booth staff training, you’ve come to the right place! And as Elsa sang in Frozen, don’t forget to Let It Go! Meaning, if interaction with one attendee doesn’t go well, don’t sweat it! You can bet there will be another conference attendee right behind them. Best of luck, and I look forward to interacting with you and your team at our next trade show!