10 Proven Tradeshow Lead Generation Tips that Really Work

Trade shows are an excellent opportunity for businesses to showcase their products or services to a targeted audience. Participating in a trade show can be a significant investment. However, it can also yield great returns in generating new leads, establishing partnerships, and increasing brand awareness. You need to develop a proper plan for lead generation. If you don’t, you’ll miss out on valuable opportunities. The following tips will help you engage with potential customers, collect their contact info, and convert them into loyal customers! So whether you are a first-time exhibitor or a seasoned pro, keep reading to learn 10 of the best tradeshow lead generation tips!

Tip 1: Understand what the Tradeshow Environment is all about

The tradeshow environment is all about face-to-face interaction. It is also a stellar opportunity to meet new prospects who could be in the market for your product or service. It is important to take the tradeshow seriously as a business opportunity, as it allows you to efficiently go through two or three steps of the sales cycle without having to go through gatekeepers to the key decision-maker.

Your key objective should be to develop a clear strategy for getting your sales staff face-to-face with show visitors. This involves pre-show marketing to drive traffic to your boot. It is also vital that you have an engaging display and knowledgeable staff to capture visitors’ attention and provide them with valuable information.

Tip 2: Identify & Set Reasonable Objectives

It is common for the sales and marketing departments to have different objectives for tradeshows. The marketing department may want to launch a new product or communicate a corporate message. Whereas the sales department may want to write orders and meet prospects and customers.

It is important to establish a shared objective that everyone can buy into. It is also helpful to set SMART objectives for each department and the individuals attending the event. These objectives should be reviewed after the show to identify areas for improvement for future events.

To determine your objectives, consider the number of leads you need to generate from the show in order to make a profit. Knowing your salespeople’s closure rates and profit margins will help you set realistic targets for each team member.

Remember, attending a tradeshow is a numbers game. If you craft a clear strategy and set realistic objectives, you can increase your chances of generating valuable leads and making the most of the event.

Tip 3: Arm Your Booth with the Right People

Having elite talent at your booth can make all the difference in visitor perception and interaction. Enthusiastic staff who are willing to be part of a team with a common objective of generating more business for the company can make a huge impact.

When you build your team, it is important to select enthusiastic individuals who possess great communication skills. They should also have experience in customer-facing roles. Technical knowledge is important. However, it should not be the only factor considered. Having someone who can answer tough technical questions is useless if they lack people skills.

Make sure that your team is aware of and trained in your key products and show objectives. It is also important to ensure that everyone has fun since this can help to create a positive and engaging atmosphere at your booth.

Tip 4: Use the Trade Show Sales Process Effectively

The tradeshow sales process typically takes about six minutes. It is important to make the most of this time to generate leads and potential sales.

The key stages of the tradeshow selling process include:

• Engage & Greet: In the first 30 seconds, take control by asking open-ended questions to engage visitors.
• Qualify: Spend the next 90 seconds asking questions that are specific to the visitor’s situation, your products, or services. You also want to ask qualifying questions to determine if they are a qualified lead or a timewaster. If they are a timewaster, dismiss them politely in 15 seconds by shaking their hand and thanking them for visiting your booth. If they qualify, proceed to demonstrate your product for 2-4 minutes based on their requirements and interests. Remember, showing is always better than telling.
• After Demonstrating: Spend the next 90 seconds closing the lead by filling out a lead form, making an appointment to see them, or taking their business card.

By following this system, each person at your booth can generate about 5-6 leads per hour. This means that during an 8-hour show day, they can generate between 40-48 qualified leads. If you have five people manning the booth, this could result in over 200 potential sales leads.

By using the tradeshow sales process effectively, you can maximize your time at the show and increase your chances of generating valuable leads and potential sales.

Tip 5: Use a Special Offer, Competition, or Key Interest Questions to Attract & Engage Visitors

To attract and engage visitors to your booth, consider offering a special offer, competition, or asking key interest questions.

Competitions are a great way to stop visitors in their tracks, but it is important to offer a prize that money can’t buy to make it more appealing. Prizes that are linked to your product or service are also a great way to generate interest and potential clients.

Key interest questions can be a vital tool to engage visitors. Asking a question that sparks their interest and makes them think is important, as many visitors are in a trance-like state while walking around the show floor. For example, if you are at a mobile technology show, asking “Is mobile TV interesting for you?” is likely to grab their attention and start a conversation.

Tip 6: Show Positive Body Language While at the Booth

It is important for your staff to show positive body language while manning the booth. This includes making eye contact with visitors, smiling, and having open body language (avoid crossed arms or legs). It is also important not to give visitors any reason not to make contact with you. Being a good listener, showing interest in what the visitor has to say, and asking questions to engage them in conversation are all important tactics for creating a positive and engaging atmosphere at your booth.

Tip 7: Be Proactive in Approaching Show Visitors

Don’t wait for visitors to come to your booth; be proactive in approaching them. One of the biggest concerns in the exhibition industry is the “build it and they will come” mentality of exhibitors. While exhibition organizers can bring visitors to the show floor, it is up to you to attract them to your booth.

Encourage your staff to step out and approach people who may be looking for your product or service. Ask a key interest question to start a conversation and engage them in a dialogue. Being proactive and making the effort to talk to visitors can make all the difference between a good show and a great one. Don’t be afraid of rejection, as not everyone will be interested, but by being proactive you increase your chances of generating valuable leads and potential sales.

Tip 8: Dismiss Visitors from Your Booth Who are Not Relevant

It is important to dismiss visitors from your booth who are not relevant to your objectives. This includes unqualified visitors who are wasting your time, competitors, and people from surrounding booths who just want to chit-chat. You can dismiss them in a professional and courteous manner by making eye contact, shaking their hand, and thanking them for stopping by. Remember that time is money, and any time wasted on non-relevant visitors is money down the drain. Make sure to see as many relevant visitors as possible during show hours.

Tip 9: Presentations – How to Do Them Effectively and Know What to Do with the Crowd

A live presentation or product demonstration is a great way to generate a crowd at your booth. To do it effectively, it should be interactive, involve the audience, and be no more than 10 minutes long. Make sure to have a lively and professional presenter who feels comfortable with the presentation and can wrap their personality around it. Do the presentation on the hour or half-hour to invite visitors and close it with a call to action, such as filling out a lead card or speaking to your salespeople.

Tip 10: Promotional Literature, Giveaways, and Attractions – Use Them Effectively

Rather than shoving promotional literature in visitors’ faces, have your staff break the ice and engage them in conversation. Make it a point to only give promotional items to qualified leads. Furthermore, make them work for it by entering a prize draw or sharing their contact info. The same applies to attractions – make sure to have a strategy behind it to maximize your returns from the investment. Have your team engage with visitors after they’ve enjoyed the attraction to qualify them and potentially turn them into valuable leads. By using promotional literature, giveaways, and attractions effectively, you can create a positive and engaging atmosphere at your booth and generate valuable leads and potential sales.

Closing Thoughts

In conclusion, tradeshows offer a unique opportunity for businesses to meet new prospects. To make the most of this opportunity, you need to understand the tradeshow environment. You also need to set clear, achievable objectives that meet the needs of both the marketing and sales departments. Properly training and selecting staff, engaging with visitors in a positive and interactive manner, and effectively using presentations, promotional literature, giveaways, and attractions are all key to maximizing the potential for success at a tradeshow. By following these tips, businesses can create a positive and engaging atmosphere at their booth, generate valuable leads, and potentially close sales.