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Some salespeople who are top performers making field sales calls struggle to be productive working a trade show booth. Often, the things that make them great during field sales calls actually work against them during a trade show.

Why? Because the goals for a field sales call are very different than the goals for an interaction in a trade show booth.

During a field sales call, top performers build rapport quickly. They ask the customers to talk about their operation and the reason they have interest. I call it finding pain. “If there is no pain there can be no P.O.” The best of the best can empathize and relate, especially to that VP or executive manager; that›s why we use independent representatives. They are high performers, quick to adapt, and clearly see next steps, quickly capturing opportunities. Reps always progress to the next step. They always move toward a P.O. — I watch for this in my travels. If the distributor salesperson does not move toward the close, the rep will. Reps are professionals who close.

Sometimes these highly valued skills don›t translate directly to the show floor. A different set of values and goals apply. For instance, time is much more valuable for the customer at a trade show. A customer could stop at 100 booths in a large multi-day event. Their tolerance for probing questions is very low. Also, the customer is still trying to determine the need for our product.

Our end goal at a trade show is different than a normal sales call. We are probably not going to close the sale at the show; we can however move the customer’s interest to the next step. Perhaps a different expectation and tact is useful here. Record the contact and record their interest, then leave the rest to the person who will follow up on this lead after the show. That’s tough for salespeople — they want to own it.

If you are working a booth for our company, quantity and quality of leads are important.

So, how to move forward?

Compel them from the highways and byways.

• It’s OK to step into the aisle and ask a question. I have seen some do this 50 feet from the booth. Not suggesting you try this, as only few of us can pull it off.
• Simply ask a question such as, “Are you familiar with our product?” or, “Have you seen the newest product?” If you get a positive response, invite them to the booth’s demo area.

The goal is leads with interest in our product.

• You are looking for interest, not an interview. Remember, if every exhibitor tried to conduct a needs assessment before giving a demo in their booth, visitors would be so frustrated they would not come to trade shows. So quickly move to through the demo! Watch the prospect’s response to your demo, ask questions, and develop interest.
• Be time sensitive. Visitors to the booth appreciate this. If a customer seems to want to share their situation then listen and move to the next step. If the need and opportunity arise, a sample may be important.
• Scan the prospect’s badge and record the details of the prospect’s interest on the lead form. The next person will follow up on the lead and involve local reps. Then reps can do what they do so well….

Think of this process in terms of logistics. In a Chicago trade show our company scanned almost 10 percent of 18,000 attendees.

Quantity of contacts may not be the primary focus of your activity at shows. Then focus on contacts with specific interest. We try to do both. The contacts we gather will become the focus of our future marketing outreach.

We try to engage every passerby, casually asking, “Have you ever used our product?” or, “Are you familiar with our product?” or, “Would you like to see the new product?” Give a demo, record the encounter, and let the prospect get back to the show. That’s it!

My final and most important note: Rely on goodwill. The market of goodwill is alive and well. Customers who visit our booth are guests;
I treat them as such.

Promote your product and help them develop their own interests in your product.

Adam Smith said it best: “It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest.” You are trying to provide the best, and customers want the best. Help them and you will help yourself.

Our company is always a top performer at trade show lead gathering — I hope to keep that tradition alive.

MANA welcomes your comments on this article. Write to us at [email protected].