Trade Shows Part 3: Do You Give Good Booth?

I’m writing this on the plane home from a very good event. Well run, nicely attended, good media, great presentations, fabulous food and, well let’s just say there were some booths.

For the first time in a while, I was not exhibiting so I was actually more of a customer than a competitor to the 200 or so exhibitors. I had exactly an hour to get around the show floor between meetings so I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t have time to speak with all the people I needed to. I really shouldn’t have worried. This was one of the poorest collections of sales people ever assembled on one show floor. I learned a great deal about how to screw up a selling opportunity so I thought I would share it.

• Ignore people:
  Just keep typing on your smartphone or chatting away to your boss while looking into the middle distance. The attendee will get bored of trying to make eye contact and move on.
• Talk to your co-workers:
  How often do you get the chance to stand in a noisy public place loudly bitching about your boss or gossiping about your co-workers? This is a great way to ignore people too. Make them interrupt you. That way you’ll know they’re seriously interested.
• Talk and talk and talk and talk:
  And make sure you say nothing. When the attendee asks what you do, spew the same rubbish that’s printed all over your stand. It’s important they leave knowing less, if possible, about your products than when they arrived.
• Give away the free stuff:
  I mean, you’re basically the company’s Flashy Yo-Yo Distribution Department, aren’t you? Make sure you hand a free thing to everyone who goes by. That way they won’t have to listen to your sales pitch.
• Guard the free stuff:
  Assume a vaguely threatening stance as the attendee glances at the pile of t-shirts and squishy balls. Make them work for it. Sneer a little as you look at their badge. After all, this stuff isn’t cheap and you want to make sure there are lots left over to ship home.
• Don’t ask any open-ended questions:
  Be sure you talk only about your products and services. Don’t dilute things by asking how the attendee currently solves a particular problem or what they wanted to learn at the event. That’s just crazy.
• Be a little condescending:
  This is a good way to scare off the non-technical people who wouldn’t really understand your product anyway. Say big words slowly and make sure you don’t part with any of that technical literature.
• Don’t take their contact information:
  Afterall, scanning is so time-consuming and business cards are just so 2009. Leads are just another damn thing to do when you get back to the office so why make it harder on yourself?
• Take a break:
  You deserve it. You’ve been on your feet for an hour or so. Go ahead. Put the free stuff away, unplug your computer and go outside for a smoke. Attendees will stand by your empty booth awaiting your return. I promise.
• Have no idea what it is your company or product does:
  I recommend the pity angle with comments like “the sales guys just took off for a few minutes and when they get back I’m sure they can explain how this thing-a-ma-jig works”. Smile sweetly and offer a flashlight key chain. Works a treat.
• Kill more trees:
  Seriously, the marketing folks wouldn’t have given you five different brochures if they didn’t intend you to give one of everything to everyone.

Can’t wait to see how many of these pros follow-up. I’ll let you know when the phone starts ringing.  In the meantime, take a look at who you’re sticking on your booth next week. Remember, we want good sales people at these things.

What bad booth things have you seen? How did you react?

BizMarketer is written by Elizabeth Williams
I help companies have better conversations
Drop me a line at ewilliams@candlerchase.com
Or follow me @bizmkter