The success of your exhibition stand is not only based on its good looks; it eventually boils down to how you and your team can man the stand and engage with its visitors.
1. Ignore assumptions and listen to what your visitors have to say
‘Do not judge the book by its cover’ stands true at exhibitions and trade shows. A person’s real buying power, knowledge and interests are not revealed by the visitor’s first appearance.
Ask relevant questions to get your visitors talking about their reasons to be at the exhibitions, their needs and companies or work engagements. Be prepared to listen.
2. Ask open-ended questions to start conversations
Closed questions such as ‘can I help you?’ can be easily avoided by a simple negative answer. Choose to engage with your stand visitors by being more specific when asking questions. Asking visitors ‘what brings you here today’ and ‘what has interested you so far’ is far more valuable and provides the insights you need to develop a conversation around your brand offering and the potential solutions that could help them.
3. Qualify the people you meet with the right questions
Not everyone showing up at your stand will become a buying customer. It is why it is important to know how to ask the right questions to qualify your stand visitors into potential customers and time-wasters. Again, aim to be more specific about the prospect’s current desires and future requirements. Questions such as ‘what capabilities do you currently have’, ‘what are your main challenges your company has to deal with now’ or ‘which aspects of your current setup would you like to improve’ are a good place to start.
Use open-ended questions as much as possible. Asking a prospect if he or she is happy with a current provider can lead to a quick positive answer and the end of conversation; however, enquiring about the solution they are using and what aspects are prone to improvement will generate a better discourse.
The Exhibitionist focuses on the design, build and manufacturing of bespoke exhibition platforms. From the design and build to the manufacturing of exhibition stands, The Exhibitionist has got you covered.