The Art of the Sale on the Trade Show Floor

Many trade show attendees are potentially interested in making a purchase at the show. Knowing this, how can you and your sales team capture these potential sales once attendees visit your booth? Beyond captivating attendees with your trade show booth design, here are three ways to master the art of the sale on the trade show floor.

Get a Head Start with Pre-Show Planning Services

You can give yourself more time to prepare your sales pitch by working with a company offering pre-show planning services like shipping, installation, and dismantling. By hiring a company to handle the logistics of setting up your custom trade show displays, you can spend more time practicing with your sales team and reviewing key features of your products and services.

The Dos and Don’ts of the Trade Show Floor

There are essential dos and don'ts regarding the art of selling on the trade show floor. Here are some key tips for you and your sales team to remember:

Do:

• Greet attendees in a friendly manner right away.
• Start the conversation with an open-ended question like “What brings you to this show?” or “Are you looking for anything in particular?”. Asking open-ended questions will help you qualify leads.
• Actively listen to potential customers.
• Just as you dress up your booth design for trade show success, you’ll want to ensure your sales team dresses for success, too. Your sales team should be dressed similarly so you look like a team. Some brands prefer everyone in business attire while others go for themed t-shirts, jeans, and matching sneakers. Pick attire that reflects your brand.
• Make follow-up appointments while you have the attendee on the show floor, if possible.
  

Don’t:

• Use the same sales pitch you’d typically use. Create an abbreviated version for the trade show floor.
• Eat in your exhibit.
• Use a personal cell phone in your booth. Have your sales staff leave the booth to use their phones.
• Bad mouth the competition. Instead, emphasize what makes your company great.
• Be aggressive or pushy. Be aware that talking quickly and moving your hands can distract and intimidate potential customers.

Create Personalized Journeys for Various Types of Attendees

Your booth design is the first step in the sales process. Once someone walks into your booth, your job is to ensure that you and your sales team can discern attendees’ position in the marketing funnel. This information will then inform the exhibit journey your team directs them to.

Why more than one exhibit journey for each position of the marketing funnel? An attendee at the bottom of the funnel may be one of your regular customers who wants to know more about your latest automated ordering function, while an attendee at the top of the funnel is still learning about your brand and services. The needs are different, so the journeys should be, too.

The art of the sale on the trade show floor is much like a trade show exhibit itself: it’s a puzzle. Once you fit all the pieces together, you can see the picture and so can trade show attendees. That picture? Sales and future partnerships.

About Skyline Exhibits

As a busy trade show marketer, every decision and every moment counts. When you want to make impactful changes to your trade show presence, you need an industry-leading partner who understands this. Look no further than Skyline Exhibits. They’ll work closely with your business to learn about your unique goals and objectives for upcoming trade shows before designing and fabricating a stunning booth that drives real results. With excellent customer service and a dedicated design, production, and exhibit strategy team, Skyline Exhibits can help your brand stand out on the trade show floor. You can even add digital activations to keep attendees engaged at your booth. No matter your trade show marketing strategy, Skyline Exhibits can help take you to the next level of trade show success.

Work smarter, not harder, and see sales success with services from https://skyline.com/