Yesterday I mentioned that the Small Business Expo is coming up in a couple of week, so today I thought I would post some helpful hints for getting the most out of your tradeshow booth.
Before the show
- Prepare 3-6 questions that will stimulate thought and encourage conversation. Think like a journalist – ask open ended questions that begin with who, what, where, when, why or how.
- Think of incentives for people to give you their contact information
- Promote your attendance at the show
- Set measurable goals for the show
At the show
- Keep notes of your conversations
- Listen twice as much as you talk
- Break out of your comfort zone – don’t spend all of you time talking to people you already know.
- Ask permission to add people to your mailing list. Just because you have their business card, doesn’t mean you have permission to start spamming them.
After the show
- Follow up, follow up, follow up
- Evaluate the show based on your goals. What lessons did you learn? What will you do differently next time? Write it down.
What are your favorite tips for having a successful tradeshow? Leave them in the comments below.
