You can spend countless hours and tens of thousands of dollars getting people’s attention and giving them a reason to stop at your trade show booth but barely any time preparing your salespeople to give them a reason to stay. Here’s where your approach will make trade show lead generation a success or failure.

I watched this happen at a recent trade show.
 
I approached an eye-catching booth. Large screens. A slick demo. Cool giveaways.

Why Most Trade Show Booths Fail to Generate Real Opportunities

“Good morning, sir. How’s are you currently handling your data protection? I then asked, “What makes you different?”
 
“Faster implementation. Better reporting. More automation. Better customer service,” the salesperson quickly replied.

All things I’d heard at every other booth.
 
“So why should I buy from you?”
 
He paused, as if he thought he’d already answered that question.
 
* We have the most advanced platform.
* Our technology is easy to use.
* We have an experienced team.
 
There’s nothing wrong with these claims. There’s just no differentiation.

Your customers already expect your product to work, your people to know what they’re doing & your service to be good.

That is not differentiation. That’s the price of admission. Salespeople are focusing on the things that customers already assume, and if they assume it, and hear it, they tune out.
 
 Their product may have been the best option, but the salesperson still didn’t give me a reason to keep talking.
 
This is how an expensive booth becomes a costly missed opportunity.

How Many Leads Did We Get?

 After the trade show, the first question asked is, “How many leads did we get?”
 
“We scanned 487 badges.”
 
Out come the spreadsheets and closing percentages.
 
A badge scan is not a lead.
 
Someone who entered to win a prize has little reason to return your call.

A better indication of your trade show lead generation’s success is whether those conversations gave people a compelling reason to keep talking with you after the event.

Why Most Trade Show Lead Generation Booths Fail to Generate Real Opportunities

When the event ends, one team has a list of people to chase. The other has people who understand why another conversation could be worth their time.

Why a Great Product Can Still Fail
 
A compelling reason answers what they’re already thinking.

“Why should I talk to you?”

It describes an end result they’ll experience that they want badly enough to pay attention make achieving this a priority & act with urgency. A costly problem eliminated, time recovered, revenue protected, reduced employee turnover, a lower cost per opportunity, or a goal they can achieve.
 
🥱 “Better reporting’ describes a product feature.
😀 “See which deals are stalling early enough to act before you miss your quarterly target” gives a sales leader a reason to listen.
 
❎ “More automation” describes a capability.
☑️ “Give your salespeople back 10 hours each week so they can spend more time selling” describes an outcome.
 
A compelling message is not a list of features. It connects what you sell to something the customer actually wants, needs, fears losing, or is trying to accomplish.

You’re Not Selling Your product

• Maybe your product eliminates a problem that has been costing the customer millions of dollars.
• Maybe it helps them accomplish in three months what currently takes twelve.
• Maybe it removes complexity that is slowing down their people.
• Maybe it helps a sales leader see something happening in the pipeline that they could never see before.
• Maybe your approach succeeds where traditional solutions consistently fail.

Your Product is Your Compelling Message

Whatever it is, your salespeople need to be able to articulate it clearly. Unfortunately, companies spend more time focusing on the quality of the booth rather than the quality of their salespeople’s communication.Don’t make customers figure out why your features are unique, matter or why this should be a priority. That’s your job.

Lead with a statement about the success you can help them achieve.
 
A response like, “How are you going to do that?” tells you you’ve sparked interest. Now ask the questions to discover whether your product is a fit.

A crowded booth does not necessarily mean the event was successful.

The real question is whether the conversations gave people a compelling reason to continue talking with you after the trade show was over.

Your Trade Show Booth Isn’t the Problem. Your Message Is.

This is where companies miss the most important aspect of a successful trade show. The approach and language salespeople use to deliver a unique message that separates you from the other hundreds of competitors.

– They obsess over the booth.
– They obsess over the location.
– They obsess over the signage.
– They obsess over the giveaways.
– They obsess over whether or not to hire a celebrity to attract more people to their booth.

But when every company makes the same claims, prospects stop hearing a difference.
 
Put the same amount of time and creativity into your message that you put into designing your booth, so people walk away thinking about what they could achieve with you, with a clear reason to continue the conversation.

You’ve already invested in giving them a reason to stop.

Give them a reason to stay.

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn here.