Turn Trade Show Contacts into Bookings, Sales and New Recruits

By Caterina Rando, MA, MCC

Trade shows are a great way to introduce new potential hostesses, customers and business minded people to your company, and to educate them to the many valuable products and services you have available.

Also trade shows provide an informal setting for people that have been thinking about working with your company to get their questions answered and have an impromptu discussion about potential solutions to their challenges.

While trade shows can be a winning strategy to attract new business, they can also be a huge waste of time, energy and resources if all that happens is you build a eye-catching display and say “hi” to people as they walk by. Do not waste this great opportunity to build your business. When formulating your trade show strategy for success, use the following tips to make your connections count.

Look Like a Million Bucks
You want to always look your best when working a trade show. Looking professional makes people more receptive to speaking with you. Make sure you look the part of the successful direct sales company representative. Press your outfit, get a haircut and make sure your shoes are comfortable and polished. Where light colors – dark blue and black are more intimidating. Go with the lighter colors in your closet for this event.

Get Out In Front
Put together a great display to really catch the attention of trade show attendees. Be sure to position the display tables in a way that allows you to easily enter into the pedestrian aisle. Do not put a table across the front of your booth, since this puts a barrier between you and passersby. Keep your booth neat and uncluttered. Put out only a few materials at a time.

Show Your Smile
Show your teeth to everyone and make eye contact as people come near your booth. This conveys warmth and makes it easy for people to approach you. Go out of your way to be friendly, energetic, approachable, and connect with all the trade show attendees.

Success Starts with a Great Opening
Rehearse your opening statement. Say something that gets people to stop in their tracks and spend some time at the booth. Ask a question. “Are you familiar with (name of your firm)?” is a good one. If someone says “yes” ask what their experience has been and tell them about any services or products that may be new to them.

Offer a Show Special
Offering a show special, and prominently displaying information about it, can entice people to your booth. Show specials also create a sense of urgency to get people to make a buying decision right away. You can also introduce a new product or service and have a special for attendees who take advantage of this new offering.

Gather the Important Info
Have a drawing, and make it easy for people to enter by dropping their card into a bowl. This creates excitement and ensures people will stop at the booth. If people do not have a card, provide a form for them to fill out. Make sure everyone writes in all their information: name, address, phone, and especially email address. Gathering the contact information of attendees is one of the primary objectives of participating in trade shows.

People Love Giveaways
If all of your materials look like sales materials, they will probably end up in the trash before the tradeshow attendees leave the convention hall. Give everyone coupons and innovative premiums with your logo. These keep your name in front of someone long after the trade show has passed. Make sure to bring plenty of whatever you are giving away. You do not want to run out of goodies. 

Do It Now
Come to the show knowing your open dates for bookings, and give people incentives to book right now. Have recruiting conversations and offer an incentive to join your team right now -today. Do not assume that people have to go home and think about it. People sign up and join companies all the time at trade shows. We want that to happen at your booth.

Your Fortune Is in the Follow Up
Follow up immediately on any hot leads for bookings, sales or new team members. Send out a thank you email with an additional special offer to everyone within two days after the tradeshow. Within two days is key. Otherwise, they will not even remember you. If you wait two weeks or two months the tradeshow attendees will not even remember meeting and speaking with you.

Trade shows can take a lot of time and energy. When done well they can attract many new customers and recruits, and expand your relationship with current customers and recruits. Follow the ideas above and get the most out of your next trade show adventure.


Caterina Rando, MA, MCC, shows women in direct selling how to book, sell, recruit and lead with ease. She is the creator of the Direct Selling Business Breakthrough Program. To read more articles, listen to business building podcasts and find out about how Caterina can make your business thrive visit http://www.directsalescoaching.com. Caterina can be reached at by email at cat@directsalescoaching.com or by phone at 415 668-4535.