Trade Shows: Getting the Most Out of Your Trade Show Experience
This one-day workshop is designed to help booth staff and sales professionals maximize their trade show results. You'll explore who attends trade shows and why, learn how to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, prepare effectively before the show, apply active listening and body language skills on the floor, conduct prospecting conversations, and execute a strong post-show follow-up strategy to convert leads into qualified prospects and sales.
What you'll learn
- Understand the types of people that attend trade shows and why they attend
- Develop S.M.A.R.T. trade show goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound
- Know your company's products, marketing strategy, and customer base in order to work successfully in the trade show booth
- Develop a variety of introductions to engage potential customers at a trade show
- Understand the importance of pre-show promotion and targeted promotional giveaways
- Demonstrate good booth behavior including Active Listening, Body Language, and Questioning
- Conduct prospecting activities including First Contact, Qualification, Determining Needs, and Closing the Deal
- Develop and execute follow-up activities with leads, prospects, and qualified prospects after the trade show
Preview a lesson
Who Attends Trade Shows and Why Before you can perform at your best in a trade show booth, it helps to understand who is walking the floor and what's driving them there. This knowledge shapes every interaction you'll have. Research from Exhibit Surveys Inc. reveals some eye-opening statistics: **67% of all attendees** represent a new prospect for exhibiting companies. The **average attendee spends 8.3 hours** viewing exhibits at a show. Think about what that means for you: the majority of people passing your booth have never encountered your company before, and they're spending a full working day exploring. Why Do People Attend? From industry experience, more than half of trade show attendees are there to see **new products**, and most have no specific product in mind when they arrive. That openness is a huge opportunity — they're ready to be introduced to something they didn't know they needed. Who Are These Attendees? Here's a snapshot of the typical trade show attendee profile: **1 in 3** will be attending the show for the first time. **Half** hold managerial-level positions or higher. **Over three-quarters** have influence over purchasing decisions. **Three-quarters** have traveled more than 300 miles to attend. **Over three-quarters** will be completely new to your company. Common Trade Show Mistakes to Avoid Trade show expert Lee Ali, founder of Expo Stars
…Enroll to read the rest and the full curriculum.
Curriculum
Lay of the Land: Trade Show Attendees
2 lessons- textWho Attends Trade Shows and WhyPreview
- quizModule 1 Knowledge Check
Setting Trade Show Goals
2 lessons- textWhy Goals Matter and the S.M.A.R.T. Framework
- quizModule 2 Knowledge Check
Before the Trade Show
3 lessons- textKnowing Your Company, Products, and Customers
- textPre-Show Promotions and Giveaways
- quizModule 3 Knowledge Check
During the Trade Show: Booth Skills
3 lessons- textActive Listening at the Trade Show Booth
- textQuestioning, Paraphrasing, and Probing Techniques
- quizModule 4 Knowledge Check
Prospecting at the Trade Show
2 lessons- textThe Four Steps of Trade Show Prospecting
- quizModule 5 Knowledge Check
After the Trade Show: Follow-Up
2 lessons- textPost-Show Follow-Up Strategies
- quizModule 6 Knowledge Check