 There's another industry trade show coming up, but folks really when isn't there a trade show that we're attending to meet with clients and Prospects and whether you like them or not these are probably some of the best opportunities to meet new people and reconnect with old Connections so stick around and learn how you can maximize your time on the trade show floor Hey friends, it's Leanne and whether you're in hotel sales or DMO sales Chances are of you spent some time on the trade show floor meeting with new clients and reconnecting with old clients and folks it can be exhausting standing there for hours and trying to make the right connection to sell your product and service and Sometimes you probably wonder if it's all worth it, but I assure you it is worth it But there are a few things that you can do to maximize your time on the floor and maximize each connection that you make And we're gonna go through those today Tip number one prepare in advance Start to research some of your clients and prospects and create a bit of a hit list of people that you want to connect with on the floor I did a blog post or rather a video post not too long ago about Researching clients and you can find that link up here and that might help you give you some springboard of ideas on How to best connect with people when you're on the floor? tip number two be friendly smile and look Approachable, I know it can be easy to almost look bored when you're standing there Especially if you haven't had interaction for for quite some time try and keep your energy up Look fresh and alert and someone that people would want to approach when they come over to your booth Tip number three treat the first interaction with a person as a get to know you versus a data dump Really dig deep and do more of the question asking versus more of the data dumping And when they respond with those question with those answers You can then tailor your response a little bit better rather than just getting giving them a flat sheet of all the things that you do So be inquisitive and get to know the client in that first interaction Tip number four qualify the client so again This is where you can start to ask questions to even see if this person is a good fit for your product and service And there's a number of questions that you can ask that I've included in the blog post for this video And that blog post can be found in the description and you just take a quick look at those questions make some questions up and Qualify the client before you start just laying it all out for them and tip number five If they're not a good fit for your venue refer them to other options in your destination Best to at least get them in your neck of the woods where they can maybe even experience the property or some of your outlets If you can't fit their program as a whole Tip number six Introduce your work colleagues by name So this tip is if you meet someone that isn't in your direct market Often in trade shows hotels or DMOs will only send a part of their sales team So not all the sales members are there to meet all the right people for their market So make sure that you make it clear to the client that there is another sales person who would help them in the future Introduce them by name and even if possible hand them a business card of your colleague Tip number seven reiterate a couple of things that they highlighted to you about their programs It shows that you're listening It shows that you're attuned to the needs of their programs and that you're trying to answer them and Finally acknowledge your competition in a very friendly way. There's really no such thing as competition anymore There's only good fits and bad fits and when we're all working collaboratively together to bring business into the destination and into our hotels Look at competition as a way to draw people and draw attention to your property as well So make sure you treat them with respect when talking to clients and To wrap up here are a few things that you want to avoid when you're on the trade show floor Remember avoid that data dump when you have no context to work from Avoid speaking poorly of your competition Avoid ignoring what they've said so you want to listen to clues versus ignoring them and going just down your path of the data dump But my biggest don't on the trade show floor and this one's a tough one people Don't be on your phone when you are on your phone your posture indicates that you are closed off to any other interactions and People will walk away at least this person will walk away It's so hard though. I know I get it There can be slow times in the trade show and you're even checking work email and trying to stay on top of things at the office But you have no idea what's walking past you when you're looking down at your phone So please resist the temptation or rather step away from the booth and and do your work or your phone Things away from your hotel or DMO booth and then when you return to the booth you look fresh and alert and Approachable again So what is your top secret tip for creating engagement at your trade show booth? Will you please share it with the community below here? I Hope these tips have been helpful in hopefully helping you attract more business to your trade show booth If you need more tips on attracting a meter meeting planners attention hop on over to my website at Leanne Calderwood Dot-com and download how to attract a meeting planners attention worksheet Don't forget also to visit this blog post for some of those leading questions I mentioned and those are the questions you can use to create a relationship with your new prospect on the trade show floor Best of luck at your upcoming shows and I hope to see you there. Bye for now