Stop telling and start asking at trade-shows

Trade-shows are one place where sales people are gathered in numbers that can be in the thousands.  Trade shows are also a place where you will find some of the worst sales skills on display. I make this observation after attending hundreds of conferences and trade-shows, across many industries over the years.

There are too many sales people that are paying too much attention to colleagues, cell phones, notebook computers and just about anything other than potential clients.  Then there is the body language that says, “I don’t want to be bothered” or “I wish I was someplace else” or “I could care less.”

But maybe the worst characteristic of all is the demonstration of a complete lack of basic sales skills practices. Often the form of engagement by the salesperson is a recitation of the products features they are representing or attempting to represent.  ”Let me tell you all about the 100 important features of the XYZ Widget,” without knowing who they are talking too or why the person stopped by their booth.  A prospect showing interest or stopping at your booth is not the beginning and the end of qualification.

Exhibiting at a trade-show can be a very expensive proposition. Everyone who works a trade-show exhibit should be ready to sell. By that I mean being able to engage in conversation, ask basic qualifying questions and be completely focused on their quests or visitors. Selling does not mean knowing everything and being able to answer any question. It does mean being interested and enthusiastic.

Selling means find out who it is you are talking to: an existing customer, a competitor, member of the press, buyer, tire kicker, job seeker etc. Then to discover why they are there.  If you know who they are and why they are there, you can start to talk about how you can help them.

• Act like you want to be there.
• Engage with the prospects.
• Stop telling and start asking.