Top Tradeshow Engagement Tips for Booth Reps

You discover that you are in charge of demo-kiosk engagement at your next tradeshow.  You know you’re good at one-on-one interactions, but you don’t have much experience talking to small groups in a non-traditional environment, especially when your audience is tired, distracted, and willing to give you only 2-4 minutes of their time.

Here are some helpful tips to create effective in-booth demo-kiosk engagements:

  • Anticipate your target audience’s top 3-5 questions. What do your prospects routinely want to know?  Use that knowledge to build a short, 1 to 1.5-minute overview of your product/service that answers those questions.  Some attendees will “self-qualify (walk away), while others will ask additional questions. Those people are your targets.
  • Tell stories.  Many sales reps focus on features and benefits, However, human beings respond best to relevant stories. Frame your remarks with a story about how a specific company was experiencing a specific challenge, including how your product or service helped solve it.
  • Include your attendees in your demo. The pressure to engage on a tradeshow floor often causes reps to talk more and listen less.  Be sure to ask your attendees about their companies, about their role, and about their current challenges.  This approach includes the attendee in your presentation and increases their dwell time.
  • When one attendee asks a question, deliver your answer to the entire group.  This is incredibly important. Make sure to repeat specific attendee questions for the group to hear, and then aim your response to the entire group as well. This ensures that everyone feels included.
  • Have a clear next-step.  When the conversation is over, know exactly what you want attendees to do, e.g. moving to an additional demo, signing up for a trial, setting a future appointment, etc.  The point is … have specific next-steps in mind.

An effective demo-kiosk engagement strategy is the single most value-generating activity at a tradeshow.  Do your homework, be prepared, get a good night’s sleep, and put yourself in the proper mind-set for the day.  

And stock up on Altoids.