Openers are an important part of your exhibition presence. They are the beginning of your conversation with visitors, so it’s important to have the best openers possible. Here’s some advice on selecting the best opener for a business exhibition.
The purpose of business exhibitions
Business exhibitions serve as attention centres, bringing potential clients together with product and service providers. When properly utilised, your business can realise significant growth in sales and its customer base. You only need an edge over your competition to enjoy such success. Remember, business exhibitions are lively events with many attractions that easily distract your visitors’ attention. Therefore, you need to make the most of your few moments of engagement. This determines whether the visitor will stick around or move to other booths.
What openers work?
- A confident introduction
You need to instruct your sales team on this. Walk up to a person in the exhibition, wear a smile, stick your hand out and introduce yourself. Most people warm up to such a direct approach and will introduce themselves back. That is the opening you need to introduce your exhibition, company, and whatever promotions you offer. If the person doesn’t immediately warm up, ask them who they are. You can tell at this point whether the encounter is worth pursuing.
With all the bustle and excitement at a business exhibition, it’s important to ensure prospective clients associate you with a specific brand or booth. Therefore, the introduction plays dual roles in capturing attention and introducing your brand.
- The right questions
Instead of listing your products, services, their benefits, and what amazing offers you have, strive first to sustain the person’s attention. Examples of good opening questions include:
What brought you to this event today?
Do you come to such events often?
What do you intend to achieve here today?
What’s the biggest challenge you/your business is facing this year?
Take a moment to read the person to determine what question would most fit the mood.
- Introduce your product or service
Next, introduce your booth by asking them to visit if you’re mingling with the visitors away from it. Alternatively, you can ask them to take part in a demonstration. A direct approach is the best strategy and usually gets most visitors hooked. You could ask:
- Would you like to visit our booth?
- Do you wish to see a demonstration of our new product/service?
- We could discuss our prototype, but I’d love to show you. Would you be happy to come over to our exhibition?
Ensure you back up this request with an attractive exhibition stand. An outstanding display booth will give you an edge over the competition and attract a larger crowd, which has a ripple effect of attracting even more visitors. When more people take you up on your offer for a product or service demonstration, even onlookers will remain glued to your stand. This is possible if you invest in professional conference stands from design specialists.
Conclusion
Your introduction, choice of questions, and an attractive exhibition booth are the three best ways to attract attention at business exhibitions. Therefore, exploit these opportunities thoroughly to drive sales and grow your customer base.
