You can make a new friend or business partner at a trade show, maintain old ones, do self-promotion and get inspiration most importantly, make orders.
What sounds easy in theory is hard work in practice and hard work is difficult for some people.
However, when you prepare well for a trade show, it becomes easier to achieve all the above-mentioned.
How do you now prepare your trade show event structures to make sure networking is easy, here I’ll tell you the 6 sure-fire tips that will help with trade fair networking.
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Present yourself to people
Most times, we meet people without any plan, it’s just a coincidence.
And even at a trade show, you can present yourself to people in just a minute and you can quickly know if the person is interested in your service or not.
Think about a kind of sales pitch in advance, in which you introduce yourself and, to a certain extent, also market yourself.
Agencies would speak of an elevator pitch. That means: You bring a stranger closer in 30 to 60 seconds to what you do or/and can do – in such a way that the listener does not get disinterested but wants to learn more.
It could sound like this, for example: “My name is chaktty, from Atlanta, and into content marketing for brands.
My team is based in Atlanta, at the old national highway, but we work with brands across the globe
Have you ever been to the Atlanta in the US? We can help to promote your business on social media and top websites in your industry.
Make it short, interesting, detailed. Of course, very few companies have such impressive references but every company has an interesting story to tell.
Bring up something to talk about
Depending on what you want to achieve, you can bring up a topic related to your business, your industry, your product, competitors, etc.
Also, you need to talk less about your personal life and more about the visitor. What could he be interested in? Why should he stop at you of all people?
At the trade fair, offer something unique and that people can interact with. Something people can focus on, feel, smell, etc.
Outstanding materials make your stand out and more attractive – and also make conversation easier.
A smart way to open conversation
When a visitor approaches your stand at a trade fair, you don’t have to bombard them with marketing stunts or information about your product or service right away.
Welcome the visitor with a smile and a warm greeting – that’s enough to get you started.
After a while, however, you should try to get into conversation with the guest. But how?
You can prepare three or four introductory sentences beforehand. Example: “Is this your first time at this fair?” Or: “Are you already aware of our company?” A better example: “How may I help you?”
The addressee feels an uncomfortable pressure to justify itself – and often doesn’t even know what to answer.
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Make recommendations
You will see many new faces at the fair. At the same time, this also means that not every trade fair visitor is an interesting conversation partner for you.
You can recommend products or services from other marketers when you don’t have such offers.
For example, if you sell computers, you can recommend another seller that offers computer desk for sale.
However, you should not recommend a seller when you also offer the same product or service or recommend sellers that are not in the trade fair. Never send a visitor away.
But first of all, you are helping the person you are talking to in a specific way.
That always has a positive effect on you and your company. And secondly, it is a wonderful starting point for later discussion.
Do Follow-up
When you start a business relationship, you need to grow it. It is therefore imperative that you do follow-up and network properly to have a long last business relationship.
For example, by laying out the collected business cards in front of you, looking for names on Xing and LinkedIn, and sending a contact request. Always with a small text.
You can also connect with your business partners on social media.
Explore the social media
Who has left comments on your social media pages? Are there any reactions on your Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn posts?
You can quickly understand the minds of your potential or existing clients with their reactions on your social media pages.
Make sure you announce your presence at the trade fair in advance before the trade fair starts and invite your followers.
Don’t forget to use popular hashtags that are relevant to your products and industry.
In this way, social media can help with your trade fair networking.