Our six-minute strategy for lead generation is central to our marketing masterclass. It’s a reliable method to capture, nurture, value and close leads quickly. And it puts you in the best position to start building customer relationships after an exhibition.

In six minutes you can:

1. Greet a prospect
2. Ask open questions
3. Qualify the lead
4. Do a demonstration
5. Capture contact details
6. Make a follow-up appointment

Learn it, apply it to your strategy and succeed on the show floor.

Stage One – Engage and Greet

Attendees are often bombarded with pitches at exhibitions. Launching into product explanations rather than conversations will repel, not attract prospects.

Be a breath of fresh air and connect with prospects in a natural, friendly way:

Make yourself approachable – Signs that make you appear standoffish: crossed arms, a frown, your back turned to the crowd, avoiding eye contact. Be approachable by smiling when you make eye contact and keep your arms to the side.

Stay sharp – Keep your head up and your eyes on the show floor. If you’re busy on your phone, you’ll miss opportunities for lead generation.

Avoid the “Can I help you?” syndrome – Asking, “How can I help you?” makes an interaction transactional. If you want to start meaningful conversations, use open questions such as, “How are you finding the show?”

Stage Two – Ask Open Questions

To keep the conversation flowing, ask questions that can’t be answered with “yes” or “no”.

Also, your goal here is to mould the conversation around the attendee.

This does two things: it shows that you’re genuinely interested in their problems and gives them the chance to talk about themselves (which most people enjoy).

The following questions will help you secure their interest:

1. “What brings you to the exhibition?”
2. “What are you hoping to gain today?”
3. “What are you looking to improve (or increase, reduce, save, gain etc)?”

Listening to their answers gives you insight into their needs, leading you nicely into qualifying questions.

Stage Three – Qualifying the Lead

The worst mistake a lead generator can make is spending too much time talking to unqualified leads. You waste minutes that could have been spent building valuable connections. Use these questions to filter for high-value prospects:

• Determine their buying authority – “Are you a part of the buying team?”
• Identify their main problem – “What’s the problem you’re seeking to fix?”
• Discover their buying time frame – “When do you need a solution by?”
• Find out what their budgets are – “What budget do you have allocated for the project?”

Aim to give no more than two minutes to unqualified visitors. But make sure you dismiss them politely to stay professional: make eye contact, shake their hand and thank them for visiting the booth.

Stage Four – Demonstrating

You should have two demonstrations ready: a short version (2 minutes) and a longer one (5-10 minutes). Match the length of your demo with the visitor’s requirements. If they showed a lot of interest in the qualifying stage, they might be willing to give you more time, but it’s always worth asking before.

During the demo you should:

● Provide a brief overview of your company and its products and services
● Develop further interest by expanding on the product’s features

The prospect’s reaction will help you determine what type of closure should follow, as we’re about to discuss.

Stage Five – Closing

Confidence is key to a successful close. You need to be in control of the situation and it should come as a natural end to the conversation.

Typical closing situations include:

● The prospect leaves their contact details
● You complete a feedback form together
● You book a follow-up appointment
● You advise on other product options

The type of close depends entirely on the prospect’s situation. Is it the right product for them or is there something else you can offer? Are they happy to leave their details?

They might be in a position where an immediate follow-up appointment is appropriate. Or perhaps they want you to get in touch via email with more details. If you had to give a short demonstration, they might need more information before agreeing to a sale.

Consider the method you’re going to use to capture their details too. We recently discussed how GDPR’s new regulations affect storage and handling of business data.

Through Expo Stars, you can access the Vivolead mobile app that allows you to collect data while ensuring GDPR compliance. It also minimises administration, giving lead generators more time to engage with visitors.

Nail Lead Generation with an Expo Stars Masterclass

You now have a killer communication strategy. But to truly ensure success your team needs the time and space to put theory into practice.

Our exhibition masterclass provides exactly that and more. Expo Stars managing director, Lee Ali, takes teams through three key elements of successful exhibiting:

1. How to create an effective strategy
2. How to deliver an immersive and memorable stand experience
3. How to staff your booth with the right team

Gain insights from an industry leader to help you engage, entertain and educate attendees. Discover more about our exhibition masterclass today.