When a visitor spends time telling you their story about a particular situation or challenge, your very next question must relate to what they've just told you. This then demonstrates that you're actually listening, and care about what they have to say. Failing to do this is likely to damage, if not destroy any credibility you may have established throughout the conversation so far.

Since this is such a common mistake exhibitors make, it's well worth having your team practice this skill in pre-show role-playing exercises. Have them work at this until it's automatic and starts to feels completely natural to them.

Strategy #5: Compliment Them

If you find yourself with a visitor who's somewhat reluctant to talk about their situation, try complimenting them. It's a subtle yet powerful way to stroke their ego. A simple "I'd really like to know what you think about X," or "What's your opinion on Y" will often get people talking, especially those individuals who love to show off their knowledge. I'm sure you know the type! Remember that everyone likes to be valued and recognized.

Be careful with this. You always want to appear genuine, without seeming to fawn over your visitors.

Strategy #6: Get Off Topic

Exhibiting is not just about making those immediate sales. There's far more that goes on with your booth visitor. Building long-lasting, profitable relationships is key! To do this effectively, you may need to take the conversation 'off-topic.' Don't be afraid to use questions to do this. Ask questions that allow you to get to know the visitor better. This can be as simple as "Where are you from?" Look to visual cues -- clothing, jewelry, pin, etc. – anything that allows you to go further conversationally and further reinforce the relationship. It's only when you start asking

Strategy #7: Go After Low Lying Fruit

Visitors often indicate, often unconsciously, what they want to talk about. If they mention a subject repeatedly, or devote considerable time in one particular area, that's a pretty good clue to let you know that this topic is important to them. Yet many times, either exhibitors don't hear what's being said, because they're tuned into their own mind or, they might 'shy away' from a topic because it's sensitive, or something they just don't know about. They might avoid the latter not to show their ignorance.

Speaking from experience, that's not a good, solid plan of action. What's it says to the visitor is that "you're just not interested" in them or their situation. It takes courage to 'grab the bull by the horns' and frame questions directly around that topic, inviting visitors to elaborate further.

For example, "You seem to have concerns about our widget's durability. Could you tell me what's troubling you?" Addressing these concerns head on is the best way to build a prospect's confidence in your products and services.

Asking questions is only half the battle. The other half of the equation concerns what you do with the answers they give you. If your team asks great questions, listens to the answers, and then responds with the standard boilerplate one-size-fits-all answer, you've accomplished nothing.

Instead, answers must be customized on the spot – responsive, not only, to the client's needs, but also to the tone and timing of the conversation.

Brief your people on the need to take things further than just the familiar and often, boring, sales pitch. Keeping the focus on relationship building and the lifetime value of the customer helps make this easier and takes a lot of pressure off of your team. It's far easier to concentrate on having a meaningful, value-laden exchange if your team knows this isn't their only chance at bat. With any luck, this is just the beginning. They'll be asking your customers questions for years to come!

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