It’s no secret that there is unlimited potential to tap into with trade show and live encounter events. Unlike other promotional resources that rely on one-way communication, these live exchanges with guests deliver the invaluable opportunity to engage directly in person. While the importance of interpersonal customer engagement at your New York trade show booths cannot be overestimated, it is important to note that as with any promotional endeavor, it’s not necessarily the quantity of conversations that proves most critical. Rather, in order to truly reap the benefits yielded at a live encounter event, business owners must focus on the quality of the conversations.

How to Engage New York Trade Show Audiences in Quality Conversations

Fortunately, it is possible to plan and prepare for quality conversations before your next marketing convention. By following these tips, you can better engage your potential customers at trade shows and leave a good impression for future sales.

Focus on the Customer First, Not the Pitch

Professional clients and representatives respond much better to one-on-one attention and quality conversations than they do quick pitches with business card exchanges, especially in New York markets. Giving special individual attention is the best way to make a personal connection and great first impression with clients, and is often the only way to truly get a chance with representatives from the larger companies and corporations.

When preparing for your next exhibit, work closely with your staff to master the art of paying attention. Paying close attention to clients is the only way to ensure that they are focused on the information being presented to them and ready to propel the dialogue forward onto the next steps.

Eliminate as many Distractions as Possible

Before the next event, prepare your team to focus only on visiting guests. This sounds simple in theory, but can actually prove quite difficult at the event itself. Loud noises, swarms of people and all the surrounding trade show booths can quickly divert your employee’s eye away from the person he or she is engaging with. Reinforce with your team how vital it is that every guest receives their undivided attention. Additionally, always instill an unwavering “no cellphone” rule for your trade show booths at New York expos so that your staff members won’t be tempted to check emails or text during the function itself.

Ask the Right Questions to Lead the Conversation

Once they are ready to stay on task with every conversation, it’s important to get your team ready to ask the right types of questions during each exchange. Closed-ended questions that only require one word answers will make your guests feel like you’re going through a template list of inquiries and not truly interested in their specific needs. Practice asking open-ended questions that will probe into each visitor’s particular requirements and preferences to ensure that you’re garnering all the most relevant information to use for follow-up conversations.

Listening is Just as Important

Finally, get your team ready to listen to information. Merely nodding at guests with their eyes glazed over is a telltale sign that they are completely disengaged from the conversation. However, connecting with the guests and adapting each pitch based on the information that they’ve been given is a great way show each visitor that you’re a company that truly cares about their customers on an individual level.

If you are interested in trade show displays or would like more information on maximizing ROI from trade show appearances in New York, call Watson Productions today.