What do you do if your trade show clients are not interested in building strong relationships?

In my experience, active listening is the absolute most important skill in sales. You may not have a client that wants to talk about what you are selling, but I guarantee that they will want to talk about the challenges they face on the day to day, their personal lives or what they like to do when they aren't at work. This is key in building a relationship that will lead to solutions that fit their needs. Another excellent tip is that "most people will forget what you say but they will not forget how you made them feel." If they feel like they just spent time with their best friend, you will be well received when you make your follow up call. Read their energy and match it. Look for commonalities to increase your chances of bonding.

During the few minutes on the tradeshow floor, it is important to speak to your audience role and understand their motivation for information and what level they are responsible for versus force-feeding your new product or service. For example, you do not want to talk to a front-line worker hourly worker about cutting OT or reducing payroll. Rather, you would ask what is important to them about their work-life balance. Be curious, ask questions, and engage with them beyond the superficial.

Imagine you're meeting someone new at a party. You wouldn't dive into a conversation about yourself right away, would you? It's the same with engaging trade show clients. Take the time to learn about their business, their challenges, and what they're passionate about. It's like speaking their language before trying to start a meaningful conversation.

If a prospective client is in your TAM and not interested in building a close relationship, it means that your messaging is not connecting with them. To build meaningful relationships and long-term clients, they need to know that you understand their pain points. You understand and can solve their daily challenges and the stuff that keeps them up at night. Once you better understand these challenges, you need to convey them through all of your messaging touchpoints. This is not about your products, your services, how long you’ve been in business, how sustainable your business practices are. It’s purely about understanding the emotions and communicating them back.

Engaging with trade show clients should start with understanding their needs and demonstrating strong listening skills. Provide industry knowledge and communicate responses based on their individual business. Positioning yourself as a resource to assist now and demonstrating you also will be available as a future resource extends a feeling of confidence and trust. A genuine sense of commitment to valued partners extends itself to trust and shared information. Continued value-driven interactions will lead to a mutually beneficial relationship.

We can provide value to trade show clients who are not initially interested in building relationships by focusing on offering immediate benefits. For example, we can provide valuable insights, share industry knowledge, or offer services that directly address their needs or challenges, regardless of their size. By doing so, we establishes trust and showcases its expertise, positioning itself as a reliable and valuable resource for the clients. Over time, these value-driven interactions have the potential to evolve into deeper and more meaningful connections, laying the foundation for future collaboration and partnership.

At trade shows, I prioritize providing immediate value to hesitant clients. By offering actionable insights, sharing industry knowledge, or helping them tackle a specific pain point, I establish trust and showcase expertise. This makes me a valuable resource, and over time, these interactions can blossom into stronger relationships.

Think of your value proposition as a promise you're making to a friend. You wouldn't promise something you couldn't deliver, right? Make sure your value proposition is clear and genuinely helpful. Show them how your product or service can make their lives easier or solve a problem they're facing. It's all about building trust from the get-go.

Ask about past experiences and why they feel this way. Then you can understand better your client and the kind or relationship has or has had in the past with other vendors.

It is important to keep in mind that the person you are talking to on a tradeshow floor may not be the one who makes the final decision. To help them pass along the information, you can provide them with something tangible or make it easy for them to access the value you offer. For instance, you can offer a promotional giveaway with a QR code that directs them to your landing page.

Absolutely! With hesitant trade show clients, consistency is our secret weapon. Every touchpoint, from the initial hello at the booth to follow-up emails, needs to sing the same tune: professional, helpful, and a perfect reflection of our brand's DNA. This reliability builds trust and, like a catchy jingle, gets stuck in their minds. By being a steady, positive presence, we stay top-of-mind when they're ready to turn that attendee badge into a long-term partnership.

and never underestimate the power of recommendations - if you are on top of their mind, simply because they value, respect & like you, your company / product is much more likely to be mentioned in a conversation to their peers & partners.

Personalize your interactions by referencing specific details about the client’s business or past conversations. This shows that you value them and are attentive to their unique situation. Offer valuable insights, industry news, or helpful resources that can benefit your clients. By consistently providing value, you can demonstrate your commitment to their success, which can foster a sense of trust and openness to the relationship.

Adapting strategically is key to developing and maintaining strong customer relationships. Companies that are willing to listen, personalize and innovate will not only survive but also thrive in today's dynamic business environment..

Regularly assess the effectiveness of your relationship-building efforts. Be willing to adapt your strategy based on feedback and the evolving needs of your clients. Just like trying out a new recipe, sometimes you need to tweak things to get the perfect dish. Keep track of what's working and what's not, and don't be afraid to adjust your approach. It's about being flexible and willing to learn from your experiences.

You should always be following up with clients and prospects after a show. Many times people are too distracted during an event to really listen. Doing a well thought out follow up email and nurture campaign is very important. I always include links to key articles, white papers or videos that might spark interest.

After the trade show, continue to follow up with your clients. Regular check-ins keep the conversation going and provide opportunities to address any new needs or concerns that may arise. Imagine meeting someone interesting at a party and then never talking to them again. That would be a missed opportunity, right? Following up is like keeping the conversation going. Schedule calls, ask for feedback, and show that you're genuinely interested in building a relationship.

Always follow up even if they are not interested. Allow some time to pass if need be. There is no such thing as a dead or not interested lead. You never know what can change over a period of time.

Trade shows are all about connections, and follow-ups keep the door wide open! We send personalized thank-you notes, reminding them of the awesome solutions we discussed. It's a gentle nudge that says, "Hey, we're still here to help!" without turning into a sales pitch. It's a balancing act, sure, but showing persistence with respect for their time keeps us top-of-mind for future business!

Why not start a collection of counter-arguments & how you replied & reacted to them? This is extremely valuable feedback for you & your portfolio and also a great basis for training for future trade shows & potential future employees

I sometimes tend to push customers to disqualify me at tradeshows when I do not feel interest. Sometimes gives them an opening to bluntly tell you that they are not interested for whatever reason...Then it's time to learn: Why? What's more important atm? Already working with someone? Change a "not interested lead" in a learning opportunity to better understand your customer base, your competitors, your market, etc.

Trade shows are masterclasses in client connection! We learn from every interaction, especially the hesitant ones. We dissect what clicked and what didn't, using those insights to refine our approach for the next show. Understanding why someone's hesitant is gold – it helps us create even better strategies to build strong relationships. Continuous learning is our secret key or idea that we go by; by adapting our tactics, we turn reluctant attendees into future success stories! That is maybe one key to success for Trade Shows I feel.

Consider the possibility that some conference attendees dread going to the trade show floor. Often, conference organizers put vendors in the basement, in another part of a building, or sometimes in an entirely different building than where the conference is happening. Occasionally, organizers integrate service providers into the same spaces as attendees, which is more effective, but not always. The solution? If allowed, partner with the conference as a sponsor or business partner instead. This allows one to create curated experiences for attendees, and may even allow you to attend sessions, and be seen as a peer and a thought partner, rather than as a typical vendor. It has worked for me.

If you have done all of the above; still it's not working then Search for newer clients Accept: some campaigns don't convert into sales. And move on to the next step Use the experience of this setback and modify your strategy and tactics accordingly One of my old boss used to say in Hindi Tu ya to jeetage & seekhega ya fir keval seekhega Fayda dono me hai

First, evaluate if you're in the right show, and if so, second, evaluate if you're speaking to the right potential client. Assuming both of these points are confirmed, the most critical part of your presentation is to ensure the materials and information you are presenting resonates with those attending the show and the particular potential client's needs.

I have learned that many products “Sell themselves” by being of great quality or are in great demand. When this is the case clients many times know they don’t have to build a “strong relationship” with the salesperson they just need to know they can depend on the salesperson to have said product delivered in the time of need. Honestly speaking it frees up your time to introduce your product to New clients and gives your original client with no need to chat, more time to accomplish the rest of their reason for attending the trade show not to mention maximising their time. Win win

Offering Incentives might also be something we can look up to Sometimes, a little nudge can go a long way. Consider offering a free consultation, a valuable white paper download, or a discount for signing up for your newsletter. This can incentivize them to take the next step without feeling pressured.