Catch 22: Trade Show Edition

First thing I want to say: These two guys were fantastic! We were booth neighbors at a recent conference, and we had a couple days to get to know each other.

They help their clients out big time & they're also top notch in a social dynamic too.

So I don't want you thinking that I'm ragging on them, specifically.

I'm not.

It's that this particular moment in time that I captured with the photo is an illustration of something that I see all the time at trade shows across the country regardless of industry or speciality.

This is it.

The show can be lightly attended, so there's plenty of down time without a steady flow of attendees walking by.

The temptation here (as you can see) is to check your email, post on LinkedIn, catch up on your Twitter, or text your friends to see how they're doing.

Before you know it, a half hour has gone by as have several attendees who might have talked with you if you weren't head down in your phone, ignoring the world around you.

Since you never see those people walk by, you think (incorrectly) that the show is deader than dead, and you double down on your phone time.

This causes you to miss even more opportunities to connect with the few people who walk by your booth in the afternoon.

Now it's the end of the day and you think "What a waste of time! Nobody stopped by!"

Brutal.

This is why I might check my messages to make sure everything is ok at home when nobody is in the aisle, but I have a firm "No email, no Twitter, no videos, no nothing" policy for myself when I'm in the booth for a client.

It's my job to stay present and keep a look out for anyone and everyone who is walking by.

I say hello & try to draw in everyone that I can starting in the morning all the way through to the last 5 minutes of the day.

I don't even sit down. I stand at the edge of the booth the whole day.

It's easier to keep the momentum going and not lose steam if I "take 5" in the afternoon.

The result? My clients have a completely different experience than the guys next to us. My clients get WAY more leads than anyone else in the show.

In fact, at this show there was a guy across the aisle who worked on his laptop all day every day. He actively ignored everyone who walked by. I think I saw fewer than 5 people break through his defenses and talk with him despite his best efforts to look busy.

I have no clue why he was at the show. ˉ\_(ツ)_/ˉ

The lesson is this: Don't create a self fulfilling prophecy of "nobody to talk with" and get sucked into "being more productive with emails." You'll wind up ignoring the few people who could completely change the trajectory of your business, if you were only present enough to see it.

Do you exhibit at more than one or two shows a year? Then we should talk! I'd love to walk you through my proven system that helps you before, during, and after every conference to get more business from your exhibit. Staying vigilant is just one element of the whole approach. Feel free to send me a message here on LinkedIn; I'm usually here every day (or night after a long day on the trade show floor).

?? Jonathan Pritchard is a mentalist-turned-consultant & the founder of ZAVANT enterprises , Academy of Applied Mentalism , & ROI Trade Shows .

Each project helps clients have more successful businesses through the power of better communication skills. He’s also the author of several books focused on the power of applied psychology, memory, and motivation.

Connect with him on Twitter and YouTube for more behind-the-scenes stories from the road & boardrooms across the world.