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Trade Show Opening Lines

Just like an actor in a Broadway show your Trade Show Opening Lines should be rehearsed and ready to go.

Everyone staffing your booth should have one or two trade show opening lines that they have ready to use to engage a visitor to the booth. The best trade show opening lines are questions that start with who, what, where, when, why, and how. Asking questions that begin with these words will automatically lead to more detailed answers than you would get with questions that result in a Yes or No. “Hi John (yes you know his name… that’s what name badges are for) what brings you to the show?” “So what do you do at MW Widgets?” “Where is MW Widgets located?” Ideally the opening question should be something that gets them talking about themself, their company, their experience with your products, a problem they have, why they are at this show etc. The answers to these questions will also provide you with information that you can use to quickly qualify the prospect and determine if they might be a sales opportunity.

Just like an actor performing in a Broadway show you need to have an opening line, you need to rehearse your trade show opening lines and use them every time. You will use your trade show opening lines so many times that you will get tired of hearing them but remember every person you meet is hearing it for the very first time so just like a good actor keep it fresh and stay excited. Engage the prospect, get the lead then move on to the next one… there is no time to waste.

Avoid falling into the habit of small talk asking, ‘How are you?’ ‘Can I help you?’ and, Are you enjoying the show?’ Attendees would not be approaching your booth if you
could not help them, and they probably wouldn’t be there if they were not enjoying the show. By engaging the prospect with the a good opening question you will save time, have more conversations, gather more information and as a result generate a high quantity and quality of great sales leads.

For more Ideas on how to work in in a trade show booth you can see our FREE Video and download our FREE eBook.

Paul Gertner is nationally recognized speaker and corporate magician, whose honors include multiple Tonight Show appearances, performing at a presidential inauguration, and winning three international competitions. He can be hired as a trade show magician or keynote presenter. For more information, visit gertner.com.

Posted in Trade Show Booth Ideas on December 9, 2014 by Paul Gertner.