"Business first" at a trade show: a cautionary tale

More than ten years ago, we were preparing for our largest trade show of the year. Our sales & marketing team had been absorbing solution-selling lessons all year, and we were determined to quickly weed out poor leads, only respond to RFP's where we had the inside track, and, certainly, not waste time with unqualified prospects at this trade show.

So we came up with a slogan: "Business First." Our booth was to be a showcase of our product and solution prowess, and only interested prospects, and decisionmakers at that, would be allowed past our gauntlet of booth staffers. No tire-kickers, no freebie-searchers. Certainly no competitors.

We got to the show terribly excited, and eager to lock down a set of leads that would ensure our sales success for the rest of the year. We set up the large booth and the demo systems, hung our posters, wore our business suits--not polo shirts and khakis. We looked great.

And no one came. Our booth featured a group of uncomfortable people milling around, wearing suits, saying nothing. Even the few prospects we managed to draw in were spooked by how quiet and downbeat it was. As I walked the floor, several people asked me if we were exhibiting at the show.

We never did that again.

The lessons we took away: always make the booth fun; have something to give away; encourage people (even non-prospects) to visit and spend time; and don't take it too seriously.

There are lots of how-to tipsheets on the internet about trade shows--this one was the best of the ones I surveyed.

(picture: my favorite booth giveaway ever--a CD/DVD opening tool)

marketing, sales, trade shows, business