4 simple habits to drive more conversion at exhibitions

Rowan van der Veen
Jan 5, 2018 11:29:00 AM

In a world where communication between human beings has largely shifted from face-to-face to device-to-device, exhibitions are the perfect occasion to catch up with in real life with real people. Real people such as potential customers, suppliers and competitors. During such an event, you’d like to have as many valuable conversations possible, since these conversations largely determine the success of the exhibition.

But haven’t we forgotten how to connect in real life? How do you make each conversation count?

There are a few simple tricks which can help you to really connect with the person in front of you. They’re applicable for everyone and immediately add value to each conversation. Try them for yourself, and you will be amazed by the impact. 

 

1. Squeeze that hand

Handshakes are the non-verbal form of communication which determines the engagement of one person with another. Strong and firm handshakes tell you about a person’s personality, communication skills and business style. A great handshake can go a long way in earning respect from potential customers or business relations. It’s a great way to start a conversation at an exhibition and a way to unconsciously be remembered by the person you speak with. 

It might sound weird, but attempt to find out how your handshake comes across. What is it like? Strong or weak? Try to be aware of this whenever you give someone a handshake or ask your family or colleagues to provide you with feedback. 

 

2. Remember eye colors

Eye contact is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to make a person feel recognized, understood and validated. The simple act of holding someone’s gaze has the power to ignite or deepen a relationship. It has so many advantages. Yet very few people consciously make eye contact during conversations at trade shows. With this habit, your conversations will improve in quality:

Try to remember the color of someone’s eyes.

Think about it: do you remember someone’s eye color right after a conversation? Do you even remember the eye color of the colleague you just talked to? Probably not. Train yourself on a daily basis to remember eye colors during valuable and less valuable conversations. Make it a habit and upgrade your conversations at trade shows. 

 

3. Remember names

When you greet people, regardless if it’s the first or the tenth time, make it a point of saying their names in your initial greeting. For example, “Nice to meet you, Emma,” or “Marcel, good to see you again.” And then when the conversation concludes, use their name again. “Marcel, thanks for the nice conversation,” or “Emma, it was lovely getting to know you.” 

Remembering someone’s name is a difficult skill to master but if you make it part of your daily routine, you will stand out from the crowd in building business relationships.

 

4. Make one genuine compliment

‘That is one solid handshake’, ‘Nice shoes do you have’, ‘You look pretty confident’.

Compliments always bring a smile to our face and lift up our spirits, as long as they are genuine. We tend to forget how easy it is to forget what the meaning or power of a compliment really means to a person. And what it’s effect is in business. 

The reason compliments are such a good way to improve the quality of a conversation is because you immediately break through someone’s social wall. You get personal, which helps to get the conversation to another level. Another advantage is that you have to take someone in before you can make them a compliment. You pay attention to the person in front of you which allows you to gain a better understanding of the person in general. This contributes to optimizing the conversation and building a relationship.  

''The power of a compliment is not related to its size. The power of a compliment is only limited by its lack of use.'' Words to live by.

 

Having an exhibitions means building your network

Make yourself stand out of the dozens of other exhibitors who want to grab the attention of your target group by applying these four habits in each conversation you have. Make them your own and build a valuable, strong network to accelerate your trade show participations and grow your business. 

Check the exhibition stand we made for Cazander with plenty of space for real conversations with manufacturers and other visitors.

At KOPexpo we believe in real and personal conversations. Everything we do has a common objective: creating valuable meetings between people who are relevant to each other. It’s a mission we have, and we take this mission very seriously. Are you interested in the exhibition opportunity's for your company? Contact us for more information.

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Rowan van der Veen
By Rowan van der Veen Online marketeer

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