You pay the money. You travel to the conference or trade show. And then you wait like people outside of Best Buy on Thanksgiving night.

But not like that because they are surrounded by other people. You’re in your trade show booth.

Alone.

But why?

What went wrong? Why are the only people stopping by those who are asking for directions to the restroom or the food. They say things like, I don’t mean to bother you, but you don’t seem busy.

Why is this happening?

 

4 Reasons No One Stops at Your Trade Show Booth

It’s Unclear What You Do

People will walk by your booth in about 5 seconds. If they can’t tell what it is you do, they likely won’t stop and ask, unless they’re killing time. Make it easy on them and ensure your display stands and/or banners make it clear.

This saves you time too because it helps people self-qualify. People who need your services will stop by, others will keep going.

Your Booth Is Not Visually Appealing

If you went trick-or-treating as a child, or sold door-to-door for a fundraiser, you might have passed by certain houses because they didn’t look inviting. The same can be said of trade show booths. If your booth looks like something out of a 1980’s farm show and you sell technology, you can bet they’ll take a pass. Your booth must reflect your branding and your industry.

Your Salespeople Aren’t Approachable

Whether they look bored or look so hungry they’ll try to eat the first person who comes within a few feet, if they’re not approachable, your booth will be empty. Look for friendly, laid-back, fun people to man your booth.

If you brought ten people and you’re getting very little traffic, send a few away to walk the exhibit floor (in branded attire, of course). Walking up to a booth with too many salespeople just standing around can be intimidating. Your wandering sales people should keep an eye on the booth so they can return if things get busy.

There’s no Reason To

With no promotional product or demo, people won’t come to learn more about you. Give them a reason to come over with an awesome free giveaway. Then use that time to talk to them about their needs. You just gave them something. The Law of Reciprocity guarantees they’ll feel a little obligated and listen to you. But don’t hard sell anyone. That kills any obligation they may feel from your nice gift.

If you’ve fixed these issues and your traffic is still nonexistent, you’re either at the wrong show for your audience or you need to delve deeper.