We discussed vendor events and trade show training before. Are you going to two per month? It is one of the best lead generation systems you will ever find.

One per month as a vendor and one per month as a guest.

network at vendor events

Qualify Your Vendor Event Leads

These tips will allow you to bring home better quality leads from every vendor event that you rent a booth at:

  • Put your table toward the front of the booth. About 3 feet back from the “line” that divides your booth and the aisle.
  • Stand in front of your table and catch the eye of each guest as she or he approaches.
  • As soon as they are within talking distance, ask an engaging question so that they have to pause: “Have you ever heard of [MyfantasticCompany]?”
  • If they pause, then have a conversation. If they look the other way, then let them go.
  • During conversation, take notes, and invite them to fill in your prize drawing slip.
  • When they leave, take more notes and put the slip in your pocket.

Tips For Better Vendor Events

Don’t put the prized drawing bin where they can enter without talking to you.

Your goal is to find qualified leads not to give away food or free gifts, so make sure that in order to enter the drawing they must talk to you.

I recommend that you use old catalogs and brochures. You can even gather them from other reps and change the name printed on them so you always have a good supply.

A catalog or mini-flier is much better than a business card! Business cards go in the trash but catalogs take on a life of their own and circulate for years.

Save your new catalogs to be personally handed to only “worthy” leads.

Make sure that everything that you hand out has YOUR name PERMANENTLY affixed to it. Not stapled, or paper clipped!!

Your goal is to get a piece of literature with your name on it into each person’s hands and have a conversation with them as they fill out the prize drawing slip so that you can qualify them and make follow up more effective.

The most important part of going to any type of vendor event, trade show or fair is that you MUST do your follow-up calls within 48 hours! If you do not…. well, you wasted your time and money!!

Get The Vendor Event Training Video Series

Deb Bixler is the top trade show trainers in the direct sales industry. Her trade show training video series found at the Cash Flow Show is a step by step system that guarantees results at every event.