t’s your firm’s expertise in a certain area, or a partner’s experience. It’s no longer because your company has a long history or is the newest dot.com.

TIP - It has to be a proactive, not a reactive, reason. “We’ve taken the position that e-learning is critical. We de

We all have something in our past we believe someone “sold” us. It might have been a lemon yellow car, a skimpy skirt or a purple tie. We bought it because -despite our gut feeling - we thought we were doing the right thing. We wanted to please the salesman - and we believed that person knew more than we did. Until we got home.

One of the two major complaints from trade show attendees is about the booth staff that has a heavy sales pitch. You know that pushy salesman stereotype.. (FYI - the second complaint is staff that doesn't know its stuff - i.e. is not knowledgeable about the company products and services..)

Trade shows have the disadvantage of compressed time. You might have 30 seconds or 30 minutes but it’s not a regular sales call. You can’t talk faster. Just listen closely to the attendees and try to persuade people that your firm can solve their problems.

Here are nine conversation points, and examples, to consider when speaking with people at trade shows.

1. Authority - Why are you important? What gives you the authority to ask for clients? Perhaps it’s your firm’s expertise in a certain area, or a partner’s experience. It’s no longer because your company has a long history or is the newest dot.com.

TIP - It has to be a proactive, not a reactive, reason. “We’ve taken the position that e-learning is critical. We dev

that person knew more than we did. Until we got home.

One of the two major complaints from trade show attendees is about the booth staff that has a heavy sales pitch. You know that pushy salesman stereotype.. (FYI - the second complaint is staff that doesn't know its stuff - i.e. is not knowledgeable about the company products and services..)

Trade shows have the disadvantage of compressed time. You might have 30 seconds or 30 minutes but it’s not a regular sales call. You can’t talk faster. Just listen closely to the attendees and try to persuade people that your firm can solve their problems.

Here are nine conversation points, and examples, to consider when speaking with people at trade shows.

1. Authority - Why are you important? What gives you the authority to ask for clients? Perhaps it’s your firm’s expertise in a certain area, or a partner’s experience. It’s no longer because your company has a long history or is the newest dot.com.

TIP - It has to be a proactive, not a reactive, reason. “We’ve taken the position that e-learning is critical. We de

stuff - i.e. is not knowledgeable about the company products and services..)

Trade shows have the disadvantage of compressed time. You might have 30 seconds or 30 minutes but it’s not a regular sales call. You can’t talk faster. Just listen closely to the attendees and try to persuade people that your firm can solve their problems.

Here are nine conversation points, and examples, to consider when speaking with people at trade shows.

1. Authority - Why are you important? What gives you the authority to ask for clients? Perhaps it’s your firm’s expertise in a certain area, or a partner’s experience. It’s no longer because your company has a long history or is the newest dot.com.

TIP - It has to be a proactive, not a reactive, reason. “We’ve taken the position that e-learning is critical. We de

try to persuade people that your firm can solve their problems.

Here are nine conversation points, and examples, to consider when speaking with people at trade shows.

1. Authority - Why are you important? What gives you the authority to ask for clients? Perhaps it’s your firm’s expertise in a certain area, or a partner’s experience. It’s no longer because your company has a long history or is the newest dot.com.

TIP - It has to be a proactive, not a reactive, reason. “We’ve taken the position that e-learning is critical. We de

t’s your firm’s expertise in a certain area, or a partner’s experience. It’s no longer because your company has a long history or is the newest dot.com.

TIP - It has to be a proactive, not a reactive, reason. “We’ve taken the position that e-learning is critical. We developed a great program in-house that improved our sales productivity 45%, and now we’re sharing it with others in our industry.”

2. Conformity - Are you certified? In every industry, some form of certification carries importance and gives you and your firm authority. Knowing that as a consulting firm, half your staff are CPAs, lets me know that you conform to accounting standards.

TIP - Don't just tell me why you are ISO9000 certified, tell me why it’s important to your company. “We were the first HVAC company in this area to be certified and it really helps us focus our goals to service clients like you.”

3. Commitment - Is your firm committed to your industry? Are you a leader or just in the middle of the pack?

TIP - Don’t say you’re committed to customer service, tell me how. “We found that 85% of our customer service calls come during regular business hours, but we never want you to have to wait for an answer, so our 800 number and online help desk are staffed 24/7.”

4. Consistency - Clients want to know you have a track record and that you’ll maint