Every Minute Matters:
Discerning Attendee Types
by Susan Friedmann - Published May 5, 2005


Set one foot on the trade show floor and instantly you're 
surrounded by people.  Tall ones, short ones, old ones, 
young ones.  C-level executives are rubbing shoulders with 
corporate nobodies.  Some rush from booth to booth in search 
of giveaways while others draw your sales staff into long, 
pointless conversations. 

The good news is that between 80-90 percent of the attendees 
are often there to purchase new goods and services.  The bad 
news is that other 10-20 percent can eat up lots of valuable 
floor time. How in the world do you identify who are 
valuable prospects and who are 'just looking' in this throng 
of people? 

I've identified twelve distinct types of trade show 
attendees.  Almost every person at the show will fall into 
one of these categories.  Teach your staff to recognize 
these types.  That way they can politely yet quickly handle 
the non-starters and spend their valuable floor time 
concentrating on the promising prospects.   

Keep them moving if.

They come for the demo - any demo, every demo.  Some people 
just love to watch a show, whether it's for the newest floor 
cleaning squeegee mop or a hydraulic drill press that can 
bore through four feet of concrete.  They seem to travel in 
flocks, congregating around one demonstration after another, 
with no intention of purchasing the products being shown.  
Asking a few open-ended questions will help your staff know 
who's at the show to do some shopping and who's simply 
looking to be entertained. 

They say "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme"  Any type of giveaway 
attracts these types.  Keychains, pens, can cozies, mouse 
pads, t-shirts - it doesn't matter.  If it's free, they want 
it.  They may even want more than one, to give to their 
family, friends, and colleagues.  You can often identify 
this type by their bulging tote bags and pockets full of 
unsharpened pencils.  Keen questioning will ascertain if 
this visitor has any potential. 

They're a Gambling Man.  Winning contests is a passion for 
some people - they have an almost biological compulsion to 
drop a business card into a fishbowl for any kind of 
drawing.  They don't even care what the prize is, as long as 
they might win.  Contests that require more than a business 
card to enter will help deter these types from finding their 
way onto your follow-up lists. 

They ask too many questions. Like it or not, trade shows are 
a prime opportunity for the competition to indulge in a 
little industrial espionage.  Snooping can and does occur.  
These would-be spies often give themselves away by knowing 
far too much about your industry or asking specific, precise 
questions.   Make sure that you do more questioning than 
talking to reduce the chances of giving away valuable 
information.   

They're snapping up every brochure in sight.  Everybody 
collects something, and believe it or not, some people just 
love to collect sales literature.  They'll take any piece of 
paper, no matter what it is.  Check to see if they're 
researching a particular market for a supervisor - if so, 
they may be an influencer worth pursuing. 

They don't want to talk to you.  Some attendees come to a 
show for a single purpose, and that's all they want to see, 
hear, and talk about.  These folks simply will not be 
interested in what your organization is offering.  Luckily, 
they're not shy about letting you know this.  They'll 
communicate via body language, by purposely avoiding eye 
contact with your booth staff, or chatting with a colleague 
when passing by your exhibit.  Waylaying these types will 
only upset them. 

They do want to talk to you - about who built your booth, 
where you got those great graphics, and how much you paid 
for your sweater.  These types are extremely curious and 
engaging, but unless they want to talk about your products 
and services, you'll want to keep them moving.  You don't 
have the time to waste on a discussion of booth 
construction. 

Take a little time with .

Salespeople. You'll find people at the shows who attend with 
one goal in mind: selling you their products or services.  
Publication advertising representatives are notorious for 
this.  Chances are they themselves aren't likely prospects, 
but you never know.  Additionally, they've talked to 
everyone on the floor that day - the insights and info they 
share might lead you to a more likely prospect.  If floor 
traffic is slow, it may be worth asking a few questions, if 
only to find out who they could refer you to. 

Nobodies  Just because you don't know who the attendees are 
doesn't mean their employers don't.  Often times larger 
firms send underlings in their organization to show to do 
specific research.  Never, ever underestimate these folks.  
They may be extremely strong influencers - and if they 
aren't now, they may be someday, and they'll remember if you 
treated them poorly.  They may also have some precious 
knowledge - the names and contact info of the decision 
makers in their firm.  Time spent with them could be 
invaluable. 

Happy, friendly people These types are usually extremely 
friendly.  They smile and their whole body language says, 
"Please, talk to me!  Please!  Me, Here!  I want to Talk to 
You!"  Questioning will determine whether or not they are 
prospects worth pursuing, and you're guaranteed a cheery bit 
of conversation. 

Job Seekers  The top companies in any industry, gathered all 
in one place - no wonder job seekers haunt trade shows.  
It's an excellent way to network and look for organizations 
who may have present or future job openings.  If you have a 
spare moment, take the time to talk with the job seeker.  
They may be just the person you need to help your company 
become even better. 

But save most of your time for.

Definite Prospects  Research has shown that the majority of 
trade show attendees are predisposed to purchase new 
products and services.   These are the people who can easily 
be transformed from casual browsers to definite prospects.  
Concentrate on them!   

If you've done a thorough job of pre-show marketing, you'll 
also have definite prospects and customers seeking you out 
at the show.  Don't drop the ball once they're at the booth 
- give them the attention they deserve.  Consider having a 
separate conference area within your exhibit to speak with 
definite prospects.  They appreciate the VIP treatment and 
you'll be able to have a meaningful conversation with them 
despite the hustle and bustle of a busy trade show. 

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake 
Placid, NY, author: "Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies," 
working with companies to improve their meeting and event 
success through coaching, consulting and training.  For a 
free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week, e-mail: 
susan@thetradeshowcoach.com ; website: 
http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com 

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