How you communicate at a trade show directly impacts the success you’ll have. You’re there to make connections and network with potential clients, customers, and collaborators, so making a great impression is of the utmost importance. There will be perhaps hundreds of brands doing the same thing at any given trade show, and it’s your communication that will really help you to stand out.

Selecting your exhibitors wisely is one of the single most important moves you can make to ensure you’re maximizing the impact of your trade show appearance. Your most successful exhibitors will be friendly, attentive, calm, and excited to communicate what your brand is all about. In fewer words, opt for your most natural communicators when selecting the perfect exhibitors to run your trade show booth.

Having conversation starters on the ready starts every conversation off on the right foot. Preparing your exhibitors with a list of openers or starters brings confidence into the experience from the very first meeting. Once the conversation has started, exhibitors should ask questions and listen attentively to answers. Not only will this make attendees interested in your brand feel heard, but it’ll also provide useful information your brand can use long after the trade show has wrapped up. If you’re looking to reach a particular audience, what they have to say always has a great deal of value.

The end of a conversation is just as important as a beginning. An abrupt conclusion or “wrapping up” of a conversation can make attendees feel pressured, which may turn them off to your brand altogether. Failure to follow up will make you forgettable. The focus should be on a happy medium. Exhibitors should give attendees enough time to think about your brand, ask questions, and naturally give signs that they’re wrapping up the conversation before any conclusion statements are made. After the trade show, follow-up with any potential connections should be made within the first 48-hours after the trade show has ended.

Knowing the power that communication holds, and how to use this power, can make or break any trade show appearance. To learn more about successful communication tips at trade shows, contact Lighthouse Exhibits.