I was recently at a tradeshow for my other business venture (MARRY ME!). It was a learning experience as I had to answer the same question in a variety of forms: What do you do?
People would actually create a bubble away from the table until they decided whether they wanted to engage. Is this worth making a human connection? Need. Interest. Price. They all placed one or the other higher on their list for making a judgement.
I am an extrovert, so I reached out beyond the bubble. I am remembered for my humour and conversations. But could I have done more to take the engagement beyond the tradeshow?
Yes, and here are a few ways:
- Collecting email addresses. Or some way to get in touch after the fact. I assumed people would remember me and find my card later.
- Making conversation. Beyond what I did already. The ones that had an indepth conversation with me, contacted me. But that was a small percentage.
- Not downplaying your services. “You could go with me, if you want, and you’re running out of options…” I do that to make people feel comfortable, and it makes me easily forgotten later.
- Assume you know what you’re talking about. And that they do not. Take that last point and go to the next logical assumption, and it is that everyone else knows as much as you do. They don’t, so give information and answer questions they have not asked.
- Book now. Don’t allow your message to be drowned in everything else. My card was placed in a bag, along with a crap load of others. I needed to provide a way for them to connect immediately.
I did a lot of good, but a lot of room for improvement. So how do you engage people beyond the moment?
Oh yeah, and…
🙂
Lead Freely 