How to Get More Leads at Home Shows and Events

A few simple steps to engage prospects and maximize results at home shows and events

Home shows and events offer a great opportunity to capture leads from a highly targeted audience. But, if not properly executed, they can be a waste of time and money. When approaching a home show or event, it’s important for your team to be as prepared as possible to make sure that the cost and time spent were worth it. The simple and tangible steps below should help your team make the most of your next trade show.

Display your product properly.

No matter what your product is, it’s imperative that it is displayed in a perfect state. For example, if you own a window company and you choose to have a display that showcases your windows instead of just a sign or backdrop, the presentation has to be impeccable. This touchpoint with your product is what attendees will remember so make sure you have the proper resources to pack, ship, put up, take down and store your display so it doesn’t show signs of wear over time and can be executed perfectly at every show.

Train your staff.

Don’t expect your staff members to be able to just show up and know exactly how to approach consumers to generate leads and set appointments. You need to have a process in place, with a set script, that every single staff member is trained prior to the show. All staff members should be delivering consistent messages to all attendees. By practicing in advance, your staff will be more comfortable with the material and more confident when communicating with prospects.

Lead by example.

Every booth at a home show or event needs to have a leader -- and that leader needs to lead by example by demonstrating how to approach attendees, generate leads and set appointments. And that leader must be following the script! When the day of the show comes and your display looks good and your staff is trained, the leader needs to have high energy, a positive attitude and do a great job of leading by example and setting lots of appointments. Having this type of leader in place will excite and motivate the staff to call upon their training and generate lots of leads and appointments.

The 10 Foot Rule

Every person working the booth should follow the “10-foot rule.” This means that team members should be greeting every person 10 feet before they get to your booth. Generally, team members don’t feel confident to be able to do this on their own, but when the leader goes out and talks to every person within ten feet, the staff will follow suit.

Go for Tomorrow

When you’ve engaged with a prospect and the conversation is going well, the natural next step is to set up an appointment for an in-home presentation. Many people make the mistake of not being assumptive about the day and time of appointment. We’ve found success with suggesting an appointment the very next day at a specific time. When appointments are set for tomorrow or two days out, appointment cancellations will be much lower resulting in more completed in-home presentations and therefore more sales.

Generating leads at home shows and events can be difficult, but with the right display, script, training, and leader, you can maximize your time and budget spent and generate cost-effective qualified leads.

Dave Azer is the Director of Dealer and Business Development at BathWraps, a leading manufacturer of bathroom remodeling solution products. For more insight into the bath industry or other bits of advice, visit our blog or contact us today!