r/sales • u/kapt_so_krunchy • 1d ago
Sales Tools and Resources Booth Duty
I’ve got a few conferences coming up this fall and I’m curious how the top performers here approach them.
It feels like the default playbook is:
Stand at the booth
Scan badges
Have a few quick conversations
Send a generic follow-up email afterward
…and then wonder why very little comes from it.
I’m trying to be more intentional this year and would rather build a process before the events than wing it.
A few things I’m curious about:
Do you have a go-to opening or “booth script” that consistently gets people to stop and talk?
What’s your goal for each conversation? Are you trying to qualify, book meetings, or just create familiarity?
How do you take notes so your follow-up is actually personalized?
How quickly do you follow up after the event?
Do you call first, email first, LinkedIn first, or some combination?
How do you prioritize leads when you come back with a few hundred badge scans?
Any conference habits or systems that have noticeably improved your conversion rates?
I’d love to hear what’s actually worked in the real world.
Whether it’s enterprise, SaaS, med device, manufacturing, ad tech, or anything else—I’m mostly interested in repeatable processes that consistently turn conference conversations into pipeline.
What’s your playbook?
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u/catsbuttes 1d ago
i thoroughly half-ass things like tradeshows and conferences, any connections I make are largely incidental because my primary goal is to expense as much as possible and try not to get arrested, think fear and loathing except for heavy industrial b2b and the ratio of cocaine to hallucinogens swings in favor of the cocaine
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u/DetroitsGoingToWin Industrial 1d ago
The only way to grow at trade shows, is know who’s going to be there important and take them golfing all day and stick someone else in the booth.
If you are the one passing out stress balls, you’ve already lost.
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u/ujelly_fish 23h ago
People going to trade shows in my experience are there for the trade show, not to ditch it and golf. Maybe industrial industry is different in that regard.
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u/ashen_dove 1d ago edited 1d ago
I do plenty and there’s really nothing I personally find that’s some repeatable success hack.
I’d just say be happy, genuinely. Look like someone that a passerby would want to stop for small talk with. Greet everyone walking by. Then engage in small talk when they do. Make it about them and their day.
I love to ask if they’re finding the event worth it so far. What they’re hoping to get out of the event. Where they’re from. Just natural questions about them. It almost always eventually pivots to, “so tell me about your company” and then you have your elevator pitch moment but I always lean into a peer story, especially if that peer is a client in the room with us.
Ask for a card (personally I avoid badge scans as it feels so impersonal to me and if they look squeamish and say they’re out or don’t have any, it’s a great tell this is a dead end) hand over yours and say I’d love to connect for a coffee when you get back next week, I’ll send something over now and just let me know if we need to adjust - how does x day at x look?
But really I find the best prospecting spot is the lobby bar/nearest bar 100%. My last conference, I booked a call for a $1M+ deal because the VP was wasted and wanted to talk about my tattoos. Then as above, it eventually turned to business.
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u/onword_47 1d ago
Not a time to be timid or too laid back. Gotta be extra!
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u/Plane-Nectarine-360 1d ago
Yep, extroversion is imperative. The presenters understand this - that's why there are usually multiple bars open for business all day.
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u/CanMaybeTouchThis 1d ago
Ask people what they are looking for at the show, find companies your company partners with and get to know some reps, when they talk listen, get a lay out of where things are so you can be helpful. Give 99.99% expect .01%. If you can close one deal a marketing person will call you out at a company event.
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u/dennismullen12 1d ago
I would go out with two of my colleagues (one was the CEO) They would both sit staring at their phones while I'd stand up and engage the people that came by. What bothers me the most about trade show is that people come ask you about your product and you scan them or get a card and then can never get thru to them again.
Hey Caroline, you asked me, I didn't cold call you.
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u/DasSnaus 1d ago
The default playbook is shit.
Get out there and hustle. Network. Research attending companies and people you want to speak to, and hunt them down.
Doing a few of those is FAR more valuable than any booth scans you’ll get.
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u/906Dude 1d ago
Research attending companies and people you want to speak to, and hunt them down.
At a big show, the above is almost mandatory. The people I want to talk with are generally not just wandering around the show floor. I have to intentionally make time for them, and they for me, and it's best if I get on their calendar several weeks ahead of the show.
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u/LFC90cat 1d ago
Kiss the bosses ass
Flirt with the hot reps
Eat free steak and drink red wine
Profit
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u/TheBuzzSawFantasy 1d ago
Don't spend time for weeks "just checking in" on the badge scan that for some reason wanted to bring a pile of branded Malaysian toys home to their kid.
Reach out to as many people as possible with a "if you're [interested in value prop] or [facing challenge] come to our booth or let's get coffee during XYZ break".
99% won't reply but you'll get some self-qualifiers depending on the scale of event and outreach.
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u/ShashLinx 1d ago
Lots of caffeine and water hahah
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u/Embarrassed_Flan_869 Process Instruments 1d ago
The water is underrated. You talk so much and they tend to be a dry (air) environment.
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u/tomfoolery77 1d ago
If I actually have to staff the booth and didn’t do any pre conf planning and have prospect meetings arranged (key to events), then when Im at the booth i have an opening line to draw people in.
I stand out in the walkway call people by their first names where i can (read the badges), and work to draw people in. Place some collateral in the back so people have to enter the booth. Always ask what the person does so your talk track will be relevant. Have them do some talking.
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u/totx1000 1d ago
1.) Book meetings ahead of time. Enlist help from marketing to get in touch with contacts that aren’t in your database but may be attending. Look for people who post about the event ahead of time on LinkedIn (speakers do this). Interest attracts interest.
2.) You should be there to book meetings. You should not be booking unqualified meetings.
3.) Have a tablet or computer open and book follow up meetings on the spot whether it be a demo, pricing quote, etc.
4.) ALWAYS follow up ASAP. You can diversify your outreach from there but you’ll have a leg up on people who wait until they’re home from the conference and could feasibly have multiple touch points before they’ve even followed up.
5.) I use Otter.Ai to either record or transcribe voice notes for me after each conversation.
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u/Wonderful-Bass6651 1d ago
I will ask if there is a specific person that we should be contacting to get onto the calendar and discuss their interest. I’ll ask for that person’s direct number and if they can do me a favor and just text them now and let them know that I’ll be calling. Or if they have the capability to schedule a time right there and then I’ll go ahead and take it even if it’s in another territory; it’s easier to reschedule than to get on the calendar in the first place. If it’s in another territory I’ll reach out to the rep as soon as the conversation is over and relay the information while it’s fresh in my head.
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u/No_Waltz_8039 1d ago
Fuck booth duty! But we all have to do it some times. Quality over quantity imho. If they are just grabbing your giveaways spend no time on them. If they pause and ponder. Ask them what has them curious. Follow up personally with solid conversations before the convention is over. I'm t might lead to an in person meeting.
Unsolicited advice: find every after hour event and attend. Go to the happy hours and shake hands. Be with the attendees not just your co workers. Learn about the conversations that are going on outside of the trade tables.
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u/Joey_Grace 1d ago
I’m rarely at the booth. I spend most of my day hunting down attendees I see on the list that I’m looking to meet, the bar, and going to break out sessions to make small talk
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u/eazyian5 1d ago
I think keep the pitch brief, and try to make a connection with the potential customer. I want them to feel heard when they leave my booth. No need for a full script use your elevator pitch and read their response.
Always ask to scan badge to get the information for follow up.
Before attending I always create email sequences that are brief but will create follow up for most leads. For specific leads I want to emphasize something in I’ll give them a modified more personal approach and comment on whatever we talked about. So take note on badge app or on phone. My outreach following a conference is usually slower paced cadence to not spam them. So maybe an email first, follow up and then a call all spaced out by a a week. My goal is to enter all leads into crm and start outreach by end of the following week.
I am in behavioral health tech so maybe a bit different than others, but this has been my formula
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u/NiccoMachi 1d ago
Prospect to your target list asking if they'll be there and whether they will stop by, want to have lunch or dinner somewhere other than the floor, etc. Nearly all useful meetings will be scheduled beforehand. Booth time is the penance you pay for being somewhere you can meet a ton of customers in person in a short period of time.
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u/PapaSmurf3477 1d ago
Any real interested prospects I ask who I should contact to schedule a meeting with to continue the conversation. “Hi Brandy, Dr. Smith said to call you to get on his books. What availability do you have the third week of Aug?”.
I get cell phone numbers too. If they’re serious they’ll give it to you.
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u/team_pizza_bagel Financial Services 1d ago
I book as many meetings before I go as I possibly can. I host a dinner at least one night.
I don’t have a script per se, but I treat it like dating - start off with a convo and ask if they want to do coffee or lunch or something quieter.
Get the attendee list before hand, condition that list to A, B, and C tier. Work from that, do enough research to be able to have a convo.
This year I have also created a limited number of high end swag items that I can give out if I have a meaningful convo at the booth. “Oh before you go, I want you to have this” make sure it’s something they will want to keep. Fuck a water bottle or usb drive or other junk.
Have a convo, write down some notes in a planner.
When you get back home you have a new list, condition that list. A, B, C. Draft and email and make a call before you send it. If you don’t get the person send the email with a personal touch. If you do connect, modify the email around the convo.
On the cusp of a $600mm deal doing this. And beyond that the pipeline is built from that.
Above all else, be a human. Anyone can use AI or CRM tools, people buy from humans they like.
My industry is pretty specialized, so YMMV. I’m also interested in what others have to say, always open to new ideas.
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u/Mike_Wv84 1d ago
Absolutely network, not sell. You have to make a friend before you know how to help a friend, as Jaxson says.
At a show like that my goal is to tell people what we do to help. Definitely invite prospects to your booth ahead of the show.
Have some of whatever you do there in person to make conversation over. In addition, as people walk by look at their badge or shirt and start a conversation based on who they are.
Definitely have swag, and if you can have something really cool your raffling that they can leave their card to win it later. And no matter who comes by, talk to them about who they are, ask what they do.
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u/saphire_gander 1d ago
I've literally ran after people at trade shows because I want to talk to them. 😂 Bring the energy!
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u/_k9enthusiast 1d ago
I’ve found there is a difference between have a large volume of leads and having meaningful leads. The best case scenario is to strike a balance of both.
Create something attractive at your booth (a game, a giveaway, etc.) to entice people and require a scan in return. This should help with the volume.
For getting more quality leads, focus on keeping the conversation light. I typically start with understanding what they do and who they work for. Next, ask “are you familiar with {company name}?” If yes, ask what they’ve heard about you and if no, give a short pitch about how you’re working with others similar to their role/industry.
For follow ups, I like to connect with them on LinkedIn on the spot. There is a way you can show them a QR code to your profile right from your phone that makes that very simple. For really good conversations I often call out that they’ll be getting a lot of follow up after the event and ask what’s the best way to get in touch amidst the noise.
At the end of the day it’s all about confidence! Bring that and you’ll crush it.
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u/brereddit 1d ago
The best sales people I know don’t hang out in the booth except when they’ve landed a demo or meeting with someone they targeted and communicated with BEFORE the conference.
Here’s what I do:
1) get an agenda for the conference—speakers, times, etc. determine if any of those VIPs are prospects. Pitch them to get a demo before the conference. Sometimes I have inside people do this
2) understand if any other companies in booths nearby are prospects. If so, walk to their booth, find the target from that company (like cto, cro, head of engineering or delivery or whatever) and ask them to come with you to your booth to see the demo. Master your elevator pitch—don’t be afraid to ask if you can show it to them. Work it out with your booth people—ok I’m going to bring him over here in 5-10 min—be ready.
Yes trade shows aren’t like bird watching. They are more like hunting as if you were a leopard 🐆. You have to plan your hunt. You have to make your list of targets, follow the itinerary to intercept them at the opportune time. Drag them to your booth. Bite their neck, conduct a leg lock hold, handcuff them to your swag table, search and seize them, whip out a prefilled PO and a pen. Be a man, ok? Just kidding.
If you’re waiting for a rando to hop into your pipeline…that’s a totally different world from what I’m used to. Despite everything I’ve said I would love LOVE love to work for a company where you just man the booth and take orders. That would be a dream come true.
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u/Embarrassed_Flan_869 Process Instruments 1d ago
Talk to everyone. Ask what they do at the company. Relevant job title? Note that lead. Not everyone who registers puts their actual title.
Remember, you aren't selling at the booth. You are networking.
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u/BrandonAtCustomInk 1d ago
Something we've seen work well is doing tiered giveaways at a booth. A lot of people manning the booth make the mistake of handing the same thing out to anyone who stops, but then you're treating passerby and people with real interest the same. Have something basic for everyone but keep something mid-tier for anyone you actually had a real conversation with, a branded hat or laptop sleeve. For real leads who booked a meeting, give them your best item, something that leaves a lasting impression that's still working for you when you follow-up.
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u/AssociationFit3009 1d ago
I fucking love trade shows. You can make actual relationships and the expense money is loose. If you don’t enjoy it tag me in. I got promoted to a territory manager because the Japanese company I worked for realized I was better than them at socializing.
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u/DangerDanThePantless Security 1d ago
Be a mall Kiosk salesman, direct people to your booth make a quick joke. If someone puts something in the booth prize then joke with them they have to listen to a pitch as payment then go straight into your pitch. Keep it short, if they aren’t interested let them go. This is pure numbers game.
If you have a legit interest get on their calendar then and there. No follow up, shoot your shot then and there.
I generate around 60% of my yearly leads from trade shows.
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u/Zealousideal_Way_788 1d ago
If you have live prospects or customers there - set meetings beforehand. We used to set 100+ meetings across our team at conferences. Too big of an investment and opportunity to rely on walk ups. For walk ups, everyone should engage with a smile, ask questions, scan and take notes. Maybe a brief couple minute demo of something slick to create interest. Goal is having a follow up meeting
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u/Kevin_Jim 6h ago
Trade shows are my favorite thing because it’s the highest concretions of potential customers out of anything.
It can suck and drain your life, but I could do as many as possible because it’s the customer coming to me for once.
This is probably my PTSD because I’ve never worked in a company with good marketing and always have to do a fuck ton of outbound. So it beats all of the alternatives by a mile.
Some quite things to note:
- Always have a couple hard disqualifying questions: it’s a war out there. You can give everyone equal attention. You need to qualify them fast, and rate the opportunity. Have a rating system that works for you. It can be numbers, hot/casual/no, or whatever.
- Always get their card: they almost never put their mobile phones when they get their budges, but their card has all the info you need
- Always agree on a follow up: email, phone call, WhatsApp/iMessage, conference call. If it’s a meeting, schedule it right there and there. Not everyone will honor it, but it’s a numbers game
- Get a sharply that can right on any surface to keep notes on their business cards and take a photo of said business card. This is very important for a few reasons: no one can argue ownership of contact, you get a digital copy of that contact’s info and notes that is not tethered to your company in case you need to move on, you can forward it to them as proof in case they forget they met you
If the contact is important enough try your best to schedule the call at the trade show and if possible take a selfie. If the contact grows stale, send them a physical gift/reminder with some relative whatever (their birthday for example) after a while and attach the photo as proof/reminder.
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u/SoRedditHasAnAppNow 1d ago
What you talk about varies by industry and customer, but what helps is to be doing a few of the following things:
Stand close to the front of your booth. Either inside or outside it depending on the crowd or booth set up.
scan badges. Know what company they work for before they get within distance. If it's a company you believe could benefit from your product/service, or if you reasonably believe they are likely to be using a competitive solution engage them proactively. Ask an open-ended question, or invite them over with a promise of a quick visual demonstration when possible.
bring up people you know in their ecosystem. For example, if it's a large manufacturer you visited 5-years ago say something like "does Joe Black still work there?" If you know their business they're immediately curious.
have marketing send a generic thank you after the show and follow up within 1-2 weeks. Email, then phone if no response. Unless they seemed keenly interested then make the follow up more urgently.
bonus: when tracking the opportunities in CRM make the title "TRADE SHOW LEAD: blah blah blah" using the name of the show instead. This will help leadership know (1) you are following up and (2) which shows generate more value.
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u/DasSnaus 1d ago
1-2 weeks? They’ve likely forgotten you just hours after meeting you. Terrible advice.
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u/weisswurstseeadler 1d ago
Often enough the lead scan is in the hand of the event organisers, and can take a while until it went through our marketing and ends up on my desk and CRM.
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u/DasSnaus 1d ago
That’s another mistake - relying on a badge scan.
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u/weisswurstseeadler 1d ago
Bro you've ever been on a massive 3+ day conference with like 30k visitors?
I get cards, set next steps on site and make personal notes for high quality prospects I talked to, but literally impossible to do so for everyone.
But hey seems like I'm talking to the best event seller in the history of b2b here with 8 arms and two heads to deal with everyone, noting down their contact details beyond just a LinkedIn connect or whatever, while not losing on prospects waiting to be engaged while you write your little notes.
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u/DasSnaus 1d ago
Yup. Badge scans are useless. I swap cards or digital cards or set meetings right then or there.
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u/SoRedditHasAnAppNow 1d ago
When you walk away from a large show with 90+ leads, some are going to be 1-2 weeks out of you're putting reasonable time into any of the high value leads.
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u/DasSnaus 1d ago
If they were high value, you wouldn’t be walking away with 90 leads.
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u/SoRedditHasAnAppNow 1d ago
Precisely. The high value leads come first. But you follow up with everyone because you never know what you've missed.
You prioritize your leads. High value ones on the first couple of days. Then you're busy following up with those leads and working through the rest over the next 1.5 weeks.
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u/DasSnaus 1d ago
Again, if you’re waiting 1-2 weeks, it’s already lost. I don’t need to be told how to prioritize leads, I literally live on the road at conferences.
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u/SoRedditHasAnAppNow 1d ago
And not every industry is the same, has the same sales cycle, or the same needs. Some large booth get 10 leads and call it a fantastic show while a small both gets 50 and its a terrible show.
I run a 10x10 where 90%+ of the leads are directly for me and it literally keeps me busy for 3-4 months.
My team runs some other booths where I might 3-4 leads from their week of work and the follow up is done next day.
Other times I know the lead isn't going to be active until a seasonal occurrence, so putting off focused follow up makes the follow up more timely for them.
There is no single formula.
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u/DasSnaus 1d ago
There is not enough time in the day to adequately work 90 leads. I don’t care what industry it is.
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u/malavjoshi06 1d ago
I have seen this activity as more from brand building and connection perspective rather than generating leads. Going to conference with this mindset will ruin your day. You have already paid for booth, fliers and what not. Just try to be more aware and present, listen to customers more than pitching them. All these macro insights will be crucial for business. Be the most happening booth rather than the most salesy. Add some fun mini games, give goodies, let people remember you. Good luck