If you’re an introvert, manning a trade show booth may sound like a slow march into social exhaustion. But don’t worry—if you do end up mingling with attendees in the expo hall, you can survive (and maybe even enjoy) it with a few solid strategies, a dash of humor and a backup snack for good measure.
One of the most important strategies to arm yourself with: a “small talk” plan. When you’re working a trade show booth, making small talk is inevitable—but it doesn’t have to be painful, as long as you’re prepared.
Use these ideas the next time you get tapped to rep your brand on the trade show floor.
1. Lean on your booth (figuratively).
Good news: You don’t have to start every conversation with a dazzling personality or a flawless sales pitch, especially if you have a trade show display worth talking about. In fact, those things could come on too strong for casual conferencegoers. One idea for a conversation opener is to point to your booth like it’s your trusty sidekick and say:
-
- “Have you heard of us before?”
- “Did you stop by for the free swag? You need one of these <insert promo product>!”
- “What caught your eye?”
- “We’re solving [insert problem here]—is that something you’re dealing with? We have a demo, if you’d like to see how it works.”
This approach works because it shifts the focus off of you and onto something you’re comfortable talking about: your product, your service or that cool thing you’re giving away. As people walk the aisles of a trade show, they’re already scanning all the booths and displays—use your display (and your freebies) to open a conversation.
2. Rely on the Observation + Question Combo
Want to sound like a natural conversationalist? Use this magic formula: Observation + Question. It’s as easy as:
-
- “This place is huge. Have you made it past aisle three yet?”
- “Everyone seems to be sprinting for the coffee booth. Do you know if it’s any good?”
- “I’ve been seeing people carry some cool swag. What’s your favorite so far?”
This makes you sound human as opposed to robotic (or salesy) and gives people something relatable to respond to rather than a forced sales pitch to endure.
3. Ask open-ended questions.
Small talk isn’t about being the life of the party. It’s about getting the other person to talk so you can quietly sip your water and nod thoughtfully.
Try questions like:
-
-
- “What brings you to the trade show?”
- “What’s your biggest challenge right now in your work?”
- “What’s been the coolest thing you’ve seen here so far?”
- “Why did you/your company decide to attend this conference/trade show/etc.
- “Are you trying to solve a particular problem?”
-
Open-ended questions let them do the talking, which takes the initial pressure off you; just be sure to have a handful of questions up your sleeve to get the ball rolling. Listen and learn before launching into your elevator pitch so you can better tailor how you talk about your products and services to each individual.
4. Keep a few cheat phrases in your back pocket.
Think of these like conversational snacks—little bites you can toss out when your brain goes blank, and you can’t come up with something clever or engaging.
Try things like:
-
- “One of our customers saved [an impressive number] using this.”
- “Funny story—when we first launched, we had no idea people would use our product for [weird but true use case].”
- “You’ve gotta try the mini donuts by the food court. Life-changing.”
Come up with three or four bits of information you can share to either initiate a conversation, fill an awkward pause or just fall back on when you can’t think of anything else.
5. Connect with an audience of one.
Here’s an important thing to remember: You don’t have to entertain an audience. You just have to connect with the person in front of you. And if you are an introvert, this is your moment to shine! One-on-one conversations are your thing.
Be present. Be curious. And remember, you’re not trying to be a stand-up comic or entertainer, you’re a friendly face with valuable info (and hopefully some cool promo products to give away). People remember sincerity way more than a flashy performance. So, ditch the pressure to perform and engage one-on-one with the person in front of you.
Besides these small talk tips, Firespring can equip you with everything needed to stand out at the expo hall and spark meaningful conversations. Whether you need a new booth and display, eye-catching signage, branded promo products, event materials like brochures and business cards or branded apparel, reach out today and we’ll get the presses rolling.