Once you get someone to stop and talk to you, you will need to provide just enough information about your company to keep them interested. This means that less is more when it comes to keeping them interested. Most exhibitors are so excited about having a person in their booth that they drone on and on about what they have to offer. This can be boring for the attendee and time-consuming for the exhibitor.
To mitigate this problem I often staff trade show booths with ruthless Trade Show Samurais who know virtually nothing about the company they are representing. This may sound crazy, but if they don’t know anything they are forced to ask questions, listen and take notes. These are the skills of a good salesperson and they are a critical part of making the right impression.
There is a time and place for in-depth conversations and expert consultation. This is reserved for Trade Show Ninjas, however, not Trade Show Samurais. (More later on this)