What are you looking forward to at GlassBuild in Dallas next week? What are some of the things that will grab your attention? Are you looking forward to connecting with customers, learning about new products or standing for long hours while working the booth?

For me, I’ll be amazed at how much money companies spend on booths and giveaways (swag), yet they fail to invest in what I think is the most important aspect: training and educating their people on how to work a booth!

If you go to GlassBuild, I have a job for you. If you plan to visit several booths, walk up to as many as you can, and while looking at what is in the booth, count how many times someone will ask you, “Do you have any questions?”

Yes, of course, I have questions. What gave it away? Was it the blank stare on my face? Since that’s the first thing you say to me, I will say, no, I have no questions. You haven’t established any grounds for an honest conversation. And I bet that almost everyone else will turn and move down the aisle to the next booth.

I’ve worked plenty of booths in my days, and I always say to one of my new fellow booth mates, count how many times you hear someone ask, “Can I answer any questions?” Or “Let me know if I can help you.”

So, how should you work your booth?

• You first need to be in the proper frame of mind, which means understanding you’re not selling; you’re there to do marketing and/or your company’s branding. People are not there to buy anything; they are there to help justify what they might buy in the future.
• Your first goal is to be someone your customer or anybody wants to do business with. You don’t walk into your customer’s office and say, do you have any questions? No, you need to establish a rapport and start a conversation, and the best way to do that is to talk about them. Most people love to talk about themselves or at least what’s going on with them. So, develop a question that starts a conversation.
• Start a conversation that’s not at all related to the business you’re in. If a person walks up to your booth with, let’s say, a Chicago Cubs baseball cap (I know, shameless plug), start a conversation about the Cubs. Believe me, doing that, you’ll win over a friend if you learn the art of starting a conversation that way. This will help to bring their guard down and allow an honest conversation.
• Iron your clothes before you enter the show floor! You may laugh, but I’ve seen this overlooked, and it turns people off. Every hotel has an iron and an ironing board. After you unpack, take the time to put a fresh press on both your shirt and pants. Make sure your shoes are polished, or at least try to keep them clean.
• Lastly, try to have fresh breath! Use mints, gum or anything else that will not offend you while talking to people.

Make no mistake about it—working a trade show is hard work. It can sometimes be taxing, so keep a positive frame of mind, enjoy the show and be realistic about what you’re trying to accomplish!

My two cents.