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You’ve invested in the stand, printed the flyers, and polished your pop-up banner. You’re ready for the business show. But if your plan is to stand behind your table and wait for people to come to you, you’re not exhibiting—you’re just existing.
After 20 years of coaching and attending countless events, I’ve learned that the success of your stand has very little to do with the size of your banner. It has everything to do with the mindset of the person standing in front of it.
If you want to turn your next event into a powerful source of leads and clients, you need to make these four simple mindset shifts.
The Trap: When someone approaches your stand, your first instinct is to launch into your sales pitch, explaining what you do and why it’s great. This puts people on the defensive immediately.
The Shift: Stop Pitching and Start Asking. The most powerful tool on your stand isn’t your flyer; it’s a good question. I just wanted to let you know that your goal is not to talk, but to listen. Lead with simple, open questions like:
When you focus on their problems, you stop being a salesperson and become a valuable resource. This builds instant trust.
The Trap: Standing behind your table, waiting for people to make eye contact. You feel awkward, and so do the attendees walking past.
The Shift: Take one step in front of your table. This simple physical change moves you from being a static display to an active host. Smile at people in the aisle. Please don’t wait for them to come to you. Include an interactive element on your stand, such as a whiteboard that asks, “What’s your biggest challenge this week?” This gives you a reason to start a conversation.
The Trap: Believing that success is measured by the number of business cards in your pocket at the end of the day. This leads to dozens of low-quality, meaningless interactions.
The Shift: Your goal is not to collect 100 cards. Your goal is to make five high-quality connections. Focus on having genuine conversations with a smaller number of the right people. It’s far better to leave with five solid leads you’ve connected with than a stack of cards from people who won’t remember you tomorrow. This approach reduces the pressure and increases your results.
The Trap: Thinking the event is over the moment you pack up your stand. You get back to the office, get buried in emails, and the leads go cold.
The Shift: The follow-up is part of the event. Before attending the show, you should have your follow-up system ready. Know exactly which email sequence they will be added to, and have your CRM prepared to track the conversations. The real work of an event happens in the 48 hours after it ends.
Making these simple mindset shifts will transform your experience. You’ll move from feeling like you’re just “manning the stand” to feeling like you’re a confident, valuable expert who is there to help
About the Author: Geoff Nicholson is a Mindset and Performance Coach who helps UK business owners and professionals eliminate burnout and achieve their goals without sacrificing their personal lives. To help you manage the stress of a busy event day, you can arrange a Strategy and Clarity taster session at Hashtags Events or find out more at his highly sort after presentation “Are you failing because your plan is total b*llocks”
Geoff Nicholson: https://www.geoffnicholson.co.uk
