The power of asking questions: 7 strategies to discovering what your prospects really need

Make no mistake -- you're in a rough spot.  Exhibitingis a competitive environment.  You're vying for attendee's attention,against companies that are larger, better-funded, with newer exhibits andcooler ideas than you've got.

What this means is that anything you can do to differentiateyourself from the crowd is a "Very Good Thing." Being differentgives you an edge over the masses.  On the other hand, being differentinvariably costs money.

Or maybe not. You can differentiate yourselfeffectively by embracing the power of questions.' Having a team that canask the right people, the right questions, at the right time, is the singlemost cost effective thing you can do to guarantee fantastic show results.

Very few people know how to ask effective, powerfulquestions, and quite frankly, those who do, tend not to wind up working theshow floor. Luckily, asking great questions is a skill that can be taughtto those who were not already having it.  If you're like me, and weren'tborn with that great skill, here are seven strategies your team can start usingtoday to make they better exhibitors:

Strategy #1: Listen

The best questions begin in silence.  Train your peopleto embrace the 80/20 rule -- they should be listening 80% of thetime. Listening is more than not talking.  It's an opportunity tofocus on the information the visitor is providing. The data they'resharing is invaluable and helps frame more appropriate questions throughout theconversation. For sales people in particular, listening is a realchallenge. Yet, if they conquer and embrace this skill, they could easilyboost their performance in flash!

Strategy #2: Determine Identities Quickly

One of the first questions your team should ask is somevariation of "Who are you and what do you do?"  Never, ever relyon badges. People can easily swap them. This is probably the mostcommonly used competitive intelligence gathering strategy.

You want to determine identity quickly for a number ofreasons, but the primary one is this: Knowing who you're talking to allows youto deliver information in the most appropriate fashion: a buyer for a powerfulchain is a very different attendee than an intern at a friendly competitor!

Strategy #3: Ask Open Ended Questions

The first question you ask a booth visitor should never beone that they can answer with a simple "Yes" or "No." This is an easy way to give them permission to end the conversationquickly.  Known as "closed questions, "Yes" or "No"answers, don't usually help you to understand your visitor's needs.  Thebetter alternative is to focus on questions that invite attendees to tell youmore about themselves, their challenges or their particular situations (theirstories).  These include questions such as:

• What are you doing about X?
• How do you handle X?
• When do you need X?

Strategy #4: Follow Up With a Relevant Question

When a visitor spends time telling you their story about aparticular situation or challenge, your very next question must relate to whatthey've just told you. This then demonstrates that you're actuallylistening, and care about what they have to say. Failing to do this islikely to damage, if not destroy any credibility you may have establishedthroughout the conversation so far.

Since this is such a common mistake exhibitors make, it'swell worth having your team practice this skill in pre-show role-playingexercises.  Have them work at this until it's automatic and starts tofeels completely natural to them.

Strategy #5: Compliment Them

If you find yourself with a visitor who's somewhat reluctant to talk about their situation, try complimenting them.  It's a subtle yet powerful way to stroke their ego. A simple "I'd really like to know what you think about X," or "What's your opinion on Y" will often get people talking, especially those individuals who love to show off their knowledge. I'm sure you know the type! Remember that everyone likes to be valued and recognized.

Be careful with this. You always want to appear genuine, without seeming to fawn over your visitors.

Strategy #6: Get Off Topic

Exhibiting is not just about making those immediate sales. There's far more that goes on with your booth visitor.  Building long-lasting, profitable relationships is key!  To do this effectively, you may need to take the conversation off-topic.'  Don't be afraid to use questions to do this. Ask questions that allow you to get to know the visitor better. This can be as simple as "Where are you from?" Look to visual cues -- clothing, jewelry, pin, etc. anything that allows you to go further conversationally and further reinforce the relationship.  It's only when you start asking

Strategy #7: Go After Low Lying Fruit

Visitors often indicate, often unconsciously, what they want to talk about.  If they mention a subject repeatedly, or devote considerable time in one particular area, that's a pretty good clue to let you know that this topic is important to them. Yet many times, either exhibitors don't hear what's being said, because they're tuned into their own mind or, they might shy away' from a topic because it's sensitive, or something they just don't know about.  They might avoid the latter not to show their ignorance.

Speaking from experience, that's not a good, solid plan of action.  What's it says to the visitor is that "you're just not interested" in them or their situation. It takes courage to grab the bull by the horns' and frame questions directly around that topic, inviting visitors to elaborate further.

For example, "You seem to have concerns about our widget's durability. Could you tell me what's troubling you?" Addressing these concerns head on is the best way to build a prospect's confidence in your products and services.

Asking questions is only half the battle. The other half of the equation concerns what you do with the answers they give you. If your team asks great questions, listens to the answers, and then responds with the standard boilerplate one-size-fits-all answer, you've accomplished nothing. 

Instead, answers must be customized on the spot responsive, not only, to the client's needs, but also to the tone and timing of the conversation. 

Brief your people on the need to take things further than just the familiar and often, boring, sales pitch.  Keeping the focus on relationship building and the lifetime value of the customer helps make this easier and takes a lot of pressure off of your team.  It's far easier to concentrate on having a meaningful, value-laden exchange if your team knows this isn't their only chance at bat.  With any luck, this is just the beginning.  They'll be asking your customers questions for years to come!

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