Be honest: when did you last walk up to someone at a trade fair or event and started talking to them?
For a lot of us, that feels strange now, which is not a coincidence.
Gartner predicted in 2020 that 80% of B2B sales interactions would move to digital channels by 2025, a forecast that has since been confirmed by McKinsey's 2024 B2B Pulse data.
Now Gartner says that by 2030, 75% of B2B Buyers will prefer Sales Experiences that prioritize Human Interaction Over AI!
Trade fair floors make this visible. Packed halls. People are standing at their booths. Waiting for the perfect moment to approach someone!
BUT that moment doesn't exist. You have to create it!
3 Best Practices from our MesseBoyz Christian Soller and Bjørn Andres
on how to actually approach people at trade fairs and events:
Tip #1
Approaching people is preparation, not improvisation.
Christian and Björn make this clear in their Messe Sales Mastery: Before you set foot on the floor, you know who you want to talk to and why. Go through the exhibitor list. Check the media data. Define what a good conversation looks like. Most reps show up and hope. The best ones show up ready.
Tip #2
Your elevator pitch is a door opener. Not a sales pitch.
The MesseBoyz have a simple principle: Couple your approach directly to the situation. A busy stand, a quiet moment, a passerby slowing down. Each one is different. The Fair Trade gives you the chance to deliver your pitch dozens of times in a single day and get real-time feedback. No Zoom call does that!
Tip #3
Networking is a skill, not a personality trait.
The first or last day of a fair is the best time to visit other exhibitors because you have less foot traffic and more openness.
PRO TIP:
Bring business cards or put your LinkedIn QR code on your lock screen. Then: introduce yourself briefly, ask how the fair is going, keep it light. Human before business. You don't need to announce yourself as a competitor or lead with your pitch.
Just be a person first. That's already rarer than you think.
The takeaway:
Personal connection isn't dead. It's just out of practice. Trade fairs are one of the few places left where it's completely normal to walk up to a stranger.
You have more questions about how to prep for Fair Trades or Events? We got you sorted!
Get in touch via info@salesindach.com and we'll make sure to arrange a rendez-vous with the MesseBoyz themselves!
Your Sales in DACH Team ✨
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