Although our infographic could argue that looking the part is an investment worth making in the sales world, we’re here to tell you three secrets that have nothing to do with swagger and everything to do with closing deals. Here’s how to turn those tradeshow leads into closed deals and improve your sales metrics:

1. Grab people’s attention
Sitting at your booth waiting for people to approach you is like waiting for customers to walk into your newly opened storefront, without using any advertising to bring them in. Don’t wait for a customer to approach you, approach them.

Getting a person’s attention is as simple as starting a conversation. Ask them if they have ever heard of your company before, how the show has been, what company they work for and what they do. Get them talking about them.

Once the conversation has started, most people will ask about your company and what you offer. This will give you the opportunity to talk about your company and product with the bonus of already having established rapport.

2. Talk benefits
Too often I attend a show where the people at the booth just rattle off features. They do this hoping one of the features they mention will capture the interest of the customer and entice them to engage in conversation. When this fails, they start to show product and before long they are trying to show an entire demo. All of this is like throwing a pile of mud on a wall and seeing what sticks.

If you want an attendee to take next steps you need to lead with benefits that solve customer problems. Leading with these benefits may prompt the customer to ask how the benefit is achieved, which gives you your chance to engage at a high level. Use the opportunity to build on their interest and explain the value of engaging in next steps at a future date. You can then find out who else in the organization should be included in next steps so when next steps are taken, all the right people are involved.

3. Schedule appointments at the show
The worst part about a show is coming home with dozens of “hot” leads and then spending the next month just trying to get a hold of them. Once the show ends, attendees get inundated with calls and emails.

Set up a firm appointment with the customer before they leave your booth. This tactic gets you on his or her calendar before anyone else from the show does. As soon as the show ends each day, send out meeting invites to everyone with whom you scheduled appointments. You’ll still have top-of-mind awareness. Chances are they are using this time to catch up on emails/calls they missed throughout the day. You will be surprised how many people accept your invitation within hours of sending them out.

Customers see hundreds of vendors at a show. Don’t be just another company on the waiting list for budget. Get the opportunity moving forward before you leave the show.

Just as the metrics we choose to watch makes all the difference, so does the approach we use to bring people to the booth. I’d encourage you to try these 3 things at the next tradeshow and see how attention, benefits and appointments can improve your sales results.