Tricks of the Trade

Show: A Complete
Guidebook to Rocking
the Exhibition Floor
Table of Contents

3 Guerrilla Content Marketing 11 Conversational Presenting

Sales and Content Marketing: Friends Why Your Pitch Deck is Failing You
With Lots of Benefits
How Conversational Presenting Wins
on the Trade Show Floor
7 Visual Storytelling
Going Live: Authentic Visual Storytelling 15 Closing the Deal
Simplicity How to Start the Dialogue That Closes
the Deal
Consistency
Composition
20 Conclusion
CHAPTER ONE

Guerrilla Content
Marketing
CHAPTER ONE: GUERRILLA CONTENT MARKETING
Trade show attendees are not oblivious about
why they’re there. They know they’re going
to be sold to, and can sniff out exhausted
pitches and decks from the other side of
the convention center. And, since they’ll be
looking at you as the tangible representation
of your entire company, everything they
perceive about you they will associate with
your brand.
With that in mind, smart sales folks know that
delivering the story of their product is not their only
job -- and that’s how the idea of guerilla content
marketing was born.
“...everything they perceive
about you they will associate
with your brand.”
PAGE 4 OF 21
Sales and Content Marketing: Friends
With Lots of Benefits
Companies that align their sales goals directly with
company-wide objectives generate about 208%
more revenue than those that don’t. But even so,
many companies see some noticeable distance
between these two teams, both when it comes
to independent objectives and how they can help
each other succeed. Realistically, neither can be
successful if the other isn’t, so that distance is more
than just inconvenient -- it’s dangerous.
Nowhere is this more apparent than between field
sales and content marketing. Each of these teams
is directly focused on customers: getting them
interested in a product, demonstrating how it can
help them, and keeping them invested in future
product iterations. The content that’s used to do
this is largely informed by real customer pain points,
questions, challenges, and other info -- which is
given to, and mostly communicated by, the sales
team. And, when pitching, assets created by the
content marketing team (like ebooks, demos,
and white papers) are the very tools used by
salespeople to turn prospects into loyal customers.
CHAPTER ONE: GUERRILLA CONTENT MARKETING PAGE 5 OF 21

Trade Show Presentations = Sharing dull stock images or text alone. Vibrant visuals can
Assets and Capturing Leads also capture a person’s attention before they even
see which company is behind them. So, if you were
Speaking of presentations: they are, in fact, an waiting for a reason to ditch the traditional slide
incredibly important piece of marketing content, deck, there you have it.
because pitching at a trade show can be one of two
very different things: a taxing obligation, or a rich
opportunity to become more adept at connecting
with your target audience. What it becomes for you
(and other internal stakeholders) depends almost
entirely on how you prepare your tools and present
your message.

The most effective way to take advantage of the

trade show is through conversational presenting and
visual storytelling. Here are a handful of things to
keep in mind as you develop your trade show pitch:

Visuals (and flexibility) matter. A lot.

You’re presenting to people; and people want to be

Standard, chronological slide decks are static
heard.
and not ideal for the demanding, loud, interactive
environment common to trade shows -- but visual
What better way to do that then to veer off the
storytelling is. Simple but relevant visuals are proven
beaten path, weave in a little extra content, and have
to be more persuasive and more memorable than
a legitimate conversation? In comes conversational
CHAPTER ONE: GUERRILLA CONTENT MARKETING PAGE 6 OF 21

presenting, a strategic presentation approach

designed to fully engage the audience with decks “...start a dialogue with your
that aren’t confined to a specific order. It gives
you the freedom to respond to diverse needs and
prospects, and readily respond
challenges, start a dialogue with your prospects, and to questions as they come up
readily respond to questions as they come up (rather
than when you get to the slide that has them). Plus,
(rather than when you get to the
you’ll be able introduce additional, related content -- slide that has them).”
like a case study from a similar customer, or a report
demonstrating statistics that matter.

It’s all about the lead (and establishing

relationships).

Today’s company doesn’t need to print hundreds

of colorful, high-quality copies of a case study
to (a) effectively use content at a trade show or
(b) turn their salespeople into powerful guerilla
content marketers. After all, physical assets cost a
lot of money. It’s hard to make them memorable
without compromising their value; it’s even harder
for trade show attendees to keep track of them (and
CHAPTER ONE: GUERRILLA CONTENT MARKETING
therefore, you). But the most damaging issue? No
lead capture. If you’re adamant about using physical
assets, do it; but don’t use them exclusively. Always
have digital versions on hand, and offer to send
them directly to the prospect’s inbox. This way, you
satisfy their interest while maintaining an open line
of communication.
The wonderful thing about trade shows is that it
gives salespeople and content marketers a chance
truly work together. Content that’s developed for
trade shows is laser-focused on supporting the
PAGE 7 OF 21
pitch; when a pitch has a backbone made of killer
content, the salesperson has the tools they need
to stay flexible, adaptable, and prove the value of
the product -- with diversified mediums and from
a variety of angles. Even better, the information
salespeople gather at trade shows can be used
to refine existing content and create new assets
(presentations included!) to fill the gaps, which of
course helps them, too.
This is true guerrilla content marketing: giving
people who are most often focused on profits
a cost-effective way to bring leads into the fold
with meaningful content. It’s allowing the people
who lead candid conversations with customers
and prospects to truly be a part of developing
innovative content to secure those targets and
reconnect with them. Finally, it’s a never ending
cycle -- but rather than being vicious, it’s very, very
valuable.
CHAPTER TWO

Visual
Storytelling
CHAPTER TWO: VISUAL STORYTELLING PAGE 9 OF 21

A convention center at trade show time is Going Live: Authentic Visual Storytelling
oddly similar to any county fair you’ll find
For starters, remember that it’s people, not
popping up during the summer months: it’s
companies, who are researching products and
loud, a little bit hectic, and filled with a whole
services at trade shows, so having the focus
mess of vendors using their best gimmicks
and flexibility to respond to individual needs is
to get your attention. If you happen to be
paramount. And you can’t do that with an over-
one of those vendors, you’re painfully aware
finessed, jam-packed set of chronological slides,
of how easy it is to blend into the noise, and
especially in an environment dominated by quick
you’re probably familiar with that rising sense
interactions.
of desperation that accompanies feeling
invisible.
There are a handful of necessary steps to take
before you even hit the booth. Perhaps the most
The solution is actually pretty simple: don’t be
obvious (but often overlooked) is to find out which
invisible. Choose the right visuals to tell your story
of your existing prospects is planning to be there.
and you will hook your trade show prospects before
Sometimes attendee lists are made available by
they’ve even heard a single word of your pitch.
the event organizer; still, that should never stop you
from reaching out beforehand and actually planning
interactions with potential customers -- instead of
falling into the death-trap of canned, over-rehearsed
“The solution is actually pretty presentations that happen when you slap together

simple: don’t be invisible. visuals that can mean anything to anyone.

Choose the right visuals to tell

your story”
CHAPTER TWO: VISUAL STORYTELLING PAGE 10 OF 21

The leg-up this will give you is huge. You’ll be able

to adapt your pitch and presentation so it feels
personal, authentic, and relevant to each prospect,
and they will love you for it.

As you develop your assets, remember the three

core values of authentic visual storytelling: simplicity,
consistency, and composition.

Simplicity
A straightforward concept, and the easiest of the core
values to mess up, simplicity is #1 on the list of things
you want your trade show presentation to exhibit. It all
comes down to focus; sure, your upcoming software
has 22 new, super amazing features, but if your
prospect won’t ever use 20 of them, why even bring
them up? Zero in on the things that you know matter
to your listener, and use clear visuals that support and
enhance those topics. For example, if your prospect
is the head of engineering, chances are they care
about how your software impacts learning curves
and productivity, not its shiny new design or ESN
component.
Consistency
You know how commercials for kids’ toys are basically
a composite flash-fest of colors and really excited
people? And how they make your brain hurt a little?
That’s because a bunch of different visuals in quick
succession is confusing, difficult to process, and
worst of all, disruptive to the overarching message. If
all you leave your prospect with is the knowledge that
you want them to buy your product, you’ve wasted
their time and yours, because that is an absolute
given from the start. Clean, consistent colors, fonts,
CHAPTER TWO: VISUAL STORYTELLING PAGE 11 OF 21

styles, and organization create a clear story arc that Trade shows are often a more challenging place
resonates. A dynamic but still uniform presentation to sell than the conference room, but they provide
also leaves room for conversation and questions, a uniquely personal environment for connecting
while allowing you to return to your message without with prospects and telling a story they’ll actually
skipping a beat (since you won’t be frantically remember. Don’t waste the opportunity by doing the
searching through a bunch of random noise). same old thing (or the same thing for everyone). Seize
it, be strategic, and get selling. The power of visual
storytelling is something your prospects -- and you
Composition
-- can see and believe.
Similar to consistency, composition is about clarity
and impact, but particularly in how you present
each segment of info to your listener. Hierarchy
matters, so use your visuals to convey the
importance of different data or features through
“...be strategic, and get selling.
size and other types of emphasis. Break the The power of visual storytelling
information down and order it on the frame in such
a way that it tells its own mini-visual story, complete
is something your prospects --
with beginning, middle, and end. This will make your and you -- can see and believe.”
presentation highly flexible, as you can arrange and
rearrange each individual piece according to your
audience without interrupting the flow of your pitch.
CHAPTER THREE

Conversational
Presenting
CHAPTER THREE: CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTING
Pitching a product at a trade show, despite
being a tried-and-true method used across
all industries, is nearly always exactly what
it sounds like: throwing your fastest, most
direct, most targeted, and most compact
chunk of information at someone, and really
hoping they catch it. However, that doesn’t
leave much room for a discussion, which
would give your prospect the opportunity to
share specific pain points with you and find
out how your product can uniquely shape
itself to them.
PAGE 13 OF 21
Which is exactly why conversational presenting
-- a method of selling that engages rather than
overwhelms -- is how today’s smartest salespeople
are captivating, and keeping, new customers again
and again.
Why Your Pitch Deck is Failing You
We’ve all been presented to, and we’ve all had
someone try to sell us on an idea. Most of the time,
there’s a noticeable formula being used: here’s what
I’m going to talk about, here’s why you should listen
to me talk about it, and here’s why you should agree
with me/ support my idea/ buy my product. At best,
the topic will be interesting enough to excuse the
very typical, very predictable arc of the message. At
a trade show, surrounded by distractions and noise
and free coffee? You’ve lost your audience before
you even get to the second slide.
But why? More than likely, it’s because you
memorized your message. Your questions were
rhetorical; a tool to get you to the next slide. Your
pitch was all-inclusive and specific to no one. In
short, you gave a broad, well-rehearsed lecture and
moved through your prospects like groceries on a
CHAPTER THREE: CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTING
conveyor belt. It’s an efficient approach, sure -- but
it’s also largely ineffective. A pitch like this, with a
linear storyline, stock visuals, and the obvious ring
of practiced speech, lacks meaning. It lacks value.
And when your prospects are both disinterested and
aware that the same exact message is being shared
with them and everyone around them, they’re going
to start questioning how valuable their business
really is to you.
How Conversational Presenting Wins
on the Trade Show Floor
All of those unfortunate byproducts of sticking to
standard presenting are, thankfully, avoidable with
conversational presenting, which turns your one-
man show into a two-way dialogue between you
and your audience. Because this method invites
collaboration, your listeners get to be an influential
part of the discussion and help direct how it unfolds.
Without the strict confines of sequential slides and a
set story, your pitch can stay responsive, active, and
multi-dimensional. You can make it more personal,
and therefore relevant, which will naturally lead to
deeper engagement and memorability.
A recent survey of professional presenters revealed
powerful, supporting evidence that approaching
presentations as two-way, flexible conversations
PAGE 14 OF 21
“Without the strict confines of
sequential slides and a set story,
your pitch can stay responsive,
active, and multi-dimensional.”
works. In fact, 69% of survey respondents said
that they found it more engaging than a linear
presentation; 68% believed it was more persuasive,
and an impressive 72% said that it was more
memorable than a traditional slide deck.
Here’s how you can turn your existing pitch into a
truly conversational presentation:
Brush off your on-the-spot critical thinking skills.
People can tell when you’re actually listening versus
when you’re simply waiting for your turn to talk.
Meaningful conversations involve listening well,
processing information quickly, and responding
thoughtfully. This is virtually the opposite of
memorization, and it requires you to be very present
(no pun intended).
CHAPTER THREE: CONVERSATIONAL PRESENTING
But the payoff is astounding -- you’ll make your
potential customer feel connected and heard,
reinforcing that you’re truly interested in helping
them achieve their goals.
Find out everything you can about your prospects.
Bulleted, linear lists of information are self-serving --
they’re about you and your product, rather than your
prospect and their needs. To keep them engaged
and curious about what they’d gain by partnering
with you, it’s important to know them, understand
their products, discover their challenges and pain
points, and learn how their company gets things
PAGE 15 OF 21
done. This takes the pressure off of them to explain
their business to you, allowing you to get to the
heart of how you can help.
Tie key concepts together -- together.
How your solutions and offerings connect to a
prospect’s challenges should be incredibly clear,
and that’s difficult to do with a linear deck. But
when you’re not confined to chronological slides,
you can visualize these connections, and see
new possibilities and solutions. By inviting your
prospect to participate in making and affirming
these connections, you’ll be able to have a valuable
dialogue about why your product is right for them.
Conversations -- and presentations -- that get
remembered happen when everyone involved stays
adaptable and engaged. Your pitch presentation
should facilitate that, not make it impossible. By
being flexible with your pitch, you’ll be able to have
a unique discussion about methods, questions,
values, culture, and concerns. Your prospects will
walk away feeling connected instead of confused,
and your conversation will stick with them long after
they leave the trade show floor.
CHAPTER FOUR

Closing the Deal

CHAPTER FOUR: CLOSING THE DEAL
When you’re the salesperson working the
company booth at a trade show, you’re
probably looking at the crowd a little bit
like a lion looks at a pack of zebras: hungrily,
and thinking strategically about which
ones to target first. And while you’re not
trying to gobble up your prospects in a
literal sense, you are there to hunt for new
opportunities and close open deals, which
can make that swarming mass of people
seem simultaneously daunting and ripe for
the picking.
We’ve talked a bit about how to use visual
storytelling and conversational presenting at
trade shows to draw new people in and pitch your
product in a memorable way. But how do you take
“One of the most common
flubs salespeople can make is
believing that the pitch is over
once the presentation ends.”
PAGE 17 OF 21
those people who have shown they’re interested
and have traveled further down the funnel, and
successfully convert them into clients?
Presentation, Visualization,
Conversation: Where the Magic
Happens
One of the most common flubs salespeople can
make is believing that the pitch is over once the
presentation ends. Sure, you know that you have
a relationship to maintain, more information to
share, and next steps to provide. But many sales
folks view that part of the interaction as a hand-
off; an approach that leaves the act of taking next
steps squarely on the shoulders of the prospect.
Theoretically, you’ll follow up later, and probably in
a very similar way to everyone else they meet on
the trade show floor. That’s not going to help you
solidify your value to them, or guarantee a sale.
By employing visual storytelling and conversational
presenting, you’ve already built a super solid
foundation on which to construct your prospect’s
CHAPTER FOUR: SHOW ME THE MONEY PAGE 18 OF 21

path to customer-hood. You’ve given them the

opportunity to convey specific pain points and
learn how your product can address their unique
challenges. You’ve also gone beyond catching
their attention, but that doesn’t mean you won’t
have to do further work to keep it. After you’ve
presented your pitch (with eye-catching images and
storytelling, of course), you still have to help your
prospects visualize their future with your product.
You still have to help them understand how it will
transform their business. And you still have to
present the evidence to back up your case. These
three elements -- presentation, visualization, and
conversation -- are the holy trinity of closing every
deal. But it’s here that a second, and potentially fatal, your original pitch to them, prospects will quickly
mistake is often made: relying on repetition. notice if additional communications with you are
stuck on replay. They’ll know you haven’t bothered
At this critical juncture, it’s your responsibility to to invest more of your time and energy into them
encourage people towards deeper phases of the -- and if that’s the case, why should they spend any
buyer’s journey, but you’re not going to be able to effort on you?
do that by simply regurgitating exactly what they’ve
already heard, and seen, in your initial meetings.
While new dialogues should be a continuation of
CHAPTER FOUR: SHOW ME THE MONEY PAGE 19 OF 21

How to Start the Dialogue That Closes that your job is not to push or pull a prospect into
the Deal buying, but to show them exactly what they stand
to gain from doing so. As you map out a flexible
Obviously, the outcome you want from interfacing
blueprint for future decks and dialogues, it’s wise to
with prospects at trade shows is not for them to
think about the following ground rules:
fall off your radar -- or worse, move forward with
a competitor. You’ve already put an enormous
Always keep your eyes and ears open.
amount of energy into crafting a customized pitch
presentation for them, but you need to design
Anyone who’s spent any time at all talking with other
your post-trade show interactions and decks with
people knows that the words we say aren’t the only
just as much care, if not more. The key is dialogue;
way we communicate. Body language, tone of voice,
collaborative conversation that’s deftly underscored
and even silences make up massive parts of our
by relevant, visual, story-based presentations. Giving
conversations. When you’re dealing with someone
your audience a chance to lead while you listen, is
who, essentially, you want something from -- like
an incredible way to demonstrate your worth (and
a potential customer -- these cues become
your product’s). As you move forward, remember
paramount to determining if you’re engaging them
successfully or losing their attention. So, keep your
eyes peeled wide for physical signs of disinterest
“Giving your audience a chance whenever possible, and take note of the way people

to lead while you listen, is an respond and react to you, your presentations, and
your questions. This simple act of focus will help
incredible way to demonstrate you determine how to keep the dialogue moving or

your worth” when it’s time to change course.

CHAPTER FOUR: SHOW ME THE MONEY PAGE 20 OF 21

Never stop learning.
All of the research you do to unearth leads amounts
to nothing if you stop researching once you’ve
made a connection with a decision-maker. No one
company or market is stagnant and unchanging;
smart salespeople know this, and make valiant
efforts to immerse themselves in the verticals they
deal with regularly. But following industry trends
and competitor releases is standard, and will only
take you so far. You should also always make an
effort to understand what the people you’re talking
to are facing as a result of shifts in their business or
market, so that the conversations you have can be
fresh, candid, and unique. Don’t forget that the worst
thing you can do is deliver canned communications
to various prospects -- all that does is prove that
they’re just a box you need to check off.
time, patience, or decorum these days to sit idly by
while someone who wants their money tells them
what’s wrong with them, what’s wrong with their
business, and how they have the magic beans to
fix it all. All of those things may be true, but they
likely know that; it’s why they’re talking to you in
the first place. Focus on keeping the dialogue open
and adaptable, and be sure your presentations
follow suit. It will help you develop a meaningful
relationship with your prospects that’s based on an
ever-evolving understanding of their specific needs
and challenges. No amount of money can buy that.

Dialogue over dictation.

This is by far the most important consideration

of the bunch, and can only be done effectively if
you’ve adopted the previous guidelines as gospel.
The days of dictation are long over; no one has the
Conclusion
What happens at trade shows doesn’t stay at trade
shows, so it’s important that your approach to
pitching presentations and converting prospects not
be compromised by an environment designed to
dazzle. By remaining consistently thoughtful, flexible,
and strategic in your approach -- and abandoning
sales schemes of old -- you’ll always be able to start
the dialogue that closes the deal.

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