A guide for newcomers to offline exhibitions: Scan 200+ accurate customer business cards in 3 days, with a full process breakdown!

As a newcomer in foreign trade, I went to the Canton Fair with 2,000 new product brochures and an empty suitcase. Three days later, the suitcase was filled with 237 business cards from targeted customers, and two trial orders were signed on the spot. Please keep this practical guide worth six figures!

1. 72 hours before the exhibition: Preparation for precise sniping

1. Customer profile locking

• Log in to the official website in advance to view the list of buyers (application permission required)

• Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to screen key people for target customers

• Create TOP50 customer profiles: CEO/Purchasing Director photo + company's main products + customs data

2. Weapon arsenal building

• Trifold product leaflet (in Chinese and English, with a comparison chart of popular product parameters on the front)

• Magnetic sample (nail size, printed with WhatsApp QR code)

• Smart business card box (with RFID chip, you can transfer information by touching your phone)

• Portable quotation sheet (tiered quotation for different purchase quantities, printed on waterproof cardboard)

3. Special training on speech skills

Design a 30-second golden script framework:

"Hi I'm [name] from [company]. We just helped [competitor] save 23% on shipping costs (use mobile phone as a demonstration video). Would you like to see the solution?"

2. 72 hours of exhibition: efficient harvesting battle map

▶ 8:00-9:30 AM: Golden sniping time

Be at the security checkpoint 1 hour in advance to identify the target customer's badge (observe the color classification of the buyer's hanging rope)

Use the "three-step interception method":

① Hand over the magnet sample: "This may solve your shipping damage problem"

② Flip the phone to display a 3-second product test video

③ Show the electronic business card with countdown: "VIP sample only for today"

▶ 10:00-12:00 Booth Attack and Defense Battle

Positioning triangle formation: 1 person guarding the entrance (take the example of iPad carousel with LED screen), 1 person in the core area (on-site product demonstration), 1 person mobile sniper (with folding stool to take the initiative to attack)

To set up the "bait trap":

① Scan the QR code to enter the lucky draw box (100% chance of winning, the prize is a USB flash drive containing a product manual)

② For example: Smart weighing scale (when you step on it, it will automatically print a receipt with a QR code)

▶ 13:00-15:00 Guerrilla harvesting time

• Carry mini sample packs to sweep around competitor booths

• Handing out mints in the restroom corridor (with WhatsApp quick add instructions printed on the packaging)

• Coffee bar "chance encounter" speech: "Do you like Double Espresso too? (raises the glass) Our new product is like espresso - small volume, big energy"

▶ 16:00-17:30 The decisive moment

• Turn on "clearance mode": "Last hour special engineer on-site customized solution"

• Use inventory management systems to create a sense of urgency: "There are only 87 units of the model you requested in transit"

• Prepare 20 "signing gift packages" (including samples + contract templates + logistics plans)

3. 24 hours after the exhibition: nuclear-level follow-up strategy

18:00 Sorting the spoils on site

Use the "four-color labeling method" to classify business cards:

🔴 Place an order on site (create a group immediately)

🟡 In-depth discussion (proposal will be sent within 48 hours)

🟢 Potential demand (7 days of cultivation)

⚪ Invalid customers (transferred to sales lead database)

21:00 First wave of memory bombing

• Send a customized email with a photo of your booth:

• Title: "Thanks for making Day1 special! [Photo of two people shaking hands at the exhibition site]"

• A 15-second short video is embedded in the main text (a clip of customers experiencing the product at the booth)

8:00 the next day Social media continues

• LinkedIn precision reach:

"John, for the packaging pain points you mentioned yesterday, our engineers have developed three solutions (PDF thumbnails attached)"

• WhatsApp Status Updates:

Upload the exhibition highlights video + text "The last box of samples reserved for VIP customers..."

4. Lessons from Blood and Tears: A Newbie's Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls

• Disable "May I help you?" (customers will reflexively say No)

• Don’t wear new leather shoes (20,000 steps a day will make you question your life)

• Prepare 100 paper clips (organizing business cards is more messy than you think)

• With foldable express box (customers may suddenly ask you to send samples)

• Set up a watermark camera on your phone (it’s hard to prevent peers from secretly photographing technical parameters)

Ultimate Tips: Exhibitions are essentially "fishing grounds for leads", and the real battle is 30 days after the exhibition. Using this method, I received 17 inquiries on the 4th day and got the first order on the 8th day. Remember: every rejected customer is a teacher who teaches you how to get the next customer.