A recent survey of trades show attendees found that the most dissatisfied attendees are the ones that bought something they didn't really want. They only bought something because they felt pressured into it. These attendees don't do business again with the companies that pressured them and their opinion on the pressuring company is lowered.

How does this happen? Are these attendees just pushovers? Or are trade show employees just getting too pushy? It seems to be the latter. Many trade show employees think that you have to get in people's faces to get their attention. But that's not true. You can be a good salesperson without resorting to aggressive, forceful selling behavior.

Bullying attendees into buying your product is not the way you want to do business. You'll eventually run out of consumers to bully because your reputation and brand image are so bad. Instead, try using a needs-focused approach to selling at trade shows. Engage attendees in conversation, and listen more than you talk.

It's not hard to do be a good listener and to create productive, lucrative sales conversations. In fact, you've known the key to a good sales conversation since you were in grade school! When you learned the keys to telling a good story, the 5 Ws and H: what, why, who, when, where and how, you learned how to create a successful sales conversation with each attendee.

What: Figure out what the attendee needs. Is the product perfect, but too expensive? Is the attendee looking to try a new product and doesn't know anything about the product? You need to know the attendee's needs before you can move on to other questions.

Why: Why would your product or service fit perfectly with the attendee's needs? Give concrete reasons. If the attendee needs a widget that is a size 5, but can't find it, do you have a size 5 widget? If so, that's the reason why the attendee should buy from you.

Who: If you know what other companies will be represented at the trade show, have your staff research them. (Or research them yourself and share the knowledge with your staff well ahead of time.) If your company worked with another company that's at the trade show, your employees should know that. It can be a good conversation starter and you can say how your company has changed.

When: You need to know where the prospect is in her sales cycle so that you can figure out how you can help. If the timing isn't correct right now, let her know how you can help her down the road, or how doing business with you know will save her time and/or money down the road in her cycle.

Where: Ask about where your prospect is located. Hopefully you have a store nearby, or you can travel to visit the prospect's business. Let the prospect know you are willing to travel to get their business (if you are in fact, willing).

How: Show how your product and company can benefit your prospect. Use poster printing with clear photos and minimal text to help illustrate your point.

Not only do you need to know what to say, but should know how to say it. Pay attention to your body language. Smile when approaching someone and nod when they're talking to show you're listening. Don't cross your arms or move your eyes across the crowd, looking for the next prospect. Keep your attention focused on the person you're talking to. Make the attendee feel special and that person will stick around to listen to what you have to say, and may even end up being your best customer!