Imagine this: You have just had an engaging conversation with a visitor. You approached, gathered important information about the visitor’s business needs, felt some rapport, provided crucial information that he or she responded positively to, and received a commitment to a follow-up meeting. Sounds pretty good, right? But there is a challenge. The visitor doesn’t seem to want to leave.

Disengaging is neither rude nor impolite. Effective time management is your booth staff’s most valuable asset. Here are two disengaging techniques that will ensure your visitor leaves with a positive feeling about you and your company.

1. The Presumptive Disengagement

The presumptive technique simply presumes that the boother and visitor are in agreement, the business at hand has been concluded, and it’s time to move on.

Step 1: Refocus
The refocus stage is a subtle way of drawing the conversation to its conclusion. This is accomplished when the boother stops presenting and says, “I am pleased that we had a chance to take a look at your situation,” or “I’m glad that we had an opportunity to talk today.”

Step 2: The Set-up
In this step the boother takes full responsibility for the disengagement by saying, “I know you are anxious to see the rest of the show,” or “I’ve already taken up enough of your time.”

Step 3: The Proposition
Studies have shown that a visitor who leaves a booth with something tangible to show for the visit has a stronger feeling about that company or the visit than when leaving a booth empty-handed. Here is where you can use promotional items or a brochure. End the conversation by saying, “We have created this new promotional gift for some of our special booth visitors. You can see our web site has been engraved on the side, so if you want to learn more about what we do, please visit us on-line. Thank you for dropping by and enjoy the rest of the show.”

2. The Conciliatory Disengagement
Conversations that do not lead toward achieving show objectives need to be derailed quickly. These can include existing customers who want to chat but are not interested in purchasing additional products at this time, other exhibitors who try to monopolise your time; vendors selling products or services to exhibitors, or students who were invited to the show. The solution is the conciliatory approach.

Step 1: The Acknowledgement
If the visitor cannot help a boother achieve current show objectives, the boother should move to disengage by acknowledging the visitor as follows:
• For an established customer who is not buying anything more at this time: “Thanks for dropping by this afternoon. I am really pleased to know that we can count on your ongoing business.”
• To a fellow exhibitor: “Thanks for dropping by. It’s important that we stay in each other’s network. You never know when an opportunity may come up when we need to speak.”
• To a student: “I am glad that you have chosen our company as the focus of your research.”
• To a vendor: “There is always the possibility that your product is something we can use in the future.”

Step 2: The Invitation
Your staff never knows when opportunity will knock.
• To an existing customer: “I really need to hear your feedback. It helps me and my company grow and ensures that we meet your needs.”
• To an exhibitor: “I would like to find out more about your company and how it serves this industry.”
• To a student: “Both my company and I believe in ensuring the continuity of our industry.”
• To a vendor: “It might make sense for me to know a bit more about your product.”

Step 3: Reality Check
This step is a simple explanation that sets the record straight. In this case say: “We have a challenge. Show management tells me that during the next few hours we can expect over 1,500 people. All we can do here is start a conversation that will be filled with interruptions.”

Step 4: The Call to Action
The last step of this technique is to set up a plan for the future. It’s also a good way to test the visitor’s seriousness. Here are some offers that can be made:
• For the customer: “This show is over on Wednesday and I am planning to visit your city early next week. Why don’t we set up a time to get together and over coffee I can get all your feedback?”
• To the exhibitor: “My focus for this show is on the visitors and if someone drops by my booth, I will have to stop our conversation in mid-sentence to greet them. Why don’t we meet for a drink after the show closes?”
• To the student: “You have come at a busy time. After 5:00 P.M. things will quiet down significantly. Why not drop by then?”
• To the vendor: “I really can’t take time away from my focus. Why don’t you give me a call next week when we can spend a few uninterrupted minutes exploring the potential of your product?”

Disengaging doesn't come naturally; it requires practice. By not doing so when the time is right, your boothers will be underutilizing the show's possibilities.