SHARE-ME GUIDE

Questions to Ask Prospects at Trade Shows and How to Record Their Responses

Share-Me | Published October 30, 2026

When interviewing visitors at a trade show, you do not need to ask every question you have prepared. If you confirm what the visitor wants to know now, ask about their situation only to the extent they are willing to share, and agree on the next step, you can turn that conversation into a follow-up action.

This article organizes questions to use at your booth in the following order: "permission to speak," "branching based on their purpose," and "agreeing on the next step." All conversation examples are fictional and do not guarantee a sale or a business opportunity. The question cards and recording fields are a proposed workflow that you can customize to suit your company's products.

First, confirm they want an explanation and are willing to answer questions

Not everyone who stops by wants to discuss implementing your solution. Rather than immediately asking someone looking at your display from the aisle about their budget or job title, confirm what they want to see and how much time they have to talk.

• If they want an explanation: "Would you like a brief explanation of how this works?"
• If you want to ask questions: "I'd like to show you information that matches your interests. May I ask a few questions about what you're looking for?"
• If they are in a hurry: "Would you prefer a brief overview or for me to hand you some materials?"
• If they are just looking: Stop at "I understand. Please let me know if you have any questions."

If they decline, do not repeat the same question in a different way. Also separate handing over materials from exchanging contact information. The premise of this script is not to assume that someone who agrees to exchange business cards also wants a meeting or ongoing communication.

Three question branches based on their purpose for visiting

Start with "What information are you looking for today?" If their answer is vague, follow up with "Are you generally gathering information, or do you have specific points you'd like to compare?" Do not force a choice, and accept "other" or "I haven't decided yet."

Branch A: They want to gather information first

Fictional conversation example
Visitor: "I'm not looking to buy right away; I'm just seeing what's available."
Staff member: "Thank you. Would you like to start with how it works, how it can be used, or how pricing is determined?"
Visitor: "I'd like to know how it can be used."
Staff member: "Then I'll show you that. Is it correct to understand that you haven't decided on a specific timeframe for consideration yet?"

In this branch, do not repeatedly ask questions that pressure them to set a consideration date. Record "timing undecided" and choose materials to show them on the spot. If they do not want to be contacted, you can end the next action as "no further contact."

Branch B: They are comparing options

Fictional conversation example
Visitor: "I'm comparing a few options."
Staff member: "Are there any specific criteria you'd like to confirm while comparing?"
Visitor: "I'm wondering if it can be operated on-site."
Staff member: "Which operation would make it easier for you to decide?"

Rather than trying to elicit competitor names or internal company information, clarify the criteria they want to confirm. If they say "ease of use," ask only one follow-up question about who will use it, in what situation, and for what purpose. If a staff member cannot explain a feature, do not promise that it can do it on the spot; instead, list it as an item to confirm.

Branch C: They have a specific problem

Fictional conversation example
Visitor: "I couldn't find the information I needed when taking over the project."
Staff member: "If you don't mind sharing, what information were you looking for when you had that difficulty?"
Visitor: "What was discussed last time."
Staff member: "Is it correct to understand that you want to be able to check the contents of conversations with the next person in charge?"

Do not decide on a solution immediately. Instead, rephrase the situation where they have difficulty and confirm it. If you are unsure whether your product's features can address it, say, "I will check whether that workflow is possible." It is important not to assume that a visitor's statement indicates a high intent to purchase.

Ask only what is necessary about their challenge, timing, and stakeholders

Ask about their challenge in terms of the "situation" and the "desired state"

• "How are you currently handling this?"
• "Which task is particularly time-consuming?"
• "How would it help if that task changed?"

Even when asking about the number of cases or hours spent, if the visitor does not know, mark it as unconfirmed. Do not convert their answer of "a lot" into a number yourself. Do not ask for information that is not necessary for the conversation, such as customer names, personal contact information, or materials that cannot be shared outside the company.

Confirm their stage of consideration when asking about timing

Instead of asking "When will you implement it?" as if they have already decided, ask "Do you have a timeframe in mind for organizing the information, or do you plan to discuss it internally?" "Planning to discuss it next month" and "Planning to implement it next month" are different pieces of information. Do not suggest a date solely to fill in an undecided part.

Confirm who needs the explanation when asking about stakeholders

Rather than assuming their role by asking "Are you the decision-maker?", ask "Who would be best to review this with next?" Only discuss how to hand over the conversation if the visitor asks you to introduce them. There is no need to make another employee's name or personal contact information a required item on the spot.

Confirm the next action by repeating the purpose, method, and timing

"I'll get back to you" is vague about what will be sent and whether you are allowed to contact them. At the end of the conversation, choose one action the visitor requested.

• Requested materials: "May I send the operation guide you saw today to the email address on your business card?"
• Requested specification confirmation: "May I look into the points that need confirmation internally and contact you with the answers, including when I can get back to you?"
• Requested meeting: "May I suggest some possible dates?" Distinguish between discussing possible dates and confirming a date.
• Completed on the spot: "I understand that you only wanted information today and do not need any further contact."

When promising a deadline, confirm what your company can handle before providing one. Do not expand agreement to receive materials into a request for a sales call for a different product or regular email updates. If you need to draft a thank-you email, you can use How to Write a Thank-You Email After Exchanging Business Cards to draft a message focused only on the agreed-upon purpose.

Separate the results of your questions into "facts," "unknowns," and "agreements"

The following recording fields are for confirmation immediately after the interview. Rather than writing out a long transcript of the conversation, clarify what evidence the next person in charge should use to take action. Store the information using a method approved by your company, and limit the recipients to only the necessary staff members.

Contact ID / Staff member / Date and time:
Reference to a business card or contact information that identifies the visitor:
Purpose of visit: Information gathering / Comparison / Discussing a challenge / Other

【Facts stated by the visitor】
Situation where they have difficulty:
Criteria they want to confirm:
Statement about the consideration timeframe (separate from the implementation date):

【Unknown / Awaiting confirmation】
Items not yet asked about:
Specifications that need to be checked by us:
Staff member's assessment (separate from facts):

【Agreed next action】
Purpose:
Confirmed contact method and recipient:
Timing (if undecided, mark as such):
Our company's staff member:
No contact needed / Scope of requested contact:
What was repeated back to the visitor at the end:

Fictional example of how to fill it out: Facts: "Want to check the operation with the on-site staff next month." Unknowns: "Have not asked about the implementation date or budget." Agreement: "Email the operation guide. No meeting scheduled." This provides the next person in charge with the information they need to prevent them from proceeding on their own to schedule a sales meeting.

Eight Team's official article on creating approach lists also covers preparing recording items and classification rules before a trade show. This article focuses one step earlier on "what to ask and what to leave unconfirmed." For general tips on taking notes during a conversation, see the contact note template.

Practice narrowing down your questions before the event

Take turns playing the role of a visitor and practice with one of the following conditions: "in a hurry," "just gathering information," or "wanting to know specifications." Do not focus on the number of questions you ask, but rather on whether you adjusted your explanation based on the visitor's answer, avoided filling in unknowns with assumptions, and respected their intention to end the conversation.

Overall business card collection and follow-up procedures are covered separately in the practical guide to managing business cards and following up after a trade show. Keeping only the opening question, follow-up questions for each branch, and the final agreement confirmation on the question card used on the floor will make it easier to use.

With Share-Me, you can share profile information and save paper business cards

With Share-Me, you can add a website or social media profile to your profile and share it using NFC or a QR code. The official guide also explains how to use AI to digitize and save paper business cards you receive. This is an option for providing information related to their answers to your questions and confirming their contact information.

This does not mean that the interview details and agreement to be contacted are automatically recorded. The staff member should confirm and record what was discussed and what the next step is. See the Share-Me Features and How-to Guide.

Official information confirmed on October 30, 2026. The questions and recording fields are original workflow proposals, and the conversations are fictional examples.