Ask two or three questions that fit the conversation: what brought them, what they are trying to solve, how they handle it today, their timeline and who else is involved. Adjust the question to the buying stage, and leave scoring for later.
Qualifying at the booth should feel like a conversation, not a form. Pick the questions that matter most for this person and let the answers lead.
Universal questions
- What brought you to the event?
- What are you currently trying to solve?
- How are you handling that today?
- What would a better outcome look like?
- Are you researching options now or planning for later?
- Who else is involved in evaluating a solution?
- What timeline are you working with?
- Would a demo, a consultation, a proposal or a resource be most useful?
Reference
Questions by buying stage
| Buying stage | Useful question |
|---|---|
| Exploring | What prompted your interest? |
| Problem-aware | What is not working today? |
| Solution-aware | What approaches are you considering? |
| Active evaluation | What criteria will you use to choose a solution? |
| Near decision | Who needs to be involved before moving forward? |
| Existing customer | What would you like to improve or expand? |
Example: if you sell to event teams
A company that sells event technology might ask how many events the team runs each year, how it captures leads today, what happens to those leads afterwards, how quickly sales receives them and whether the biggest challenge is lead quality, meetings, follow-up or reporting. Adapt the pattern to your own product.
Checklist
Make questions quick to answer
- Prefer multiple choice and yes or no over free text
- Keep to two or three questions per visitor
- Put the most useful question first
- Use plain words the visitor would use themselves
- Add a hot-lead flag so strong prospects are never missed by standard questions
- Test the questions at one event and drop any that nobody uses
Reference
Example question sets (fictional)
| Company type | Example questions |
|---|---|
| A software company | What are you trying to improve, which tools do you use today and when would you decide |
| A manufacturer | Which products or lines interest you, what volume or project size and what is your timeline |
| A services firm | Which service are you exploring, who else is involved and what would success look like |
Frequently asked questions
What questions qualify a trade show lead?
Ask what brought them, what they are trying to solve, how they handle it today, their timeline and who else is involved. Match the question to their buying stage.
How do you qualify trade show leads at the booth?
Ask two or three relevant questions during the conversation, record the answers and a short note, and set a priority. Leave detailed scoring until after the event.
What should booth staff ask visitors?
Start with why they came and what they are trying to solve, then ask about timeline and who else is involved if the conversation supports it.