Guide · B2B audiences

How to reach professionals face to face: a B2B guide.

Professionals are busy, guarded and rarely in shopping mode, but they can be reached in person in the right place, at the right time, with something genuinely useful. Here is where to find them and how to make the conversation count.

7 min read7 steps6 checks

Exhibition staff on the Right Click stand at JTrade, Alexandra Palace, London

Define the roles and company types you want before choosing anywhere to go. The setting follows from who you need to meet.The one thing to remember

Start here

Where to meet professionals.

From who you need to meet to the lead your sales team can act on. Follow the line; tap any point to read it.

Exhibition stand team at The Organic Protein Company stand at ExCeL London

01Step 1 of 7

Stand conversation at the Sapphire stand at the Digital Accountancy Show, ExCeL London

Professionals aren't shoppers

Face to face B2B marketing works differently from consumer promotion.

A qualified conversation
A booked meeting
A trial account
A contact to follow up

Key pointDefine the roles and company types you want before choosing anywhere to go. The setting follows from who you need to meet.

02Step 2 of 7

Sampling team at a Mighty van on Shoreditch High Street, London

Choosing the setting

Professionals can be reached in four broad places, each suiting a different goal.

4broad places to reach professionals

03Step 3 of 7

Sampling staff handing out products to office workers in a workplace canteen

Offices and business parks

Workplace marketing puts a brand in front of people at a predictable time, with time to talk at lunch or a break.

Signing in
Security passes
Approved times and spaces
Insurance
Risk assessment

04Step 4 of 7

Exhibition staff handing material to a visitor at the Centurion stand in Manchester

Trade shows and exhibitions

Trade shows gather buyers who have set aside a day to look at suppliers, which makes them the most direct route to qualified B2B leads.

Your specialists
Experienced stand staff
A clear handover

05Step 5 of 7

Conference staff member with a tablet in the main session room at the Customer Engagement Summit

Conferences, sponsorship and hosted events

Conferences bring senior people together in a setting where they expect to learn and meet peers.

Sponsorship packages
Exhibition space
Sponsored sessions
Coffee or charging stations
Hosted dinners

06Step 6 of 7

Two event staff with samples outside the Hunter Gather pop-up café in London

What professionals will stop for

Professionals stop for things that save time, solve a problem or are relevant to their work. Good B2B event marketing ideas follow from that.

Saves time
Solves a problem
Relevant to their work

07Step 7 of 7

Two stand staff at the Clivet welcome desk at the Installer Show

Capturing leads properly

A contact collected in person is only valuable if the sales team can follow it up.

Role
Company size
The need
The timing

Checklist

Before you plan the activity.

Ready to plan.

Office workers with samples from an in-office product sampling day

The settings

Where to meet professionals.

Five settings for face to face B2B marketing, what each suits and what to plan for.

Setting	Suits	Plan for
Offices	Workplace products, services, benefits	Landlord or occupier agreement, site rules
Business parks	Several employers in one visit	Managing agent agreement, footfall times
Trade shows	Qualified leads, booked meetings	Pre-booked meetings, stand team, follow-up
Conferences	Senior audiences, credibility	Sponsorship plan, introductions
Working day routes	Awareness, simple offers	One-sentence offer, short attention

Common questions

Reaching professionals, answered.

Can we promote inside office buildings?

Only with permission from the landlord, managing agent or occupier. Many workplaces welcome well-organised activity, especially wellbeing days and staff engagement events that offer something useful to employees.

What is the best time to reach office workers?

Lunchtime and mid-afternoon breaks are often best. Avoid the first and last hour of the working day.

Are trade shows better than workplace activity for B2B?

They do different work. Trade shows reach buyers who are actively looking; workplace activity reaches a defined audience who may not be looking yet. Many campaigns use both.

How should we collect contact details?

With a short form and clear consent wording agreed before the day, plus three or four qualifying questions so every lead can be followed up.

Who should staff a B2B activation?

Often a mix: your own specialists for detailed conversations, and experienced staff to open conversations, run demonstrations and capture details so your team spends its time with qualified prospects.

Stand staff member on the Sapphire stand at the Digital Accountancy Show, ExCeL London

Teams for offices, shows and conferences.

EXECUTIONAL supplies brand ambassadors, demonstrators and hosts for corporate office promotions, business park activity and B2B events across the UK, briefed to hold a credible conversation with your audience.

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