Ask about their work, not about your product. "Can I tell you about what we do?" gets a polite no. "What brings you to the show?" works, because it is about them and it is easy to answer. Better still, ask about something they can see. Then stop talking: their answer tells you whether this is a buyer or a pen-taker.
The opener that works
Most booth openers are about the booth. "Can I tell you about what we do?" asks a stranger to give up their time before they know why they would. The polite answer is no, and they keep walking.
"What brings you to the show?" asks for nothing but an answer they already have. It is about them, it is easy, and almost nobody says no to it.
Questions that stop people
Even better than a general question is one about something they can see: the sample in your hand, the machine running behind you, the price list on the stand. It gives them a reason to slow down that is not a sales pitch.
Then listen, and keep what they said
If they are a fit, ask one more question: what would make this worth your time? That answer is the reason they stopped, and it is the one thing you cannot afford to lose by the end of the day.
In MeetDrop you snap their card and say that sentence into your phone. The follow-up names it, so the first email they get from you is about what they asked for, not a generic thank-you. How a capture works.
Unlimited leads free, no card. Keep the reason each person stopped, in their words.
Start freeLast reviewed 12 October 2026 by the MeetDrop team.