Our booth at DevOps Summit opened at 9am. By 9:45am, one of our sales reps texted me: "What exactly should I be saying to people?"
Another rep at 10:30am: "Someone asked how we compare to [Competitor]. What do I say?"
Another at 11:15am: "I think I just talked to someone important but I'm not sure. How do I know who to spend time with?"
By the end of day one, our three reps looked exhausted and defeated. They'd talked to hundreds of people. They had no idea which conversations mattered.
End of the three-day event: 18 qualified leads. Cost per lead: $3,000. Reps said they'd never felt less prepared for anything.
I'd spent $55K on the booth, sponsorship, and travel. I'd spent $0 on preparing the team to actually work the booth effectively.
That's when I learned: The booth is just infrastructure. The ROI comes from how well your team executes. And execution requires enablement.
Three months later, same event. I built a complete event sales enablement kit. Same team. Same booth. Different outcome: 67 qualified conversations. Cost per lead: $820. Reps said it was the best-prepared they'd ever felt.
Here's what was in that kit.
Why Events Fail Without Sales Enablement
Most companies think event success is about booth location, swag quality, and sponsorship tier.
Those things matter 10%. Sales team preparedness matters 90%.
What happens without enablement:
Reps don't know:
- What messaging to use
- How to qualify quickly
- Which competitors they'll encounter and how to position against them
- What questions prospects will ask
- Who to spend time with vs. who to politely move along
- How to demonstrate value in 3 minutes
- What the follow-up process is
Result: They wing it. Some reps are naturally good at winging it. Most aren't.
What happens with enablement:
Reps know exactly:
- What to say when someone approaches
- The 3-question qualification framework
- The 5-minute demo script
- How to handle the top 5 objections
- Who to prioritize (Director+ at companies with >100 employees)
- Where to log leads and what happens next
Result: Consistent execution across all reps. More qualified conversations. Better follow-up.
The 7 Components of an Event Sales Enablement Kit
After running 20+ events, these are the components that actually matter:
Component 1: The Pre-Event Brief (30-minute read)
This document answers: Who's attending, what we're saying, what success looks like.
What's in it:
Event overview:
- Conference name, dates, location, booth number
- Expected attendance, our target audience
- Key competitors who'll be there
- Event theme and our angle
Our messaging for this event:
- One-sentence hook ("Analytics without SQL—see results in 60 seconds")
- The 3 key value props
- What we're NOT saying (messaging to avoid)
Success metrics:
- Goal: 60-80 booth conversations
- Goal: 20-25 qualified leads (Director+, right ICP)
- Goal: 10-15 demo requests
Booth staffing schedule:
- Who's working when
- Break schedule
- Where team is staying/how to reach each other
I send this one week before the event. Required reading.
Component 2: The Qualification Framework (Laminated card reps keep in pocket)
Most reps try to talk to everyone equally. That's how you waste time on tire-kickers while real prospects walk past.
The 3-question qualification framework:
Question 1: "What brings you to the show?" or "What are you hoping to see today?"
Green flag answers: "We're evaluating [category]" / "Looking for solutions to [problem we solve]" Red flag answers: "Just browsing" / "Collecting swag" / "Required to be here"
Question 2: "What are you currently using for [our category]?"
Green flag answers: Names a competitor or "We're doing it manually" Red flag answers: "Nothing" / "I don't know" / "Not my area"
Question 3: "What's your role?" or "What team are you on?"
Green flag answers: Director+ title, or role that maps to our ICP Red flag answers: Junior title, or role that doesn't map to ICP
The scoring:
3 green flags = A lead: Spend 15-20 minutes. Deep demo. Book follow-up call.
2 green flags = B lead: Spend 7-10 minutes. Quick demo. Get contact info for nurture.
0-1 green flags = C lead: Spend 2-3 minutes. Give them a resource, politely move on.
This framework prevents reps from spending 20 minutes with college students collecting swag while VPs walk past.
I print this on a laminated card that fits in a pocket. Reps reference it constantly on day one, then internalize it by day two.
Component 3: The Booth Conversation Scripts (5 scripts, 1 page each)
Even experienced reps freeze when someone approaches the booth. Scripts give them confidence.
Script 1: The Opening (when someone approaches)
Bad: "Hi! Can I show you our product?"
Good: "Hey! What brings you to [Conference]?"
[Listen to their answer]
"Got it. We help [companies like theirs] with [problem]. Curious if that's something you're dealing with?"
Script 2: The Quick Qualification (determining A/B/C)
"What are you currently using for [category]?"
[Listen]
"What's your role at [Company]?"
[Listen]
"Makes sense. Want to see how we stack up against [their current solution]? Takes about 5 minutes."
Script 3: The 5-Minute Demo
"Let me show you the three things that make us different..."
Point 1: [Key differentiator] - Show, don't tell. 90 seconds. Point 2: [Key differentiator] - Show, don't tell. 90 seconds. Point 3: [Key differentiator] - Show, don't tell. 90 seconds.
"Based on what you mentioned about [their challenge], [Feature X] would probably be most relevant to you. Want to see a deeper demo? I can book you 30 minutes with our team next week."
Script 4: The Objection Handling
Objection: "We're already using [Competitor]."
Response: "Great! A lot of our customers switched from [Competitor]. The main reasons they cited were [A, B, C]. Curious which of those resonate with your experience?"
Objection: "This seems expensive."
Response: "Fair question. Most customers find we pay for ourselves within 90 days through [specific ROI metric]. Want to see the ROI calculator we use with similar companies?"
Objection: "We're not ready to buy yet."
Response: "No problem. Most people aren't ready to buy at a conference. Can I send you [specific resource] that walks through [their challenge]? We can circle back in a few months when timing's better."
Script 5: The Close/Next Steps
"Sounds like there's a fit here. What makes sense as next step?"
[Listen]
"Perfect. I'll book you 30 minutes with [Name] for next week. What day works better, Tuesday or Thursday?"
[Book it right there, don't wait]
"You'll get a calendar invite within the hour. Looking forward to digging deeper."
These scripts aren't meant to be read word-for-word. They're frameworks that give reps confidence and consistency.
Component 4: The Competitive Battle Cards (3 pages max per competitor)
We'll encounter 3-4 competitors at every event. Reps need to know how to position against them.
Format for each competitor:
Page 1: Overview
- Who they are, their sweet spot
- Their typical buyer profile
- Price comparison
- Key strengths (be honest)
Page 2: Where we win
- The 3 areas we're clearly better
- Proof points (customer quotes, metrics)
- Demo moments that highlight our advantage
Page 3: Common objections and responses
- "But [Competitor] has [feature]..."
- "But [Competitor] is cheaper..."
- "But [Competitor] is more established..."
Reps review these the night before and morning of the event.
Component 5: The Demo Script and Backup Plan
Nothing kills momentum like a demo that doesn't work.
The demo setup:
Primary demo: Live product with clean demo data, rehearsed flow
Backup demo: Recorded demo on laptop (in case wifi fails)
Emergency backup: Screenshots/slides showing key workflows
The demo script (5-minute version):
Minute 1: Context - "Here's the problem most [their role] face..."
Minutes 2-4: Solution - Show 3 key workflows solving that problem
Minute 5: Outcome - "This is what [Customer] achieved: [specific metrics]"
We rehearse this 5x before the event. Every rep can deliver it smoothly.
Component 6: The Lead Capture Process
Reps need to know exactly how and when to capture lead information.
Our process:
During conversation (for A/B leads):
- Get business card OR
- Enter in CRM mobile app on the spot
- Add qualification notes immediately: "Director of Product at 300-person SaaS company, currently using Tableau, frustrated with speed, open to switch"
After conversation:
- Log in our shared Google Sheet: Name, Company, Title, Qualification Score (A/B/C), Key Pain Point, Next Action
- For A leads: Book follow-up meeting right there at booth
- For B leads: Note for follow-up email within 48 hours
End of each day:
- 15-minute team sync: Who did we talk to? Any hot leads? Anything we're hearing repeatedly?
- Update lead tracking sheet
- Flag anything for next-day follow-up
Component 7: The Follow-Up Playbook
The event ends. Now what?
Within 24 hours (for A leads):
Rep sends personalized email:
"Hey [Name],
Great talking with you at [Conference] yesterday about [specific thing they mentioned]. Based on your challenge with [problem], I think [specific feature] would be perfect for you.
I've got that demo booked for Thursday at 2pm. In the meantime, here's a case study from [similar company] that tackled the same issue: [link]
See you Thursday, [Name]"
Within 48 hours (for B leads):
Rep sends:
"Hey [Name],
Nice meeting you at [Conference]. I know you mentioned [challenge]. Here's that resource I mentioned: [link]
If you want to explore further, happy to set up 15 minutes in a few weeks. Let me know.
[Name]"
Day 7 (for leads who haven't responded):
Second touch email with different angle (customer story, invite to webinar, offer of free resource).
The kit includes email templates for each scenario.
How We Roll Out the Enablement
Having the kit is half the battle. Making sure reps use it is the other half.
Timeline:
One week before event:
- Send complete enablement kit to all reps
- Required: Read pre-event brief, review scripts, review competitive cards
Two days before event:
- 60-minute virtual training session
- Walk through qualification framework
- Role-play booth conversations
- Practice demo
- Review lead capture process
Night before event (team dinner):
- Quick review of scripts and competitors
- Answer any last questions
- Build team energy
Morning of day 1 (30 minutes before doors open):
- Quick huddle at booth
- Review goals for the day
- Assign roles (who's qualifying, who's demoing, who's capturing leads)
- Get energized
End of each day:
- 15-minute debrief
- What's working? What's not?
- Any adjustments for tomorrow?
- Celebrate wins
One week post-event:
- Retrospective: What worked? What didn't?
- Update kit for next event based on learnings
The Before/After Results
Before enablement kit (first DevOps Summit):
- Booth conversations: ~200 (unqualified mix)
- Qualified leads: 18
- Cost per qualified lead: $3,000
- Pipeline generated: $85K
- Rep feedback: "Felt unprepared and overwhelmed"
After enablement kit (second DevOps Summit):
- Booth conversations: 220 (similar volume)
- Qualified leads: 67 (3.7x more)
- Cost per qualified lead: $820 (73% lower)
- Pipeline generated: $340K (4x more)
- Rep feedback: "Most prepared we've ever felt at an event"
Same booth. Same team. Different enablement. Massive ROI difference.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Event Sales Enablement
Most companies spend $50K on booths and $0 on enabling the team to work the booth effectively.
They assume sales reps will "figure it out." Some will. Most won't.
The hard reality: A mediocre booth with a well-enabled team will outperform a premium booth with an unprepared team every single time.
What doesn't work:
- Sending reps to events with no training or preparation
- Assuming reps know how to qualify quickly at events
- No scripts or frameworks for booth conversations
- Letting each rep "do their own thing" with no consistency
- No clear follow-up process
What works:
- Pre-event brief explaining event goals, messaging, and success metrics
- 3-question qualification framework (laminated card)
- Booth conversation scripts for opening, qualifying, demoing, handling objections
- Competitive battle cards for top 3-4 competitors
- Clear lead capture and follow-up process
- Pre-event training and daily debriefs
The best event programs:
- Build enablement kits 2-3 weeks before event
- Run 60-minute training 2 days before event
- Do daily team debriefs to optimize execution
- Measure not just lead volume but lead quality
- Update kit after each event based on what worked
If your reps are showing up to events without enablement, you're wasting 50-70% of your event investment.
Build the kit. Train the team. Measure the improvement.
Your event ROI will double.