You've had a great conversation with a visitor at your trade fair stand. They understand your company. They know about your products. Now what?
Imagine a visitor just finished asking questions about your product. They seem interested. What do you need to do next? Think about what would help you stay in contact with this person after the fair.
🤔
The conversation is good. But how do you turn it into a real business connection?
Quick recall — the frameworks so far
You know two frameworks already. Let's refresh them:
👆 Click to check: the 4-step introduction (from Lesson 1)
1. GREET — Welcome + name + position
2. COMPANY — What your company does
3. PRODUCT — Your main product + one adjective
4. CONNECT — Ask about the other person
👆 Click to check: the W-W-W (from Lesson 2)
W = WHAT — What is your product/service?
W = WHY — Why is it good? (benefit)
W = WHO — Who is it for?
Today: ending conversations politely and exchanging contact details — so you leave the fair with real business connections and can follow up after.
Activate — New Content
The moment to say goodbye well
At trade fairs, conversations end quickly. A visitor looks at their watch. Another person wants to talk to you. It happens. The question is: how do you end the conversation so they WANT to hear from you again?
Have you ever had a conversation end and thought "I wish I could contact them again, but I don't have their details"? What happens?
The EXIT Framework: End the conversation well
EXIT stands for four simple steps:
E
END — The conversation is finishing. Signal this politely.
X
eXchange — Ask for (and give) contact details.
I
Invite — Say you'll send something or stay in touch.
T
Thank — Thank them for their time.
Useful Phrases — E: END the conversation
⏰
"I don't want to keep you any longer."
Politely signals the conversation is ending — shows you respect their time
👋
"It's been great talking to you."
Warm, positive ending — makes them feel the conversation mattered
🎯
"I think we could work well together."
Suggests future business — natural reason to exchange contacts
Useful Phrases — X: eXchange contact details
💼
"Let me give you my business card."
Direct, simple — standard at trade fairs
📧
"Can I have your email address? I'd like to stay in touch."
Personal and professional — if you don't have cards, ask for email
📱
"What's the best way to contact you?"
Gives them control — shows you respect their preference
📇
"Can I have your card?"
Short and natural — the standard request at trade fairs
Useful Phrases — I: Invite them to follow up
📮
"I'll send you our catalogue after the fair."
A concrete next step — they know what to expect
💬
"Let's keep in touch. I'll email you next week."
Shows you'll take action — puts the responsibility on you, not them
🤝
"I'll send you some more information about our products."
Specific promise — they remember what you'll send
📞
"Maybe we can have a call next month to discuss this further?"
Suggests a future meeting — turns the fair into the start of a conversation
Useful Phrases — T: THANK them
🙏
"Thank you so much for your time."
Classic and warm — ends the conversation on a positive note
😊
"Thank you for your interest in our company."
Formal but genuine — acknowledges their engagement
⭐
"It was great meeting you!"
Personal and friendly — leaves them with a smile
Close your eyes. Can you remember the 4 steps of EXIT? Say them aloud: E is... X is... I is... T is...
Activate — Practice
🔍 Watch — A model goodbye
Listen to how Marco ends a conversation at a trade fair:
"Thank you so much for your time today. I think we could work well together. Let me give you my business card — and can I have yours? I'll send you our full product catalogue by email tomorrow, and maybe we can have a call next week to discuss this further?"
Notice: Marco ended politely, exchanged cards, promised follow-up, and thanked the visitor. The conversation didn't really end — it moved to the next step.
👆 Click to find all 4 steps of EXIT in Marco's goodbye
E — END: "Thank you so much for your time today."
X — eXchange: "Let me give you my business card — and can I have yours?"
I — Invite: "I'll send you our full product catalogue by email tomorrow, and maybe we can have a call next week."
T — THANK: Already done at the start, which is natural in English.
🤝 Together — Let's build a goodbye together
Imagine you're at a trade fair. The conversation with a visitor is finishing. Together, let's build the EXIT goodbye step by step.
Start with E — END. How would you signal the conversation is finishing? Say your idea first.
E — END the conversation:
X — eXchange contact details:
I — Invite follow-up:
T — THANK them:
Now put all four parts together and say it as one smooth goodbye. No pauses — it should flow naturally.
🚀 Your Turn — Your real goodbye
Now write your own EXIT goodbye for your company. Include all four steps.
Say your goodbye aloud — without reading! Try it once with notes, then once without. Can you make it flow naturally, not like a list?
👆 Click to self-check after you've spoken
E — Did you signal the conversation is ending politely?
X — Did you ask for (and offer) contact details?
I — Did you say what you'll do next or invite them to stay in touch?
T — Did you thank them?
Demonstrate — Application
🎭 Real Goodbye Scenarios
Choose 2 of these situations. For each one: use the EXIT framework to end the conversation gracefully.
AA busy buyer from a department store has just asked 3 questions about your products. They look at their watch. Use EXIT to say goodbye professionally.
BAn older visitor from a family business in another country has spent 15 minutes at your stand. They're friendly but need to visit other booths. Use EXIT to leave them feeling valued.
CA visitor is interested but says they need to check with their boss before ordering. They're ready to leave. Use EXIT to make sure you stay connected.
DA young person from a startup visited your stand. They loved your product but say "I'll be in touch." Use EXIT to lock in the contact and next steps.
⏱ Timed Role Play
For each scenario: Use the 4-step introduction from Lesson 1 (quick), describe your product (W-W-W from Lesson 2, quick), then use EXIT to say goodbye. Total time: 2 minutes per scenario.
2:00
Scenario 1: Full conversation — introduce yourself quickly, describe your product, then use EXIT to say goodbye. Go!
What was difficult? Did you remember all 4 steps of EXIT?
2:00
Scenario 2: Different visitor, different situation. Full conversation with EXIT goodbye. Go!
Demonstrate — Written Task
✍ Write a Follow-Up Email
You have the visitor's email. Now write a short follow-up email — the kind you'll send within 24 hours after the fair. Maximum 4 sentences. Keep it friendly and professional.
3:00
👆 Click to see an example follow-up email
Subject: Following up from the Trade Fair
"Dear Sophia,
It was great to meet you at the fair yesterday. I'm sending you our full product catalogue as promised — I think the PremiumPack will be perfect for your business.
Let's have a call next week to discuss how we can work together. I'll email you some time options.
Looking forward to our conversation! Best regards, James"
Notice: Personal (uses name, mentions conversation), honest (promises real next step), professional (clear sign-off). This keeps the connection alive.
🎙 Teach It Back
Imagine a colleague is nervous about following up after a trade fair. They ask you: "What should I do after the fair ends?"
Explain the EXIT framework in your own words. What are the 4 steps? Why is each one important? Give an example.
Consolidate
🔄 Quick Review — All Three Lessons
You have now learned 3 complete frameworks for trade fairs. Let's see how much you remember from all three lessons.
Without looking — say the 4-step introduction framework (from Lesson 1). What's Step 1? Step 2? Step 3? Step 4?
What are the 3 W's for describing your product (from Lesson 2)? Say all three, then explain why each one matters.
What is the EXIT framework? What do E, X, I, and T stand for?
🧠 Final Review
Look away from the screen. Now:
You have 1 minute. Do a complete trade fair conversation from START to FINISH: introduce yourself (4 steps), describe your product (W-W-W), then say goodbye (EXIT). Go!
Now write it from memory:
👆 Click to see the structure you should have used
Introduction (4-step): Greet + Company + Product + Connect
Product description (W-W-W): What + Why + Who
Goodbye (EXIT): End + eXchange + Invite + Thank
Did you include all three frameworks? That's how you create a complete, professional trade fair conversation.
💭 Thinking About Thinking
What's the most important part of ending a conversation well? Is it the words, the way you exchange cards, promising follow-up, or something else? Why?
✅ I can...
We said you'd be able to end conversations well and leave the fair with real business connections. Can you?
I can signal the end of a conversation politely and professionally.
I can ask for (and offer) contact details naturally.
I can promise follow-up that sounds genuine and specific.
I can end a conversation by thanking the visitor warmly.
I can write a simple follow-up email within 24 hours.
I can do a COMPLETE trade fair conversation: introduce, describe, say goodbye.
Which of these "I can" statements are you most confident about? Which one needs more practice before the fair?