Conversation Ideas for Exhibitors

Pray that God will touch the hearts of the people who pass by and they will be interested in the work.

Pray for words and for the Holy Spirit to guide you. Then do not worry because whatever you do and say, God will direct you. This is the most important idea.

The next most important part of conversations is your love and interest towards the people, especially expressed by good eye contact and smiles.

Now we are ready for some phrases and ways of saying things that may help get you started.

As people are walking by, you can say, “Would you like some great mission stories?” As they take it, you can tell them, “ASAP has a weekly video podcast and more stories that we send by email. Please feel free to sign up if you would like us to send them to you.” Direct them to the sign-up sheet on the clipboard. When they finish signing up, check to see that the information is legible. If it is not, ask them to help you understand what is written while they are still at the booth.

Another way to draw people towards a visit is by saying to the people passing by, “Have you enjoyed the camp meeting/convention?” Or “Have you heard about ASAP before? Or “Have you been on a mission trip before?”

If they say, “I know about ASAP,” or “I get the newsletters,” you can say something like, “That’s great, isn’t it exciting the way God is reaching people in Southeast Asia? I love hearing the news too.”

If they say, “I donate to ASAP,” you can reply with something like, “Thank you so much! That is a real blessing,” and offer them an ASAP souvenir. You might also ask them if they have received the latest DVD or 10 Favorites booklet.

If they have not heard about ASAP, say something like the following: “ASAP’s main goal is to get the gospel to Southeast Asians as quickly and effectively as possible. We do this by supporting Southeast Asians to be missionaries in their own countries. They know how to reach the people where they are at and help meet their needs. You can give them an example to show how we do this, like, “For example, if there is a village with poor people who have no access to clean drinking water, ASAP will help put a well in near a church. They invite all the villagers to use the well. This opens their hearts to hearing the gospel.”

Or you can tell them about one of your favorite projects and say something like, “One of my favorite ASAP projects is building churches, especially in Laos...” If they sound interested, tell them a little more. If their body language tells you they are in a hurry, shift gears and hand them a brochure and say, “This brochure will give you a good overview of what ASAP is all about.”  

Try to also encourage them to use the resources. You might say, “Please share these materials with your church or your family and friends.”

One other thing that some people like to say is, “Have you been on a mission trip?”.  If they answer, “Yes” you can ask them to tell you about their experience, which they usually love to do.  Once they are done or if they answer “No”, you can speak of your own mission experiences and/or let them know about the short-term (two-week) mission trips that ASAP offers, usually to places like Cambodia or Myanmar.  If they are interested in being notified of future mission trips, encourage them to fill out the sign-up sheet and check the box marked “Interested in future mission trips.”

Another resource that you will want to share with people is Reach the World Next Door.  This is a cross-cultural ministry training kit that people can do in small groups to help reach out to immigrants, refugees, and international students. You can say, “There are so many people from around the world coming to America who haven’t had a chance to hear the gospel. Would you like to learn more about how to reach out to immigrants and refugees?” Then you can give a card with the website reachtheworldnextdoor.com on it.

One more exciting resource is the multi-language resource card MyLanguageMyLife.com. This site has great biblical videos, Bible studies, radio programs and more in over 100 languages. The card can be used for witnessing to people who do not speak English well and/or speak another language. Hand a few of these cards to the people and encourage them to keep them handy in their wallets or purses.

Thank the individual for taking the time and say “Nice meeting you” or “God bless you!” before they head off. You may also ask them if there is anything you can pray about for them. Many people really appreciate that.

If you forget all this, just remember to ask God to lead you and smile!  Thank you so very much for helping!

By the way, ASAP stands for Advocates for Southeast Asians and the Persecuted. People want to know!