Today, I had the pleasure of attending Forex Expo Dubai 2024.
It was an eye-opener—not just for the scale of the industry but for what actually sets brokers apart.
First off, the online trading ecosystem isn’t small, with retail brokers, liquidity providers, CRM solutions, media outlets, education companies (just to name a few) all represented.
The sheer size of it all makes you realize how intricate the world of trading is, but also makes you look a little deeper into what actually separates one broker from the booth next door.
If you look at the product offerings of most retail brokers, there isn’t much distinguishing them.
Trading on forex, stocks, indices, all on MetaTrader 5, maybe copy trading or a proprietary platform in there somewhere. Most talk about tight spreads, ECN execution, dedicated support, and a bunch of instruments to trade.
On the surface, there’s not much to set brokers apart.
And yet, despite the similarities in what each broker was offering, I walked away from each booth with a very different impression from each one.
It wasn’t about their offering—it was the experience of interacting with them. The difference was in their brand and the way they made me feel.
Some booths were simply about the hard sell. They wanted me to scan a QR code and sign up as a client before they even bothered to ask my name.
Their approach felt rather transactional and impersonal—like I was just another lead to close.
(FYI, I’m just a writer).
In stark contrast, there were brokers who stood out by taking the time to genuinely engage. They explained their value for traders without pressuring me to sign up on the spot. Their focus was on building trust rather than closing a deal
What’s more, it wasn’t just about individual salespeople. It was about how the companies branded themselves, their reputation, and even the atmosphere around their booths.
The entire experience reflected their values and how they wanted to be perceived by potential clients.
In our industry, everyone is offering the tightest spreads, the fastest execution, and the best client support. However, the real differentiator is the human experience.
To me, at least, that resonates more than anything else.
How each broker communicated, the values they projected, and how they handled potential clients and traders—are what really set them apart in my opinion.
On a side note, who had the best booth feature? My vote goes to STARTRADER’s astronaut suit guy. Nice touch.
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