WHAT IS ‘THE EXPERIENCE’?
Today’s customers are driven more and more by experience. If they have a good experience, not only do they re-buy but they also tell their friends. Equally, if it’s a bad experience it has a largely negative effect.
We know from research that if we can make an experience fun and make people laugh, it can influence their actions by up to 66%! This is vital in a market when business is tough..
But it’s not complicated.
MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL
If you want to create a sense of movement on your stand but don’t want the hassle of a TV and camera, consider a mirror! By hanging a mirror you can reflect movement as well as product, and when people catch a look at themselves they tend to be drawn to it. A mirror can also give the appearance of more depth and space, and when used correctly can add real impact. They don’t take up a lot of room either, so why don’t you have a go at creating movement on your stand? You can choose from an enormous range of mirrors; from classic to modern frames. Just remember this golden rule: check where your lights are positioned and make sure the mirror isn’t reflecting them. You don’t want bright lights shining right into the visitors’ eyes, making it impossible for them to see anything!
Have you ever thought about what kind of experience you want visitors to have at your stand? Are you creating an experience that has impact and will be memorable? You see, we often start out with fixed objectives when what we should probably do, is sit back and look at it from the other side and walk in the customers’ shoes. This then forces us to think differently about what we can do to connect with them. We should ask ourselves: how can we create a personality for the stand that reflects our company’s brand and image while also creating a positive impression on visitors?
Asking yourself these two questions may help you formulate your answer:
What do you offer that your competitors don’t?
What makes buying from you different to buying from others?
What you need to remember before answering these questions is that people will judge you based on how they felt after their experience. So how do you create a positive, memorable experience?
I think part of the answer lies in taking cues from the entertainment industry… Think lights, video, sound, smoke machines, live entertainment, opener, main act and closing encore! In other words, it’s a journey.
Together with your staff (who handle customer enquiries and are part of the process), you might consider the following to make the stand more interactive and create an experience that is memorable, positive and effective:
| • Educate – | do you have demonstrations or have you thought about conducting seminars? |
| • Appeal – | to all the human senses. |
| • Think – | about live entertainment, a magician, trades person, TV personality. |
| • Attract – | include something that draws attention to the stand. |
With a little thought you can create an experience that connects you to your visitors. And it won’t be that hard. Just remember people will judge you by how you make them feel. So make their experience great!
See you on the floor,
For more great tips, simply click on the EXHIBITIPS tab on the menu bar at the top of this page.
