Your People can Make or Break your Exhibition Experience
Walt Disney once said: “You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world… but it requires people to make the dream a reality”.
Over the last few years I have seen exhibitors use short cuts when briefing their staff and preparing them for exhibition open time. The reasons that often bubble up include:
- Not recognising the difference between field selling and exhibition selling
- Not wanting to incur additional costs
- Not comfortable
- Not viewing brief and prep as necessary steps
- Lost sight of their objectives
- Quite often an exhibitor books the stand but doesn’t really understand why they are there
What should you or could you say in the show catalogue?
Here are four simple yet major game changers.
1. Do you think about the visiting audience and tailor your message to meet the benefits they are searching for?
2. Do you allow for the subtle characteristic differences between one state and the next? Take a slightly different angle for each of them.
3. Too often, companies simply run standard company blurb, mission statements and corporate communications – be a bit more creative than this.
4. Depending on the size of the listing, this is an ideal way to target visitors with a memorable message – one that will resonate long after the event and be a clear call to action… to do business with you!
Preparation in the days leading up to an exhibition is crucial to your success. Your staff need to adapt and adjust the way they think about sales techniques and skills in preparation for the transition from the field onto the exhibition stand.
Often an exhibition requires one cold call after another and not all staff can do this while qualifying the prospect in a condensed time frame.
Training staff can have a significant positive effect on your ROI and it is worth the investment.
Make sure you clearly communicate the objectives to them, such as how to increase sales, gather a database etc.
Make sure you have clear stand rules when it comes to working onsite. These five simple rules can make all the difference with the right preparation:
1. Smile
No matter how busy or how quiet, a smile costs nothing YET it’s engaging, positive and magnetic.
2. Hello
Acknowledge everyone verbally, it shows you’re interested.
3. Give them time
Allow visitors time to look and take in your stand’s offerings in their time. If you have acknowledged them, they will open conversation when they’re ready.
4. Understand
Take time to understand what visitors are looking for or what they are trying to find a solution for.
5. Be a source of information
Whether it is about your company and products or directions to find something in the hall, make sure you can answer it or go out of your way to find the answer for them.
By following these simple steps you will establish a connection, allowing you to build a rapport which could lead to a sale – whether it be on the spot or in the future.
And don’t forget to do what you say you will do.
After the show, call them, go and see them or send them whatever you have promised them. It’s not hard – it just takes some time which invested correctly will produce results that shine through. And yours will be the company that stands out.
See you on the floor,
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