HOW IMPORTANT IS FACE-TO-FACE COMMUNICATION
In a special report on small business I recently read with interest that the number one trend for doing business differently for 2019 was to bring back face-to-face communication.
With new technology now available for small, medium and big business alike, apps and tools facilitate effective communications between colleagues in scattered locations. Time-saving chat forums, group brainstorms and lag-free video conferences are all possible, accessible and used widely.
While these innovations have improved teamwork, flexibility and work-life balance, human interaction is still critical for connection. People who work in remote places can easily feel out of the loop or even drift away from the core business when valuable layers of information and non-verbal clues get lost in text chats and conference calls.
The best way of connecting is meeting face-to-face on a regular basis.
Exhibiting offers face-to-face communication in real time and unlike other technology and marketing tools, it enables you to involve visitors on multiple levels.
Engaging the five senses leaves a long-lasting impression. Sight, sound, touch, smell and taste can all be applied to make your business memorable long after the show is over.
Sight
Ensure your stand stimulates the sense of sight – the use of colour, light or movement should enhance what you want to promote or sell.
If practical, show your product in operation.
Sound
Your customers will want to hear about what you’re selling, and your team needs to provide them with information and answer any questions. You could use music on your stand to minimise the impact of background sound from the other areas of the show, such as people talking and moving around.
Touch
Exhibitions offer hands-on experiences and you can give visitors the opportunity to touch and feel products. Your stand should enable prospective buyers to feel how strong, how light, how tough, how comfortable, how soft or how hard your product is – ideally, they should also be able to use the product too.
Smell
Smell is the most powerful of the senses and pleasant aromas such as coffee brewing, corn popping or food baking will often attract attention and draw people closer. Think about investing in perfumes and aromas that will evoke a pine forest, a bunch of flowers, bushland, a cottage garden and so on. These smells can help suggest freshness, warmth or any other attribute you desire to create the right ambience for your stand.
Taste
Having tasty food on a stand isn’t limited to food and beverage exhibitors. Sweets and chocolates are available in a variety of designs and shapes, so look for one that is relevant to your product and use it as a conversation starter to reinforce your product.
Thought…the sixth sense
I personally believe thought is a sense that should be included, stimulating the brain can help connect visitors to your business. You could put a question on the stand that makes people stop and think, start a conversation or have a quiz…the options are endless.
