Staffing can make or break the success of your trade show involvement. It doesn’t matter how effective your pre-event marketing was or how appealing your giveaways are, if you don’t have “The A-Team” your efforts may be wasted. As a result we’ve come up with a tried and tested recipe to ensure your staff contribute to your trade show success.
Ingredients – Who?
Like all good recipes, the end result is dependent on the ingredients. During your event, staff will qualify visitors, establish relationships with the potential of converting them into customers and represent the company’s image. As a result the “best of the best” should be selected for such a task.
Choosing someone based on their sales figures isn’t necessarily the best. Your staff should…
- Believe in your brand and products
- Be committed to achieving your company’s goals
- Have strong communication skills
- Embrace the opportunity of participating in the show
- Do You Need to Spice it Up?
Do your team members have the outgoing personality type needed to sustain conversations with strangers for hours at a time? They may be fantastic when it comes to discussing the details of your offering but feel uncomfortable instigating a chat.
Why not consider engaging the services of a trained brand ambassador or two? They are experts who can approach visitors, ask a couple of leadings questions and then introduce them to your “experts”. Such a dynamic will bring energy to your booth as visitors will be effectively welcomed and engaged. Properly briefed, they will work hard to meet your goals for the show.
Method – What Next?
Once you’ve selected “The A-Team”, we encourage you to prepare a thorough pre-show briefing and then meet with them to run through it. You should review the following:
Goals
If your team aren’t aware why the company is exhibiting, how can they achieve your goals? As a result you’ll need to share your company and show-specific goals to drive your staff and to effectively measure your involvement.
We’d also encourage you to establish individual goals for each member of the team. For instance, 4 qualified leads per hour or 3 demonstrations per shift.
Knowledge
Identify who’s attending and why by referring to the organisers audience demographics and previous show results. In doing so, your staff will be better prepared to connect with attendees and have meaningful interactions with them.
And most importantly are your staff ready to answer visitor’s questions? Make sure “The A-Team” can hold a fluent conversation about your new products, costs, etc. To assist your staff, you could draft a list of FAQ’s and ensure there is a process to find out further information if required.
Training
Develop a clear sales pitch for consistency. This should include key messages and information on any special prize draws/promotions.
You’ll also need to discuss the following:
- Lead generation and management
- Marketing collateral
- Booth etiquette/uniforms
- Promotions and demonstrations
- Staffing schedule
- Booth layout
These conversations will make your staff comfortable and capable to yield results. Be sure to invest some time to perfect this recipe to maximise your investment at the trade show.
Should you require any assistance, please refer to our exhibiting success packages, or contact us for a tailored solution for your business.
*This blog was originally posted in February 2018. It has been reposted with updates in February 2022.
