Trade shows have glorified booths for as long as they have existed. To be fair, it is what attracts guests to brands during the day which is what owners aim for. With the increased traffic, the likelihood of deals and sales improve. What they do not focus on too much is having good staff on board.
It is understandable, if you have exhibition stands like in Milan, then you are guaranteed to have loads of guests turning their attention to you. This is what brings them over – physical attraction. However, what makes them stay is the people in charge of those booths. In other words, the mind and the charisma.
So, having said that, what should good staff members need to remember when they are the ones in charge of the booth?
FOCUS ON THE TARGET
Give all of your attention to the guests who are interested in the brand. They might have approached your area because of how the exhibition stands in Milan look good, but it is your responsibility to keep them engaged.
The goal during the engagement is to build rapport, and that can be achieved through active listening – respond only when needed and address their concerns. In addition, keep your questions open ended.
STICK WITH THE CODE
This varies from one organization to the next. Some requires their staffers to don corporate business attires while others either sticks to a specific color or provides their staff members a specific clothing line to wear. Normally, this is to send a message, while others think that this is too uptight.
What you should remember is having a uniform during large conferences such as trade shows is a way to show a brand’s professionalism. It gives an impression of how serious a company is about their business. This is particularly important for the small-scale and middle-scale businesses because some, if not most, of the visitors does not know you yet, and making a professional impression beyond your exhibition stands like in Milan is vital.
KEEP IT NEAT
Although event organizers will remind those who are manning your booth, it is still better that those who are stationed try to keep it clean. It is not just an OCD thing. This is a way to show respect to both the organizers and the visitors. That is why, always remind them to declutter every time, and do not wait for anyone else to tell them what to do. They are grown-ups, they should know better.
KEEP YOURSELF OPEN
Smile.Greet every person who passes by your booth, regardless if they will come to your exhibition stands made in Milan. It may get exhausting, however, this kind of attitude is normally rewarded in the end. Besides, being polite can sometimes pique the interest of onlookers and may encourage them to at least check your brand out.
Let us be honest here: Trade shows may be a clash of booths and businesses, but they are won and lost by the people who man them. The better the men you have, the better are your chances of winning the day.
Image Credits: People from Jacob Lund/Shutterstock