Putting a lot of emphasis on your trade show displays before a show is not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, but don’t overlook the importance of a happy staff. Let’s face it, most employees really don’t want to pick the short straw when it comes to attend a trade show.
Shows represent a really long day of entertaining people, talking to random people, and trying to smile through it all – plus, those tradeshow floors can be really hard and uncomfortable. All of this adds up to you needing to find the right people to work the floor, and knowing how to motivate those people – after all, the way that your staff acts at a show will directly impact the new leads you get. So start with your staff, and then move to things like amazing trade show displays because without your motivated and happy staff, you don’t have much to stand on.
Who to Pick
This decision can be a hard one because new employees that are inexperienced might be really eager to please and climb the ladder. But, experienced employees probably know your product inside and out, so they are more likely to explain it better to potential clients. Most trade show experts would agree that picking the more experienced staff members is probably a better idea, since someone without experience might feel overwhelmed.
How to Motivate
Hopefully some of your employees will like the idea of attending a show, and you can further motivate your trade show booth staff by offering incentives. Things like free lodging, transportation, and food should already be included, so that’s not something you should try to use as motivation.
Some better ideas include gift certificates, a day at a spa, a cash bonus, or some other type of great prize that will get your trade show booth staff through the day. While this may not seem fair to junior employees that aren’t asked to attend the show, it’s a good way to motivate those employees that do have to attend. Plus, you can always provide some kind of prize later on that other employees can compete for.
Consider Individual Skills
Before you staff your trade show booth, you may want to take a look at the profiles of your employees. Does someone have public speaking or stand up experience? Is someone well versed at handling the press? Is a senior employee really scared of meeting new people? Have you seen someone excel or fail during a presentation? What an employee looks like on paper is one thing, and experience matters, but the person you’re working with as a whole is more important. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and it’s up to you to figure out what those are before putting any staff behind your trade show booth.
Lastly, even though it’s recommended not to let a new employee attend a show, anyone that shows a really deep interest in your company should always be rewarded. Maybe you don’t want that person behind your trade show exhibits representing your entire company, but you could send them along with the senior staff just to learn the ropes. Sometimes, rewarding an eager person pays off.
Getting Your Booths Made
Your staff will impress new clients with their skills, but you have to draw people to your booth first. That’s where Blazer comes in. We customize trade show booths for companies of all shapes and sizes, and we’d love to work with you and your team. Give us a call for rates and design options, or find us on Facebook for more information.