You never get a second chance to make a first impression (the old adage goes). This is a good piece of advice to adhere to when it comes to a trade-show. Presenting the wrong image does more damage than you may think. Here’s how to avoid turning people away from your trade show booth.
1. Don’t stand with your arms crossed. Crossing your legs or your arms sends the message that you are closed off, that you don’t want to be approached, and that you are defensive. None of those things come close to the image that you want to project. Stand straight with your arms behind your back to show people that you are open to conversation.
2. Don’t chew gum or food. You have to take a lunch break, but make sure that you do so off-site. Or, walk around while you eat. Don’t stand at your trade show booth chewing your food while talking to people (and make sure that your staff sticks to this rule too).
3. Hovering around. I absolutely hate it when salespeople hover around me while I’m trying to look at something, and I bet that you do too. Try not to stand over someone while they check out your booth – it can be tempting, but don’t do it.
4. Try not to leave your booth. If you are at a show alone, you’ll have to stay at your booth at all times, which is why it’s not a great idea to attend a show by yourself. Instead, work with a team, so that one person can replace another if someone has to take a break. Leaving a booth unattended isn’t a good idea, and it shows visitors that you aren’t really paying attention.
5. Knowing that there are gaps in your product. You know that problem that you didn’t solve, or that questions that you don’t have an answer to? Figure it out before you head to a show. Most people probably won’t ask that question or find that problem, but someone will. Be ready with an answer of some kind prior to winding up in an awkward position.
6. Having nothing left. If you are going to offer visitors something for free, make sure to have enough of that thing. It can be really frustrating for someone to cross a trade-show floor to pick up a free product only to be told that the product is gone, or that you’ve run out.
7. Talking. Don’t let your team members stand around and chat while people are checking out your booth. There are times when a trade-show is boring and uneventful, and you may not have clients to speak with all the time, but that doesn’t mean that you should fill those gaps with chatting.
8. Not being awake. While you don’t want to be overzealous, you also don’t’ want to be too tired. Try to get over jet lag by spending some time outside when you can, grab a coffee to help wake you up, and avoid going out the night before a show.
How Important Is One Impression?
All it takes is one person to spread the news about an amazing product or service. Likewise, it takes only one person to completely ruin a company’s image. It does matter how you look to those people that are attending a trade-show. Even if you think that one mistake doesn’t matter, it does. That said, your team can’t be perfect, so don’t worry if you make a mistake or two. A bit of planning prior to any show will help you work out the finer details (like lunch breaks), and prepping your team on how to talk, sell, and stand is the best way to get ready for the upcoming trade-show.
As far as your display booths go, we can help you stand out by creating customized display booths to go along with your prepared and polished team. Take a look at our site to see what we can do for you, and make sure to call us with any questions that you have. We’re happy to sit down, talk to you, and create display booths that really stand out.