Exhibiting at a trade show is certainly not rocket science, but that said there is a certain ‘science’ to exhibiting. In fact, there’s also a bit of an art to it as well. See, your exhibit trade show exhibit staff should be able to deftly navigate between educating attendees about your company, promoting your products and networking with potential clients or partners. This is certainly a skill. But, all too often we see staff fall into a number of mistakes that can seriously impact the image of your company. It’s important to make sure that exhibit staff is tuned in and not distracted, so there are several things that you should ‘do’ and other things that are definite ‘don’ts’. Let’s take a look at what we mean.
When exhibiting, it is important to be on your ‘A’ game. This means that you need to be well rested, well-fed, and well-hydrated. Don’t forget that the health of your staff should always come first. That said, it is important to make sure that staff are not eating or drinking at your trade show exhibits. If they must, it should be in an area that is mostly obscured from the crowd. Not only is this usually not necessary (give them a lunch break and have someone cover!), but it is unprofessional and unattractive.
Of course, it is also important that trade show exhibit staff have a significant amount of knowledge of your company. They will likely be fielding all manner of questions, so your exhibiting staff should be able to talk about your company in detail. They should know the basic history about your company and the details about every product and their selling points as well as how to best reach your target audience. They should be able to answer why they like to work there and what the best part of being employed at your company is. Ideally, each person who is staffing your trade show exhibit should be able to tell a personal story about how your company (and its products and services) impacted their lives for the better.
Lastly, your staff should be trained on how (and when) to engage and disengage attendees. It’s important that staff be able to speak with attendees comfortably. This is a crucial part of picking your trade show exhibit staff. There are just some people who are much better at making people feel comfortable and welcomed. These are the ones that you want on your team when staffing your trade show exhibits. Make sure that you get the best people and you will get the best results at your next trade show.