Exhibiting at trade shows and expos present a golden opportunity for SMEs to showcase products and services, connect with potential clients, and enhance brand visibility.
But when resources are limited, having a successful exhibition team becomes even more crucial. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the “did that really just happen???!!!” over the years. I thought I’d share my “Do’s” and “Don’t’s” on what you need to make your Expo Dream Team!
Think about Stand Roles
Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses – play to these. In a small team, most staff know that it’s all hands to the deck when needed and will be happy to play a part, as long as they are not thrown too far out of their comfort zone. This goes to my next point…
Train your Team
They are probably outstanding in their usual job role, but unless their day to day job is in sales, they’ll probably need a little training. Your team is the face of your company during the whole event. Train them to be knowledgeable about your offerings. This will help them to feel confident and they will be more approachable and skilled at engaging visitors in conversations. Ensure they understand the core message of the company and can deliver this effectively.
Consider a “Shepherd”
At some points through the day, if it’s a great event, all your team will be engaged with visitors. Having someone as a dedicated “Shepherd” who keeps an eye on staff availability, someone who will ask a few questions, keep any good leads on the stand while waiting to pass over to the “Team Expert”, is a good idea to stop potential clients wandering off to other stands. Especially useful if you’ve got a small staff available to man the stand.
Interactive Areas
Speaking of “Team Experts”…If you have interactive areas on your stand, ensure that you have a team “expert” for specific areas, who will be comfortable in not only talking through the equipment but using it and showing visitors how it works.
Engage with Visitors
Ensure your team knows how to initiate conversations with visitors. Yes, we know that some will be there purely for personal interest, but you can never tell where the next sales lead will come from. Some visitors may be shy of venturing onto a stand. Ensure your team knows to look out for these, using open-ended questions about their business challenges. Then ensure your staff know how to listen so the pitch can be tailored to meet those challenges.
Collect and Qualify Leads
Many exhibition centres have a lead collection system already set up for companies to utilise. Whether it’s by scanning badges or by simply collecting email sign-ups, filtering out quality and priority leads from the rest is an important part of lead collection so you can deal with all enquiries efficiently and effectively.
Promotional Materials
Giving out the right promotional materials to the right customers is a great way to ensure that they remember your details. Visitors will probably visit lots of other stands so anything your team does to help them remember you benefits the business.
Lose the Jargon
Unless your visitors are definitely going to understand any jargon you usually use, avoid it. Find a way to explain in standard terminology – it doesn’t have to be dumbed down, just be aware that an acronym may not always be common knowledge, or it may have a different meaning altogether to a visitor (experience talking here)!
Don’t be Distracted
If it’s all a little quiet at times, it’s easy to become distracted and start hitting the mobile phone or huddling around in groups. This is where good stand management comes in – keep the team busy.
No Eating/Drinking on the Stand
If you ensure that staff have good breaks, there should be no need. We’ve all been there and walked past a couple of team members having lunch on the stand – it’s not a great look and some foodie smells hang around for a while.
Don’t Neglect Branding
This is even down to staff clothing – a well coordinated team stands out from the visitors making it obvious who to go to for help and it doesn’t have to be expensive!
Don’t Ignore the Competition or Collaborators
There will be quiet times and these should be used to take a look around – it’s amazing how a brief chat can help you with collaborative business – or have friendly chats with competitors!
If you don’t have the luxury of an in-house marketing department, effective exhibition stand management is a game-changer. You can create a compelling presence that resonates with your target audience, maximises lead generation, and ultimately boosts your brand’s visibility. With thoughtful planning, engaging interactions, and a well-designed stand, you can make your mark at trade shows and expos, even with limited resources.
