The biggest potential for being successful at a show lies in your team.
- How they act
- How they use the stand engagement tools
- How they treat the post-show follow-up
You can design and create a brilliant stand and have clever engagement tools to engage the visitor but your team are at the front of the business, and a tool is only as good as the person who is wielding it. Have confidence in yourself and make sure that the sales and marketing approach are not divided as this can leave both parties unsatisfied.
Take a look below at some of the points the Expo team have put together in being successful at your next show.
Make the objectives clear to the team
Share your objectives with your team as early as you can. It’s important that your sales team understands your game plan and the aspects of the sales process on the stand. Plan a few meetings throughout the day, updating each other and making sure everyone is clear on the objectives. You want everyone to have a clear view of why you’re exhibiting and what you wish to gain from it.
Including debriefs allows team members to discuss what works and what doesn’t when engaging with visitors. The day will run much smoother, be a great success and the staff can stay on target.
Leads & follow up
Use less paper and work with your team in finding the best way of capturing the information needed for your CRM while enabling fast and free-flowing conversation.
It’s vital that the sales team fully understand the campaign and how leads can be generated well into the future.
Dress code
A dress code is an important factor for your staff, you want to avoid the potential embarrassment of your team not knowing what to wear, but also link your colleagues to the brand and the tools around them. Remember at an event your stand staff are your brand! The dress code should ooze professionalism and match your brand values but it doesn’t always have to be a shirt and tie.
It could just be a t-shirt that is a certain colour with badges and the company logo. You want the visitors to know you are part of the team and approachable.
Pitch
Remember that face-to-face sales back at the office is different to selling your product on an exhibition stand. It is fast-paced and your sales team have much less time to get your message across in a loud, distracting environment.
Get each of your team members to think about their elevator pitch through the four easy steps below.
The Four-Step Elevator Pitch
- Start by introducing yourself
- Provide a summary of what you do
- Explain what you want
- Finish with a call to action
Remember it’s often just as important to quickly qualify someone out and move on, as it is to hook their interest.
Keep the team motivated
Having a stand at an exhibition is demanding and high-pressure and colleagues are asked to work longer, harder and faster than they normally would.
It is so important to keep the team energized and motivated by scheduling regular breaks away from the stand and preventing drinking, eating and using phones – this can all send the wrong messages.
Set personal and team goals throughout the day and introduce some healthy competition too by offering a prize for those who meet their goals and something extra special for the highest achiever.
Rehearse
Rehearse for the show! Give everyone a heads-up in arriving early for the show and give a tour of the stand before the show starts. This crucial time will allow the team to rehearse the experience that they will be giving to the visitors.
It will help your colleagues feel more comfortable, under less pressure and have a great understanding of the objectives you want to deliver from your stand.
Assign roles
Select each individual for a relevant role, for example, if a particular member of the team is a product expert, let them run demonstrations to engage with the visitors.
You want an understanding of the skill set of your team so you can assign them to relevant roles and help you engage with visitors more efficiently.
Socialise and build relationships
They aren’t just your sales team, they are your brand ambassadors too. Your business should already have social media channels that you use to support lead generation, where the sales team can have a relationship with their customers and prospects.
Ask your team to post on platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook about what they’ll be showcasing at the event, this helps spread the word too.
Expo is one of the UK’s leading exhibition stand suppliers, supplying the full range of exhibition stand solutions. We have been designing and installing exhibition stands for nearly 30 years, so we know what works and how to make your stand work for you. Contact us today for more info.