It seems like a simple thing: your staff shows up at the trade show, they talk with customers and prospects and then at the end of the show, all the leads are swept up and tallied and new business is had.
Really? Is that how it really works?
For years, we’ve all believed that effective trade shows were really comprised of three things:
- The booth
- Product demos or displays
- The booth staff
It’s that last one that is actually the most important: the words that come out of your staff member’s mouths and what they hear and record are actually #1. I’ve always said: “if your staff is properly trained, you can sell on a bare piece of concrete.”
Thanks in advance to all of my friends in the exhibit building industry for forgiving that last comment.
So, here is a basic primer for you to use in preparing your booth staff for their next trade show:
- Define the audience
- Set the takeaways from the show.
- Set a measurement for the show.
Defining the audience(s) ensures you are talking to (and with) the appropriate targets for the show. Who will be there? From where? What are their objectives? Besides prospects and customers, do you intend to meet with and engage partners? And what about internal audiences (executives, key staffers, investors)?
What do you want them to leave the show remembering? What will they remember? Who will they remember and why? Is there a product or offering that needs to be most memorable?
Finally, set a measurement–total number of engagements (leads, meetings, conversations, brochures passed out), a measure of possible revenue, cost savings. Then, once the show is over, plug in the figures and do the math. Metrics and measureables help justify programs and outreach. Here’s a great story from ExhibitorOnline that talks about measurement.
Set goals, prep your staff, look for results. A simple formula that will pay off in the long run.
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