subject: Successful Trade Show Displays: 3 Things Staff Need To Stop Doing Right Now [print this page] Running busy trade show displays can be exhilarating and stressful, even for the most seasoned exhibitors. While staff makes sure every effort is made to cater to attendees, there are three big mistakes they often make that can drop profits significantly, not just during the current exhibit, but for future ones as well. These errors need to be stopped as soon as possible to save the company's ROI and ensure a productive trade show.
Stop Limiting Time To the Company's Trade Show Displays
Exhibitions are the ideal time to check out the competition and find out what draws a specific target audience. During the show, make sure the staff takes time to wander through to see what other exhibitors are doing and offering to the public. They might see something unique that gives birth to new marketing concepts or product ideas. They might also notice what catches the eye of a qualified lead, or just become more aware of what the business can improve on.
Don't discount the value unrelated industry exhibits have to offer. Companies selling baked goods might not have anything to do with a computer software company, but the baked treat display might have an excellent way of attracting attendees, for example. The ideas collected by the sales staff can then be incorporated into future marketing strategies.
Stop Panicking
With so many people coming and going from the various trade show displays, it's easy to start getting frustrated and begin rushing leads through the process. This doesn't mean that it's ok to waste time, but what it does mean is that staff still needs to take an interest in what the attendee is saying and be sure to make that person feel important.
Instead of pushing everyone through, train staff to recognize the difference between a cold and hot lead. From there, the sales team can learn to spend more time with promising leads, and less time on the cold ones. For example, it might mean simply collecting contact information for cold leads while taking an additional few minutes with hot leads to help make the conversion.
Stop Ignoring The Signs Attendees Give Off
Two things that drive an attendee crazy is being kept at trade show displays by an over-eager staff member, or being ignored completely. The best way to avoid this is to train the sales team to be sensitive to other's social cues. If the visitor starts looking around, fidgeting, and searching for the exit sign, it's a pretty good indication they want to move on with the show.
On the other hand, if an attendee seems to be searching the crowd for someone with authority, a member of the sales team should either address that person immediately, or have another person do so as quickly as possible. This takes practice, and the signs aren't always this obvious, but it's an important skill to learn.
Even the most experienced exhibitors can make these three mistakes. They're simple enough to make, and a hard habit to break, but the ROI of the company's trade show displays depend on successfully avoiding these pitfalls.
