There’s a reason why good trade show staffing is so important and such a wise investment. Not much is more frustrating to a marketing manager than seeing an unengaged, disinterested team member representing the brand at an event.
Exhibition shows can be fantastic opportunities for you to engage potential customer and produce a real ROI for your business. Download our guide on how you can make the most of your exhibition with an effective strategy.
Most marketing managers understand the need for energy, enthusiasm, professionalism and all round perfection at every trade show. These events provide a unique opportunity to meet and pitch to high-level leads, including those with purchasing power.
Placing the wrong trade show staffing on your exhibit both is a great example of the phrase ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’. A lot of managers, especially those short on time, often take a team of desk workers selected from different departments within the business to represent the brand at an exhibition. That could actually cost the business more than they realise…
4 trade show staffing pains and how to resolve them easily.
That’s not to put a dampener on your internal staff. However, investing in experienced trade show staffing solutions from the right agency can deliver results that an internal team of workers may not be able to match.
‘Experienced’ is the key word here. A good team knows exactly what’s required for each and every trade show. It’s not a requirement to impress the boss, or a day out from the office. As committed as your team may be, they may also:
1: Be scared of approaching prospects
You’re exhibiting at a trade show to attract new long-term prospects and new business for the company. Some workers may be experienced at their role in the office, but terrified in customer-facing roles at exhibitions and not be able to handle attendee rejection. Taking them out of their comfort zone could end up costing you business.
2: Talk to prospects too much
The opposite can also be true. It’s great to have a friendly presence at your trade show, but chatting too much can sometimes be just as off-putting as not talking to prospects enough. Staff members may have the best of intentions, but pushing a hard sell can leave a sour taste in prospects’ mouths.
3: Not know how to sell your brand
You may have an employee who’s incredible at their job and may appear to be the perfect candidate for the exhibition floor. Sometimes it doesn’t work that way though. They may be great at their job, and passionate about their specific department’s activities, but not know enough about the business overall, or the key selling points for new prospects. Again, this could cast your brand in a poor light.
4: Not have the stamina and longevity for the full day
Your staff need a lot of positive energy at an exhibition to continually attract the right prospects and brush off any rejections that may occur on the day.
Keeping those energy levels consistently high is important for a successful exhibition. Getting fatigued by constant knockbacks, rejection or non-stop activity can not only see you lose out on generating leads, but any malaise could also spread throughout the team.
One solution? A professional, multifaceted team of experienced exhibitors can work incredibly hard at each and every trade show to represent the business they’re exhibiting for, properly identifying the prospects that will best fit the business, engaging with them and working to improve overall ROI.
Alternatively, you can provide training to internal teams to ensure that they’re well-prepared for trade show staffing duties. Either way, identifying staff to represent your brand at upcoming events should never be an afterthought.
Expo Stars is very particular about the exhibition staff we choose to represent our clients. We can also provide training to upskill existing teams, and work with managers to create trade strategies that generate leads and improve ROI. Contact us to find out more.
