Your Booth Staff Is Your Company’s Team
Anyone who has been to a trade show have most likely encountered a booth or trade show exhibit that has a great product, but the kind of staff that makes you run in the opposite direction. To avoid this trade show management mishap, the first thing to keep in mind is to choose the right people to represent your company at an event. Do not be overly concerned if they are an introvert or extroverts. In fact, all you need is will staffers who want to be there.
Diversify Your Booth Staff
There are many different people who can serve as product experts in your booth. For example, consider having an engineer or product developer on staff. They can run product demos, answer logistical questions, and give a greater depth of knowledge that adds credibility and lets customers know you want them to understand what you’re selling. Also consider product marketers. They have a vast knowledge of not only the product, but of the target market as well. Not all staffers need to be sales rep. Most sales reps are used to handling follow up after show, so fill your staff with other employees that can be an asset to your target audience.
Level the Playing Field
Customers should not be aware of hierarchy of the team in your booth. Egos need to be set aside, and no one should be worried about who gets more leads or who can shine the most as an individual. You are there as part of a team and shouldn’t be competing against other team members. In a well-staffed booth, both management and staff should work smoothly together and interact with customers equally. No one should believe that their day will be spent sitting in the back of the booth checking their email until someone specifically needs them.
Focus on the Team as a Whole
Your booth staff should be service and product focused. They must know exactly what roles they are expected to play and know how to gather information needed for the sales team. Those who will be out front to initiate conversations have to be able to judge a client’s needs and listen to their questions. Based on what they find out, they are then able to hand that customer off to the appropriate booth staff member who can provide them with more in-depth product knowledge, sales information, and so on.
Everyone on your team will have their own strengths and weaknesses, and you can use this to your advantage. Individually a staff member may not be the best at all things, but as a team your staff should be able to cover all aspects of what is needed. Be sure they can play off each other’s talents and work as a team to meet the client in multiple areas of service.
By: Eric Weinberg –
