How to get the most out of your next trade show booth

Staffing Your Tradeshow BoothSo your company is registered for your trade show booth! You’ve got your marketing, signage, booth décor, giveaways and demonstrations ready – Now what?

There is one crucial aspect that can be disastrous if overlooked. A company’s success of their tradeshow booth depends on this important factor: the staff. Companies looking to make the most out of their tradeshow should be sure to staff representatives with the top communication skills, who are knowledgeable, lively and engaging. Let’s take a look at why smart booth staffing is crucial.

Make Your Face Time Count

First, your staff will be the face of your company’s product for the duration of the tradeshow, which will likely be many attendees’ first encounter with your company, so ensure that your staff gives the best representation possible. Consider that in day-to-day meetings, your appearance introduces you before you even say a word. If you show up in a wrinkled, stained shirt, have poor posture or are chewing gum, your business partners will notice your lack of attention and care. Likewise, it is imperative that when booth staffing, you choose representatives who are polished, experienced and well mannered.

Product Demonstration and Giveaways

Second, the booth staff is responsible for overseeing product demonstrations and giveaways. (We will get into greater detail about these in a later blog post.) With regards to booth staffing, it is imperative the staff exudes a genuine sense of enthusiasm about your product. Energy is contagious. If your staff shows excitement, it will create an alluring atmosphere and peak interest and curiosity for attendees.

Prospecting and Lead Generation

Third, and most importantly, the main goal of your tradeshow booth is to generate leads, turn them into qualified prospects, and then convert these prospects into sales. This process hinges on your staff’s ability to introduce your company and pre-qualify attendees to become prospects.

Having friendly, polished and knowledgeable staff will ensure that you get the most out of the opportunity of scanning badges, mingling, bringing in people from the crowd, and asking open-ended questions to get the conversation started.

You should prep them with a script – a one-minute quick pitch about the company with questions to see if the lead is a good fit, and then 30 seconds about details and getting follow-up information. If you want to go above and beyond in preparation, give your staff a one-page sheet outlining the script, goals and expectations for the conference.

To conclude, booth staffing is the key to tradeshow booth success. Regardless of booth décor, pre-event marketing or giveaways, it is truly the staff that will make or break the ROI of your event.

Read Also: Why Hire Spokesmodels for Tradeshow