One of the most important factors to consider when it comes to the success of your trade show booth is your staff! It makes sense, doesn’t it? They are the face of your company and will be interacting with potential customers, so it’s crucial to have them trained and at their best. You’ll want them to have effective booth staff training that will help you stand out from the competition and maximize your return on investment. So let’s dive in and get your team ready to rock your next trade show!
Pre-show marketing
Pre show marketing plays a pivotal role in your brand awareness. You want to make sure that potential customers know you will be at the show and that they have an idea of what you offer before they even come close to your booth on the day of. The marketing serves as a conduit to better conversations at the booth, as well as learning how to handle the influx of traffic and convert visitors into leads.
In order to make the transition seamless between pre-show and game time, take the time to go over frequently asked questions and common scenarios that your staff is likely to encounter. This approach will not only help your staff offer better customer service, but it will also showcase your company as an entity that values its customers’ satisfaction.
Understand marketing goals.
Training your staff for the show is more about understanding the marketing goals as a whole. The team should know: (1) why are we here, (2) what are we trying to accomplish, (3) how are we going to accomplish it, (4) what are our key messages, (5) how do we say them organically (without it sounding like a marketing message that’s forced and cheesy), and finally (6) how are we going to track it?
[If you can’t answer these questions yourself, training a team to do so would be less than ideal. Start here to get an idea of how to determine which shows to exhibit at.]
A well-trained staff needs to understand the goals of the exhibition, the key messages, and how to deliver them organically. Your staff should be knowledgeable about your products and services, enthusiastic about engaging with potential customers, and able to articulate your company’s value proposition. They should be equipped with the right tools and materials, and understand how to follow up with potential leads after the show.
Role-playing and establishing roles
Facilitating role-play exercises during booth staff training can help staff members get comfortable with interacting with potential clients and answering questions about the company. This can also help with preparing for difficult or unconventional situations that could come up! It’s important for booth staff to be prepared to handle different types of attendees, from those who are well-acquainted with the company to those who are completely new.
It also helps when everyone knows what’s expected of them when they’re manning the booth. For example, who’s responsible for greeting visitors and offering information about your products or services? Who’s in charge of handling sales or answering more complex questions? By clearly defining everyone’s roles and responsibilities, you can ensure that your booth runs smoothly. So take the time to communicate with your team and make sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing – it’ll pay off in the long run!
Asking questions first
It’s a good practice to have staff start with questions to qualify the attendees before launching into a product demo! Asking questions helps staff cater the experience to the customer and helps them feel more heard. Most importantly, they are more likely to engage in the product if they feel like a part of the conversation.
Asking open-ended questions encourages conversation and makes the interaction feel more personalized and relevant. The key here is to limit the time spent on the wrong people (the ones that probably aren’t going to engage) and focus on true conversions. You don’t want to demo to someone who wouldn’t use the product anyway, regardless of how “interested” they seem.
Train booth staff on how to identify prospects–those who are likely to be interested in your product or service. This requires understanding the target audience and knowing how to approach them in a way that will capture their attention and create a meaningful interaction.
Ongoing Training
Booth staff training should not be a one-time event; it requires continuous effort and reinforcement!
Collecting data and measuring success is an important part of the ongoing training goals. By setting clear goals and using metrics like the number of leads generated, staff can understand if their efforts on the trade show floor were worthwhile or where they can improve. The data can be the best trainer out there!
Remember that the success of your next trade show depends largely on the effectiveness of your booth staff; so investing time and effort in their training is a strategic move that will pay off in the long run.
Go suit up your staff and get ready to rock your next trade show!