Published on 19/05/2017
If you work in sales or marketing, it’s likely you’ve got what’s commonly known as the “gift of the gab”. That wonderful, charming ability to speak eloquently and fluently, making people feel completely at their ease from the moment you begin talking to them.
No? Well, even if you do have the gift of the gab, finding the opportunity to put it into practice at an exhibition can be insanely hard, with so many visitors milling around and so many other businesses looking to grab their attention.
So how can you effectively attract visitors to your stand, then keep them nicely engaged while they’re there?
Luckily, our friendly team here at Guardian Exhibition & Display have got plenty of experience helping clients boost their brand at trade events all over the world, and we’ve managed to boil those all-important laws of visitor attraction and engagement down to three key elements:
Allow us to explain…
We deal in dazzling displays, so you might expect us to stress the importance of an eye-catching stand, but trust us, it is important.
Think about it – your stand is the first thing that will catch visitors’ eyes as they scan the exhibition room, looking for people and businesses to talk to. So it makes sense to plan your stand out well. It has to be friendly, and it has to grab attention right from the first glance.
Bright graphics can help you stand out, along with TV screens and moving images to add a spark of immediate interest.
(If you’re confused about what type of stand would work best for your business, we’ve written extensively on the subject in previous blog posts. If you haven’t got time to read, why not give us a call for a chat instead?)
There isn’t much that’s more off-putting at an event than staff who dither, clearly unsure as to why they’re there. So make sure your team understand your company’s event objective right from the off. Are you looking to increase sign-ups, for example, or perhaps you’re promoting a specific product or service?
If possible, run a briefing session beforehand so your team know what they should be speaking to visitors about, and what kind of approach they should make. It’s so easy to think that all you need to do is turn up and get talking, but clear focus will win the day…not to mention more business.
On event day, run a stand rota system with shifts for everyone, including plenty of time for breaks. Exhibitions can be hard work, especially if you’re there all day, so you need to make sure every member of your team is naturally upbeat, complete with an easy and approachable smile.
Ensure breaks are taken away from your display area if possible – staff eating at their exhibition stand looks sloppy and awkward.
Lastly, equip your team with a uniform, or a branded outfit at least. This isn’t only useful for on-stand interactions, but when they’re off grabbing a coffee they can still promote your business with ease!
It goes without saying that visitors should be greeted with a friendly smile. But there are plenty of other easy things you can do to ensure their interaction with you is memorable. For instance, why not offer a drink and somewhere to sit while you chat with them? Simple courtesies like these can go a very long way indeed.
You can also run branded competitions to add an injection of fun, which also gives you a great excuse to take visitors’ details and follow up later on!
Get a FREE stand design and quote for your next exhibition stand
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