Effective demo techniques: Dont leave your product story up to your audence's imagination - show them. Imagine you're at the circus. You take your seats as the lights go down. A spotlight appears in the center ring revealing the ringmaster. 'If you will direct your attention to the high wire' he proclaims. Oddly no performer appears. Instead, the ringmaster eloquently describes the types of stunt that might be performed on the high wire. When he finishes, he bows and disappears into the darkness. You are left to only imagine the actual performance.  What a letdown, right? Now you know how show visitors feel about your static product displays.

Ask visitors what draws them into a stand and they'll most likely answer 'a product demonstration'.  Exhibits with product demonstrations score the highest memorability ratings from show visitors, according to a study conducted by Exhibit Surveys Inc. Nearly 80% of visitors remembered exhibits with product demonstrations. The memorability rating dropped to 71% in stands where products were displayed but not demonstrated.

Almost any product can be demonstrated - no matter how large or small, simple or complex. No elaborate stage production is necessary. Just put your product into action. Movement and motion grab attention and interest. Consider the example of a manufacturer of industrial fans. The company could have just displayed its fans or handed out literature and specifications. Instead, stand staffers turned on one of the 6 foot-tall fans. As visitors passed the exhibit, they were hit by a hair-raising blast of air. Simplistic? Yes. Effective? You bet. Every single 'victim' turned to find the source of the sudden breeze, which means every single passer-by at least saw this company's stand.

The best demonstrations take advantage of the trade show medium. Visitors attend shows to discover the product's attributes that can't be conveyed in a two-dimensional ad. They want to 'try' it for themselves.

'Product literature and trade advertising are designed to show a product in its best light' says one show visitor. 'But on the show floor, I'm seing a product for what it really is. Actually putting my hands on a product and seing it in action stimulates additional questions'

But no demonstration sells all by itself. The purpose of a product presentation is to stop traffic so you stand staffers can start a conversation. So don't leave demos unattended. Train stand staff to use the demo as a 'lead-in'

Think about how to demonstrate - not just display your product. Find a way to highlight its best feature or benefit. At the National Plant Engineering and Maintenance Show in Chicago, 'Exhibitor Magazine' uncovered a bevy of clever yet simple, product demos. Here are two solid ideas along with some helpful advice on creating your own effective demos:

Oh yeah? Well, prove it - why should visitors believe you when you say your product is the 'greatest thing since sliced bread'? 'Because I say so' simply does not cut it. Visitors want proof. So give it to them. Help them make the leap.

Example The Woods Industries stand wasn't much to look at. A rumpled lavender banner touting something called a 'Wobble light' hung on a gray backwall. What really caught my attention in the stand, was the shoving match involving two stand staffers. They were ganged up - not on each other - but on the Wobble Light itself. You see, Woods Industries promotes the portable work light as 'untippable' Thus, stand staffers took turns pushing, slapping and punching the buoy-shaped beacon. But to no avail. The Wobble light kept popping right back up, ready for more. (There is truth in advertising)  The demonstration made the leap for visitors from 'really, this light is untippable' to 'see for yourself, this light is untippable' 

Suggestions for improvement:

* more interaction with audience. Stand staff were too passive. In many cases, they waited for visitors to approach them. Stand staff could easily get visitors involved in the demo by asking them to try to knock over the light

* narration could be added to heighten drama and humour and show how the product applies to 'real life' situations

'and the award for best dramatic performance goes to' a little drama carries a lot of impact in your demo. Don't just read from a script, ham it up a little. Create a problem/solution scenario.  Then let your product 'save the day'

Example: Basco Inc. manufactures a line of spill containment products for barrels. At the show, Basco was promoting its Drum Tourniquet, a kind of fibreglass 'Band-aid', equipped with high-powered magnets and suction cup for repairing damaged barrels. While the product itself isn't particularly dramatic, the circumstances under which it's used are. 'Does this ever happen at your plant' the presenter asks the crowd of plant managers that has gathered. 'A barrel is damaged and suddenly you have a spill containment problem on your hands. What can you do' He leans over and rips the Drum Tourniquet off the side of a black steel barrel. Water gushes from a nasty gounge in the barrel's side (you could hear people gasp). He pauses after about 5 seconds, leans back over and easy as pie, applies the Drum Tourniquet. The water stops immediately. The crowd cheers.

He even asks visitors to try it for themselves. 'See how simple it is' he asks. The demo drum sat on wire mesh over a square metal platform. As fast as the water gushed into the trough below, it was pumped back into the barrel - so the demo never had to be stopped for a refill.

Article by Jim Porterfield, Tradeshow Advisors www.tradeshowadvisor.com

More really useful help and advice is offered in our workshops and exhibitor coaching sessions