Seven reasons why your staff hate exhibition stands - Sheree Curry reports that the seven top complaints of stand staff are:

1. Lost compensation - being taken off the road, or denied the opportunity of reaching their targets or meeting their sales goals. The stakes are even higher when the sales person works on commission.

2. Schedule conflicts - sales people will want to call the office frequently, to catch up on work or to respond to telephone or e-mail messages that are piling up. They also want time to meet with their clients at the show.

3. Feeling enlisted - there's a good chance that your sales team view being at the show as an obligation or worse, an imposition.

4. Boredom, rigor mortis - sales people sometimes get bored at trade shows and feel that they are wasting time just standing around

5. Quality of leads - sales people are concerned at the quality of the prospects and leads from trade shows

6. Fear of rejection - prospecting at a trade show can be intimidating

7. Lack of recognition - if sales people dont feel valued, they don't want to be there.

80% of the success of your stand is due to the quality and effort of your stand staff. If you are experiencing any of these staff problems, then you might like to consider stand staff training

Skilled stand staff - many exhibitors dont have enough staff to adequately man their exhibition stand or are reluctant to take their top salesmen off the road for 4 days. Rather than hire models or students, how about using retired salesmen from your industry who have vast experience, product knowledge and are familiar with industry rules, regulations and personalities.

Preventative promotion - many exhibitors report that they frequently have a cold or flu following a trade show, due to the spread of germs by the hundreds of hands shaken. It is a good idea to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer on the stand and use frequently.

South African exhibitors targeted - by an Austrian company called Fairguide (or Construct-Data - Austria) who are offering 'free advertising' in what would appear to be an exhibition catalogue. This advertising has not been arranged by a South African exhibition organiser, nor is it free and is, in fact a 3-year non-refundable contract.