Last week’s blog was on the selection of successful exhibition stand staff. This week, we look at the work that needs to be handled by those stand staff, courtesy of Skyline Displays, (www.skylinetradeshowtips.com) who have a fortune of free information for exhibitors:
‘Your best stand staffers have a strong work ethic, a wide variety of skills and flexibility. Stand staffers are more than eye candy at the edge of the stand; they are the epitome of multi-taskers.
Here are 44 things stand staffers can do, in your stand and throughout the show:
1. Set your exhibition show displays
2. Take leads
3. Be a brand ambassador
4. Advance the buying cycle
5. Engage visitors in the aisle
6. Establish relationships with prospects
7. Qualify leads to establish needs
8. Present how their company can solve the prospect’s specific need
9. Overcome objections
10. Record each prospect interaction
11. Give presentations
12. Demonstrate products
13. Introduce your new products
14. Answer technical questions
15. Recruit potential employees
16. Gather competitive intelligence
17. Gather market research
18. Give interviews to the press
19. Meet with potential suppliers
20. Forge new business alliances
21. Network with industry peers
22. Attend keynote and seminar sessions
23. Dine or refreshments with clients, prospects and business partners
24. Attend hospitality events
25. Host hospitality events
26. Keep the stand clean and tidy
27. Spot clean the booth surfaces and flooring
28. Enter leads into a database
29. Fix or find fixers for technical glitches with the stand, computers or internet
30. Sort leads by quality and pass on hot leads right away
31. Re-stock promotional items, literature, business cards, candy bowls
32. Unwrap giveaways, or wrap with company branded paper
33. Serve food and drink to prospects
34. Meet with existing clients
35. Refill lead form print pads and staplers
36. Take a break and recharge
37. Walk the show floor and take the pulse of the industry
38. Help rookie staffers learn fast
39. Ask veteran staffers how to succeed
40. Share with management their insights on what’s on the mind of the prospects
41. Share with management what went well and how to further improve the company’s exhibition performance
42. Dismantle the exhibition display
43. Ensure that the crates come back
44. Ensure that the exhibit ships with the right shipper, to the right place.’
and you thought that all stand staff did was hand out leaflets and take enquiries!
It is not expected that one person will perform all of these activities on the stand but this is a useful checklist of the jobs which need to get done by:
Stand Manager – who should be made responsible for delegating these tasks to the best qualified stand staff, then monitoring and assisting with their performance.
Technical staff who are invaluable to talk to decision-influencers, who want to talk specifications and nuts-and-bolts
Press liaison – authorised by management, to speak on behalf of the company, especially if contentious issues could be raised by the press.
Company management – who should be given specific responsibilities on the stand, like meeting top clients and prospects, being available for spot decisions on price and delivery, giving press interviews etc.
‘Successful stand staff’ eBook is available to download for R99.00, plus VAT or half-day workshops are available, customised for your exhibition participation and stand staff.