What makes a good exhibition stand?

Like most things in life, the better you prepare the greater the success.  Don’t leave it to the last minute and then be dictated by circumstances.  Make sure you have everything you need in plenty of time rather than working on a “last minute” deadline strategy.

 

Think about what you want to achieve and write it down, even if it’s just in an email to your staff or a colleague.  It may not be the amount of sales but more about the number of new contacts or meetings made.  It is good to look at what sales you achieved 6 months down the line.

 

You need to stand out and be interactive.  Maybe something unrelated to your industry.  I’ve seen wine/beer tastings, chocolate locusts, a roulette table, Wii games, “grab a grand”, Scalextric, guess the weight of, and of course food. This is the first stage to engaging with someone and to break the ice.  Think what you will do and say once they have completed the game/task.

 

You do all the right things and then send staff that don’t want to be there!  Make sure any staff with you buy in to what you are trying to achieve.  They may see it as going beyond what they usually do, so think about how to reward them.  It maybe they are not the right personality or they don’t have the skills yet, so see if they need any help.  We all like to be rewarded in different ways but a small reward often goes a long way.

 

Sitting behind a desk does not encourage people to stop and talk to you.  It’s up to you to engage with them.  I suggest that any exhibitor goes away from their stand to have their break. If you need to sit and talk to a client then I suggest you go to the café/networking area.  Walk around/in front of your stand so you can talk to people as they approach.  

 

I’ve lost count of the times I’ve stopped to talk to someone purely because they have smiled and started talking to me.  It doesn’t cost anything and can be worth a fortune.  Perhaps I should insure my teeth!  People like talking to happy people.

 

Focus 100% on what you are there to do.  Don’t just put it on silent.  You’ll be tempted to look at it every time it buzzes and then start thinking about the content of an email or tweet.  This is one of the most recent common mistakes made.  Look at your emails/social media when you are away from your stand. Treat it like a customer appointment; you wouldn’t keep looking at your phone when dealing with a new client face to face.  If you are a one-man-band, then get someone to come and give you a break during the day.

 

Don’t just try to sell.  Ask about the person and their business.  It’s amazing how many times you think there is nothing in common, but it could be they have a contact.  Invest a little time.  If you think you can help them it is usually best to try and meet up at another time to talk through options rather than trying to close a sale.  Another idea is to suggest you go and grab a coffee for 15 mins, if staff levels allow.

 

Don’t be afraid to ask to exchange contact details.  Maybe explain if you are going to add their details into your newsletter emails or that they will be entered into a prize drawn.  Make it easy to get/provide details.  

 

You do all the hard work and make plenty of contacts during the day.  You then lose all the business cards or you don’t follow up.  Even if it’s a group email just to say thanks for visiting.  Ideally a personal email is best but don’t make it too sales like.  You’re trying to build brand awareness not annoy them.  If you have agreed to contact someone after the event, make sure you do so within the timescale you said ie “next week” rather than “tomorrow”.  Make a note straight away as to what it is about, as it’s easy to forget by the time you have spoken to 2-3 more people during the next hour.