Exhibitions can be a great opportunity for small and growing businesses. It is a chance to get new leads and meet prospective customers. The three main goals of taking part in an exhibition would be to develop relationships, generate leads and create brand awareness. But, none of this will happen if you do not have a plan and if you are not adequately prepared.
The mentality that since you have an exhibition you will get people visiting your stand is not enough. You must put yourself out there to capture the interest of those in attendance. Below are a number of things that you might not know about attending exhibitions.
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Attendees have been on their feet for a number of hours
This might seem a strange consideration, but you can use this fact as an advantage for you. Attendees will practically fight for a place to sit down and rest their feet. You can create some space in your booth for a few chairs where attendees can sit and take a break. They will definitely be attracted to your stand by the spontaneous seating area and they will be more attentive when relaxed. People will appreciate this thought and you might get more leads by this simple considerate act.
Do not expect attendees to guess who exactly you are
You need to have a sufficient number of banners, company literature and signs at your stand. Do not assume that your service or product is obvious to attendees. Before the exhibition date, triple-check to ensure that the company’s objectives are clear on all materials. This applies mostly to those companies with specialised and complicated products and services. It will not be fair to attendees who have to grill you in an effort to find out about your service or product. Your lack of presentation will deter most attendees and they will not approach you.
Before the exhibition, test the three-second stand design
Typically, three seconds is the time that a person needs glancing at your stand to get a grasp of who exactly you are and how they can benefit from your product or service. To make sure your stand does this, use the most assertive media. Consider using audio-visual displays. Have banners that give a brief about your product and service. Have enough material on your stand to give enough information to customers. If you want to encompass all of this in one bespoke stand, purchasing a modular exhibition stand will do just that.
Attendees are always in a rush
Many of the attendees will rush through the aisles even though they have just arrived. Most of them are afraid that they will not have enough time to see everything. Keep this in mind and give a very brief but informative introduction. Keeping the introduction brief will ensure that you do not spend too much time with attendees who are not interested in your business, product or service. Instead, give the interested attendees ample time to talk to those genuinely interested in your product or service.
Your employees need training
Your employees are the face of your company at the exhibition, but you may be surprised by how little they know about your services or product. Your employees should be trained on ‘how to’ exhibition skills. Attendees should not be approached aggressively because they will leave and they should not be ignored either. Your employees should use a non-threatening approach to avoid scaring off the attendees. They should also not sit behind the table but instead be at the front mingling with them.
Preparation is key to having a fruitful exhibition. Unpreparedness usually leads to chaos and frustrations and this will not attract any new clientele. Remember first impressions count, so aim to make the best impression within a few seconds.
About Carson Derrow
