Your people are your brand, especially on the booth
Written by Gemma Walsh Woodcock
Body language, people skills, paying attention
What your people do at a trade show matters
The Virtual Hero Media team has spent decades at trade shows and exhibitions around the world. We have been attendees, exhibitors and organisers so it’s fair to say we know a thing or two about trade shows.
Working a trade show as an exhibitor is hard graft. The days are long and your feet, back and throat will hurt. If you have done a good job of it, you will be taking qualified leads back to the office after the show closes.
B2B trade shows work when we know that the right audience is in the room. The audience should include new leads, existing customers, competitors, media and the industry at large. We go to trade shows to connect, to grow the brand and to educate and influence buyers – all to fill the sales pipeline. We can’t do any of the above without a great team on the booth.
Trade show success
Live events are complex operations. There are a whole number of reasons that impact your success. We have shared our tips to maximising your ROI at an exhibition. But what about the people representing your brand on the booth. I would say that people are your most important resource at the show.
Missed opportunity
Recently I was at a busy trade show walking the floor in the middle of the day. The aisles were full and there was a buzz in the air but not everyone was getting a share of the pie. Why? because they missed the opportunity to connect.
I am always baffled when I see booths with people sitting behind tables looking like they don’t want to be there. I am disappointed when exhibitors scan attendee badges without any basic qualification. And I am horrified when I see opportunities missed through a lack of basic people skills.
If your team is attending a trade show they are your most valued resource on site. How they perform matters to your success. As a marketing team you want to be confident that everyone is on the same page. Before the show you should have a plan, communicate it well and consider the following basic tips.
Get off your phone and connect - It seems obvious but I see this a lot. If your team aren’t sure why they are there, you have a problem that needs fixing. As a marketing team you need to be clear about setting expectations and basic guidance for the booth. If someone needs to take a call or send an email, do it off the booth. If your people look disconnected from the show they will miss the opportunity in front of them.
Look up, look out and smile - This matters too. Your body language is a signal to attendees about how inviting you are as a brand. Take care to look friendly, approachable and make a good impression. I have always tried to read the people in front of me and adapt to their own body language. Some people are more shy and don’t find it easy to talk, others are keen and capable of approaching you. Looking up and out gives you the best change of making a connection.
Qualify quickly - Don’t waste time talking with an attendee if you haven't qualified them. Don't spend ten minutes talking about your technology and solutions only to discover the person isn't your target audience. Early on in the conversation get curious about the person you are talking to. This will help you progress the conversation or politely move them on.
The more you find out about them the more relevant the conversation. This is the game and you are there to play it, so qualify quickly to connect.
Capture details don’t just scan a badge - I have had two annoying experiences as an attendee. The first is having my badge scanned in the aisle, this is completely pointless. The second is being asked if they can still scan my badge even though I am not a lead. Both these examples are futile.
Your sales team want qualified leads and even then they want details. As a team on the booth you should have a structure for capturing basic details about the lead. Find a way to share information about the conversation you had. I always have a note pad on the booth with me so that after the show I can update CRM and have relevant and meaningful follow up.
If you are looking to maximise your engagement at trade shows your people are a big part of that success. Think about what you do on the booth now and then think about the outcome you want to achieve. Do they align?
If your sales team want better leads and you want to convert those leads then your exhibition strategy is critical. Having a big and impressive booth managed by people who don’t know how to connect is a poor use of your marketing budget. Your people matter and especially so at a trade show.
