How do you maximize opportunities when exhibiting at trade shows, expos and industry events?
There is usually a huge cost involved in reserving your space, setting up your booth, and having people present throughout the event, so you want to take advantage of every opportunity.
I was recently asked by the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants to present a session for speakers at their careers evening in Perth, Western Australia. At this event, 33 exhibitors representing the Big Four and mid-tier accounting firms, mining companies, banks and even the Department of Taxation will compete for the attention of more than 500 final year accounting students from four tertiary institutions.
Below are the 12 tips I shared with exhibitors plus one bonus tip. I’ve adapted them slightly to suit a broader display audience. Bonus Tip 13 will help you prepare a checklist for the appearance of your people and booth.
1. Be clear about the different profiles of people who will attend
Of these, who do you want to attract? And who would be unsuitable for your requirements? Solve your qualifying questions in advance.
You don’t want your people to get stuck in long discussions with the wrong visitors and have the very people you want to attract leave because they couldn’t talk to you.
On the other hand, be careful to treat attendees as if they were ‘tire kickers’. Some visitors who may not be the right fit for your organization can become great word-of-mouth ambassadors. They bump into friends and associates at the event and tell them, “You really should go and see XYZ. They’re out of our league, but what they have to offer would be perfect for you and they’re so friendly and helpful.” “
2. Think like an assistant
At a Careers Expo, attendees are likely to relate to your recent graduates. Not so long ago they walked in the shoes of the wizards. To further help this process, there are two questions you should consider:
1) What did you do when you attended events like this?
2) What else would you like to have done and why?
Now discuss what each of you has identified from these two questions; And from there, find out what you need to do to help attendees get real value from this event.
3. Your purpose in exhibiting
Your purpose in exhibiting is to be noticed, remembered, trusted and preferred. By being noticed, I am referring to the good side of being noticed. If you’re still busy setting things up when the first attendees arrive, that’s the downside of noticing!
You are in full view and must be prepared and ready for the first people to enter.
4. What makes you accessible?
Smile with an open posture: This relaxes you and your behavior and body language sends the right message to the attendees.
A legible nameplate – This tells them that you are a real person and not a company representative.
Show yourself listening to others: When you listen to others, notice. Your body language is telling attendees, “You are important.” Attendees want to talk to someone who makes them feel that way.
Being seen laughing with other attendees: This relaxes people, making it easier for them to approach you.
5. What keeps attendees away?
Is that your attitude showing? – Team members are sometimes pressured to attend racing events and other trade shows. If you’re thinking, “This is a waste of time. I have more important things to do than be here,” attendees will pick up on it. Your thoughts and beliefs drive your body language and tone of voice. People subconsciously realize this.
Sentinel stance: arms crossed and feet apart like a bouncer in a nightclub. It is the posture of ‘You shall not pass’.
It looks like it’s ready to pounce – attendees don’t like to feel like a bird of prey is swooping down on them.
How you hold your brochures or booklets: Without even realizing it, this can be a barrier that makes you less accessible. Leave your brochures and gifts. They can create a barrier between you and attendees, especially if you hold them in front of your chest.
Checking your phone: It can be a quiet moment in your booth while you talk, text, or scroll through your phone. However, the message it gives is ‘I’m busy, please don’t interrupt me’. Even from a distance, people will notice and avoid you. Exit your booth or go to a curtained area to make calls and check your phone.
Closed off in conversation with other staff – this also gives off the ‘don’t interrupt me’ vibe.
Seen locked in a conversation with a person, this gives the ‘Uh oh’ warning. Other attendees will avoid you lest they receive similar treatment.
6. Opening sentences
Avoid beginner opening lines like ‘How are you? I can help? Need help? Do you want a brochure?
They encourage responses like “Okay,” “Okay,” and “No thanks, I’m just looking,” which leads nowhere and attendees just walk away with their brochure.
Of course, some attendees may have specific questions for you and will start the conversation, which is great.
Good opening questions for you might include:
“What have you found useful so far?”
“What are you looking for by attending today?”
“What brings you here?”
“What would you find useful to know about us/our product?”
7. How attendees receive information
There are three main ways people take in information:
Visual
living room
Kinesthetic
Attendees are being bombarded by sensory input every second they are at your event. While different types of attendees will be more biased towards one than the others, all three factors are involved in information absorption; and research shows that up to 95% of impressions that are created may be occurring on a subconscious level.
You should be aware of this and do your best to be viewed in the most favorable light.
Just as an example of visual stimuli, let’s consider personal presentation. You should look smart and casual, perhaps in matching uniforms or t-shirts, and be well groomed. In my experience, most exhibitors do pretty well…from the ankles up. Below the ankles is often forgotten. However, he is sending a message even with students at a career expo. What message does the status of your footwear give them about precision, professionalism and attention to detail in your company?
8. Your purpose in answering a question
When you answer an attendee’s question, you have three goals to accomplish:
1) Answer concisely and accurately
2) To express your answer in a way that is easy for the attendee to understand
3) To make the person feel good about asking the question
It is this third goal that most people rarely think about.
However, it is crucial for the assistant to feel comfortable with you. Many attendees worry about asking ‘dumb’ questions and, as a result, don’t open up or share their questions and concerns with you. When you make them feel good, they become more confident and more likely to share the real issues that matter to them. For example, you can say, “I’m glad you asked,” “That’s a good question,” “That’s interesting, I haven’t been asked that today.”
9. Identify the point of common interest
The initial conversation is about establishing common ground. Ask open-ended questions that can identify a connection, and then share an idea that is relevant to them. For example, at a Careers Expo this is likely to be: “I never realized until I started working here that…”
Match your ‘common point of interest’ (CPI) to the individual. It is not a standard point. You may have three or four alternative ideas that you can select from. These are things that give them a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to work for an organization like yours.
10. Your ‘What’s next?’ strategy
Once you’ve identified the right candidates, be clear about what you want them to do and what you will do. Have a couple of clearly crafted and agreed-upon action statements to guide them to the next step.
For example, “Based on what you’ve told me, I should get your details and…” or “Already signed up for our…? Here’s what you need to do.”
11. Interact with multiple attendees when one-on-one isn’t possible
Most of us feel more confident when we direct our comments and attention to one person. At an event like a racing expo, this is not always possible. Here are some tips:
Don’t just focus on one member of the group.
Use inclusive body language
Deflect a comment or question from others after acknowledging the first person, for example, “Good question, is that something that would be of interest to others here?”
Ask (then address) a specific qualifying question from the group and gauge the reaction of the different attendees. Direct your follow-up comments to those who are with you. That way some can leave and other attendees who are interested can take their place.
12. Disconnect from the people who corner you
Use active listening techniques to get to the point. After confirming understanding, continue with “I better not dominate your time here, I’m sure you have others to review. By all means, come back if you have any more questions.”
Have a recognized ransom code with your peers. Even if everyone else is involved with other attendees, you can still ask, “Does anyone have our D3 flyers?” This could be a code for “Help someone rescue me quick!” So a colleague might say, “Sorry, I think we’re out of D3 brochures, but I have an assistant here asking a question related to his area of expertise. Could he join us for a moment?”
If you need to pass unsuitable candidates, do so tactfully and without offending them. Instead of “No, you don’t qualify because your grades aren’t good enough,” phrase it as “As long as your grades are…” And instead of a strong statement of your criteria along the lines of “To be considered you must …” put it “Our current selection criteria are…” Participation is then at some point in the future there may be opportunities for this attendee. As we all know, some people are late and we don’t want to put them down when there is no need to.
The tips above were written for a short evening of racing. Many of the events he exhibits at will be much longer, from field days at regional expos to two- or three-day shows. Here’s an important tip for these longer events.
13. Bonus Tip: Prepare a Checklist for the Appearance of Your People and Booth
Wear stylish, comfortable shoes every day. If you wear the wrong shoes, your feet and back will soon ache and you will spend more time sitting. This makes you seem less welcoming and approachable, unless you’re sitting with an attendant.
The stand must be as presentable 35, 65 and 95% of the way through the event as it is at the beginning. Your most valuable customer can arrive at any moment and will judge you based on what they see.
Regularly review your display and promotional materials and make sure they look ‘just right’.
Dirty coffee cups should be kept out of sight. It’s amazing how they take professionalism away from your stand.
Don’t eat at your booth.
These are just some of the items to include on your checklist. Review this before each event and seek input from all team members who will be present. Your reputation is on the line, which makes this an invaluable exercise.