I’ve written about trade shows before. There’s a lot to making one successful from which booth you select to your signage, from your team members to your list preparation. But let’s take a minute to talk about the things you might not think about that can make a difference in trade show success.
Trade Show Uniforms
Most companies want their employees easily identified inside and outside of the trade show booth. This is a great idea but…we don’t all have to look like IBM sales people from the ’80s. There are a number of embroidered shirt, blazers, tees, and other clothing options that your employees will feel comfortable in. Most exhibitors select shirts that can fit a male or a female, they’re androgynous and unbecoming on 99% of the people who wear them. Your employees feel it too. They don’t look good and they don’t feel good in what they’re wearing. Then you send them out to spend the day with potential customers. Stop that. Nobody wants to feel like a badly dressed robot handing out promotional products.
Find something they’ll look good in, and they’ll feel good. You’d be surprised at how that will affect their ability to sell and will maximize your trade show success.
Choose a Booth Near the Food, Entrance, or Rest Rooms
If you’re able to select your booth location, you want to make sure you’re near something that most of the people will walk by. Being near the food is an excellent opportunity to speak with a nearly captive audience once the food lines form. Entrances and rest rooms are also good locations but there’s an urgency behind them that is hard to get people to stop for. Look for places in the main flow of traffic.
Use Consultation Space
Unless you have the sort of product or service that sells itself in minutes, you’ll most likely need time with prospective customers. One of the major problems with most booths is that when your sales people are selling and talking with people at the booth, they often are blocking the signage for people walking by.
Consider this: you’ve created the ultimate crowd at your booth. Your team is on fire getting everyone excited about your product or service. People walking by are stopping to see what the crowd is drawn to but they can’t see your signage to know if they are interested or not. Your sales people are with others so the attendees walk on.
One of the latest trends in booth design is the consultation lounge. This allows you to draw people into your booth, make them comfortable, and have a conversation with them, a much more effective way to “sell.” It also allows the passer-bys to see all of your signage an branding.
When it comes to trade show success, there’s a lot that plays into it. What your employees wear and feel comfortable in, your conversation space, and your location are just three of the things that can help you be more effective at your next show.
We can help you with all of your trade show needs including branding and unique promotional items. Think of us as as extension of your marketing team. Call us today.
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