How to Choose and Manage Your Show Staff
Put your best face forward!
HOW TO CHOOSE AND MANAGE YOUR STAFF
Before the show
Step One: Choosing staff
The preparation and suitability of your company representatives should not be underestimated. The people who work in your exhibition stand become the face of your company and provide the human element to your brand. Before choosing staff try to determine who the visitors will most want to speak with- managers, technicians, specialists etc.
Follow the simple acronym APPLE to choose the right staff for your exhibition:
Attitude- Make sure you pick people orientated staff who can handle stress and are able to do so with a positive, inviting attitude.
Product knowledge- Make sure your staff knows about the products/services they are selling. Customers come to trade shows and expo's with many questions and its important your staff can answer them.
Personality- Personality is everything. It’s key to have staff that can relate to the customers and make them feel welcome at your booth. Being enthusiastic, confident and a good listener is a key to success.
Location- Choose staff that are geographically familiar with the shows area. If your audience is highly regional, you want regional salespeople in the booth who are familiar with local issues.
Experience- The best staff are those who know what to expect from an event. You want people who have seen it all and know what to expect and have a proven track record of success. Just because somebody has lots of experience, does not necessarily mean that they have experience with success. Start communications with your list of potential staff members before the show to gage their potential. You will soon be able to tell who is not interested or doesn’t have the desire to learn how to effectively work an exhibit.
Step Two: Train your staff
Pre-Show Training
You can either hire a professional trainer to talk to your staff on how to work with the crowd, engage attendees, etiquette and the marketing strategy for the trade show. Or you can hold a seminar for the stand staff yourself! Ensure topics covered in training include:
- Likely questions visitors will ask and the best responses.
- Body language and speaking etiquette.
- How to handle conflict or problem visitors.
- KPI's to meet and what is expected of them each day.
Step Three: Assign the co-ordinator
Assign an exhibition co-ordinator who will be the main point of contact and be in charge of booth staff.
Other things to consider-
Prepare accommodation for your staff if your team is travelling to the exhibition. Prepare name badges with full names, job titles, company name and logo. Establish a dress code for your staff: They'll look more professional and act as better ambassadors for your company. It may sounds obvious, but ensure all staff pay attention to their personal appearance and that hair, makeup and accessories are professional and conservative. Clean hands and neat nail are important, as your team will be shaking hands hundreds, perhaps thousands, of times during the show. Staff should not chew gum or eat at the booth.
During the show –
All staff should engage with attendees, if someone isn't engaging, tell them to take a break or walk the tradeshow gathering information. Check in with your team throughout the trade show to assess performance, reward positive behaviours, and stop negative trends before they get out of hand and remind everyone of your goals, your key messages and the role of each team member.
After the show-
Wrap up the results of the show and get the feedback on the show from your staff, as well as any comments or concerns on how the show went and why. Thank your staff members for good work. Remember that a staff member who feels valued and appreciated is more likely to work above and beyond.
