Trade Show Booth Staff Training Essential
Trade shows are always a big deal. You’ve spent months planning and preparing to wow the crowd with your innovative product. But what really makes or breaks your booth is the staff you have on hand to greet people as they enter and show customers around. These people are often some of the first faces that potential clients will see, so it’s important to make sure they can answer any questions with confidence and be welcoming.
Taking a little time at show set up to train your staff on how you want them behave will not just increase productivity, but also enhance impressions of your company in the minds of potential new customers. And remember, practice makes perfect.
Make sure your staff reviews the basic information about your business before the show. This includes:
Mission Statement: What is your company’s purpose and what do you want to accomplish? Your team should know how to state this clearly from memory.
Company History: How did your company get started? Who are the major players? How have you grown and evolved over time? Make sure they understand why you do what you do.
Product Overview: What makes your product special and why should people buy it? List at least five main benefits of the product, along with any outstanding features like quality, design, value or technology.
Make sure your staff can answer questions about your product and understand who the target customer is.
Depending on your product, show staff may also need to be able to explain key features or how it works. For something like a car, this may include being able to list the various safety features and how they compare with competitive cars. Include any special handling requirements, like how you want them to handle paperwork that customers may want to take home.
Keep in mind that a lot of booths have visitors with special needs such as wheelchairs and strollers, so make sure your staff is prepared to greet them appropriately.
Obviously, many companies go to the show with some kind of staff training beforehand. But if you are particularly busy, it’s always a good idea to give your staff a refresher training session before the show, as well as right before they leave. Print out some useful handouts, including your mission statement, product overview and even a sales script that they can use if needed. Make sure they know when and where these are located on site for easy reference.
For most people who visit a booth at trade shows, the first impression is usually made by the sales staff. But you can make sure that impression is positive by making sure your staff knows how to behave in front of customers both before and during the show.
Title: The Significance of a Trade Show Booth Contractor
Author: Greg Stevens
Date: March 3, 2011
Choosing the right company to handle your booth construction is an important part of the process. Meeting with your contractor in advance to discuss what you need and coming up with a written contract will make sure your needs are met in a timely and professional manner.
Your booth is one of the most important marketing tools you have at any trade show. It’s also one of the greatest investments, which is why you want to be sure it’s done right. Whether you hire someone local or turn to an outside company, this is one area where it pays to work with professionals.
Your booth is a very important part of your overall marketing strategy. Not only does it allow you to highlight the services or products you have to offer, but it gives you an opportunity to showcase your brand and professionalism.
It’s important that your booth be designed with your needs in mind. You want it to reflect the professional image of your company and look good from a distance at fairs held inside and outside the convention center. That means that when people see this space, they will remember what you have to offer and will keep thinking about you long after they’ve left.
That leads us right into the important details of the trade show booth contract. There are several important areas of information you should include in your contract. It’s a good idea to include:
-The services and materials that you plan to use;
-How long your company will be using the booth;
-The responsibilities of each party;
-Other details such as insurance or security provisions.
Your goals with these contracts aren’t only about making sure everything goes smoothly during the show and that you meet your deadlines, but also about doing everything possible to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved. That means being professional and setting expectations for all staff involved, as well as having a work schedule that will help ensure a smooth operation.
-How long the booth will be in place;
-Details about how the company will be paid, including any credit arrangements;
-Cost of any damages incurred by either party.
This may be your first trade show and it may take some time to develop a good working relationship with your contractor. Each staff member must have a clear idea of their responsibilities and duties when they arrive at the event as well as during set up and tear down. You want to make sure everyone knows what to do and how to do it in advance, from setting up the booth floor plan to helping customers find what they need.
The importance of your trade show booth cannot be stressed enough. It’s a space that you want visitors to remember and one where you want them to associate positive things about your brand. That’s why it’s important that every aspect is handled professionally and in accordance with both the law and industry standards.
-List any requirements for staff training and make sure all employees know what they are supposed to do;
-Provide copies of any applicable insurance and security information;
-Provide an emergency contact phone number.
You want to make sure everyone knows what they need to do before the show, including how their work schedule will work and what their responsibilities will be hours before the event begins. You may not be able to control the weather, but you can be prepared for the show and make sure that everyone knows what is expected of them.
-How long your company will be using the booth;
-Any special needs or conditions for staff;
-What happens if there are any problems during the show;
-The hours of operation for the booth.
You want to be sure that both your staff and your contractor know what they have to do before, during and after the event, including who will be responsible for making repairs and when. The training you provide should ensure that everyone understands how to handle any problems they may encounter, as well as how best to communicate with other parties involved in setting up and operating your booth.
By making sure your contract is complete and that your staff has been properly trained, you will be ready for just about any situation that might arise.
Title: The Indispensable Role of a Trade Show Booth Contractor
Author: Greg Stevens
Date: August 29, 2010
When it comes to coordinating the many details involved in preparing for a trade show, it’s all too easy to overlook something along the way. One important item in this process is having a reliable and professional contractor who can handle the task of building or renting the booth space you’ll use at the event.
Conclusion
In this article, I have discussed important aspects of Trade Show Display Design. However, it is not limited to these only. There are more things about this topic which are explained in the book named “Trade Show Booth Decorations” by John H Dye. In this book, John has given very good information about how to create a trade show booth strategically. He has described different trade show booth ideas with complete details and there are also some case studies which will help you to understand the effectiveness of his book better. You can buy and read the book if you want to know more about it or if you want to know more about this topic in a broader way.