Despite all the planning in the world, your trade show success is going to be determined by the staff you take along for the ride. It doesn’t matter how great your display stand looks, or what freebies you’re willing to give away. If your staff don’t blow people away, these potential new customers are going to turn a blind eye. In that instance, why have you even bothered to come along?
Trade shows, if done right, can be the most effective way of increasing your consumer base. Not only that, but you’ll be able to get a leg up on the competition by learning about the market. They’re invaluable for businesses looking to expand. You’d be foolish not to take full advantage of everything that’s on offer to you.
And yet, so many businesses make the mistake of taking the wrong staff with them. Their logic is sound. Why remove their best and brightest from the office, where they’re directly affecting your bottom line? However, by neglecting your most knowledgeable and charismatic staff, your trade show will suffer. Trust me, it’s worth taking a few days out of the firing line to increase your exposure.
Here are a few of the staff that you can’t afford to leave behind.
Copywriter and Voice Actors
I bet you just raised your eyebrow at this one, huh? Well, let allow me to explain why you should charge into your creative department and grab your content king. I’m going to go ahead and assume that you’re happy with your current copywriter. Whether he’s freelance or in-house, you wouldn’t be employing him if he didn’t nail the voice of your company. That’s why you need him to write the scripts for your presentation. Trade shows, too, are unpredictable events. You’ll need him around in case you need some last minute changes.
Along with him, grab the most charismatic of your bunch. You may, in fact, need a few of them. The ones that have been blessed with the gift of the gab. The ones with a track record of pulling sales from seemingly nowhere. They’re the ones that are going to give your audience a hook, and convince them to buy your product. If you aren’t confident in their ability, you could look to hire voice over agents instead.
Manning the Front Line
On top of them, you need the staff that are going to head up your booth. The ones that are going to be courteous and welcome the inquisitive visitors. They don’t necessarily need to be spokespeople, but it’s imperative that they know your business and product inside out. When looking for traits, think about personality. You want welcoming, friendly, and lively staff at your booth.
They should know exactly what is expected of them, right down to their appearance and time of arrival. You can’t leave anything to chance here. This is your big opportunity to raise some crucial new business. Don’t take it lightly. Likewise, don’t over staff your booth, as this can be overwhelming for visitors.
Trade shows can be a great source of potential for businesses. Look at ways that you can leverage your presence when attending and participating in them.
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