CHOOSE YOUR STAFF

Chose your staff, make sure they know the overall story thoroughly - and are absolutely clear about their part within it. Nothing undermines all your efforts more thoroughly than staff who are not fully in ‘clued up.'

ASSIGN ROLES

Some staff may be dedicated to selling, and others to gathering data and contact details.

ASSIGN ROLES

Some staff may be dedicated to selling, and others to gathering data and contact details. If you are hiring people specifically for the show, then it is doubly important to make the time and resources available to brief them fully. Do any or all of your team need some refresher training before the exhibition?

SKILL SET CHECK

If this is a once a year event for your staff, the chances are your team could do with brushing up their skills in:

• Opening a conversation with a visitor
• Getting appointments
• Dealing with difficult customers, antagonists and time wasters
• Using Body Language - (it is well documented that when people respond to presentation they are responding to words by just 7%, tone by 38% and body language 55%)
• Any technical expertise they will need - apart from your products, handling AV equipment etc.

DRESS TO IMPRESS

 Decide how you want your team dressed - what are they going to be wearing? Branded clothes will help visitors easily and quickly identify whom they should be speaking to. Also, if your staff are walking around, then they are obviously more visible and gives you that little bit more brand recall...

Costumes are great IF they are relevant to your story, and IF the costumes are good quality, and do not give off the vibe of having been hastily procured at the local party shop.

I know these are obvious but worth mentioning never the less: make sure your team are NOT over made up, are not wearing strong perfume or aftershave, do no gossip, do not eat or drink at the stand. Make sure they are well rested, alert, take breaks, drink plenty of water, are wearing comfortable shoes and have a spare set of clothes and shoes.

EXPLORE

It is a great idea to send your staff on ‘Walkabout', to check out your other businesses. Give them clear instructions to make useful observations about their stands: check out design and lighting, the stories being told, the approach to customer service, what gimmicks are working with the crowd, promotions on offer. Ask your staff to make a note of these.

SETTING TASKS AND GOALS

Give your staff specific goals each day, and de-brief at the end of each day to review and monitor progress. Reward people for exceptional performance and encourage building on each day's success. Do not let the excitement of the show distract you from your goals. If there are things that are not working, make changes and set achievement targets for the next day.