How to Build an Exhibition Stand Team That Sells

Once your stand has been ordered, your next task is making sure you’ve got the right team behind you to execute your plan.

It may sound obvious, but it’s really important that your team is made up of enthusiastic and friendly people. They don’t necessarily all need to be sales people, some visitors are just looking for help and advice, but it is important everyone knows what you’re trying to get out of the event.

So, how do you build a team that can solve the challenges you face?

Pre-show

Identifying the right skills

When you’re at an event, your brand, your company and how you behave is on full public display. The team you take with you to back you up and help you achieve your objectives need to be the very best. So, what are the traits you’re looking for?

• Approachable – Can your team pull in visitors off the aisle?
• Decisive – Do they know how and when to ask the killer questions to qualify the visitor?
• Knowledgeable – Is their product/service knowledge top notch to enable cross-selling?
• Concise – Can they distill the conversation notes to create a hot lead for follow-up?
• Tactful – Can they tactfully move the visitor on at the end of the conversation?

Quality over quantity

When was the last time you marched up to a huddle of people to instigate a conversation while flying solo? It can be pretty intimidating for some people, so it’s really important that you take the right amount of people for the space that you have. Not keeping stands open and inviting is a common mistake for exhibitors and it drives potential visitors away.

We recommend taking quality team members over sheer quantity. If visitors are interested in you and what you have to offer, they’ll generally wait a short while – maybe they’ll pick up and leaf through a tablet or brochure until you have seen off the last visitor. As a rule of thumb, try to keep your team to one person per 2 square metres – this will give your stand, and your team, room to breathe.

At show

Get the lay of the land

You and your team should aim to get to the event the day before to make sure everything is ready. Arriving early will give you time to practice your demonstrations, learn where literature is being kept, find out what the Wi-Fi login details are and see what your competitors are planning to do. The last thing you need is your team arriving after visitors start pouring in and being unprepared for those that arrived early to speak to you.

The devil makes work…

Being on your feet for up to a week can be hard going. But it’s vital you and your team maintains an approachable and attractive stand area. To help you stay a step ahead of your competitors, here are our top tips to keep you looking fresh and ready to sell:

1. Don’t be a bouncer – standing at the entryway to your stand makes you an obstacle in your visitor’s path. You need access and visibility to your stand to be as easy and free-flowing as possible, so stand just off to the side or walk around the aisle if there’s room.
2. Don’t cluster – as tempting as it may be to stand and have a chat with your colleagues, it poses an intimidating situation for your visitors. Have your team work in zones around the stand, visitors are more likely to approach individuals than approach a group.
3. Don’t talk on the phone – if your phone goes while you’re on your stand, answer it if you have to but take the conversation away from the stand. Better still, leave the call to go to voicemail and check them on your breaks.
4. Don’t sit – we’ve all been there: it’s 4:30 in the afternoon, the show starts to get quiet and your feet are sore. But resist the urge to sit down, you’re still on the clock and visitors could come by – they’ll think you’re on private time if they see you sitting down on your phone.
5. Don’t eat – this one is a no-no for two reasons: 1. It’s just really messy and you’ll cover yourself and the stand in crumbs, 2. Visitors won’t want to talk to you if you’re mid-sandwich. Set lunch breaks so everyone can go and eat in the dining area.
6. HAVE FUN! – keeping the atmosphere light and fun will instantly attract visitors. Everyone wants to be a part of the fun, so set some competitions for your visitors and your stand team to keep everyone motivated and engaged with the task at hand.

And that’s it! Even if you only follow a couple of these guidelines, you’re sure to build a team that will deliver results at your event. Obviously, building a stage to help your team shine is a major piece of the puzzle, too – and we can help you with that.

Talk to a member of our team today to find out how we can help you become show ready with our zero fuss, maximum impact range of exhibits. Whether you’re making the move from shell scheme to space only, or you’re an experienced exhibitor looking for a cost-effective alternative, we can help.