I have just come back from spending three days at a major exhibition. My company was not exhibiting so I spent the time walking the floor, meeting exhibitors and looking at what other people were doing. Some of what I saw did not impress me!
When I worked for a major corporation and we were attending an exhibition, we were usually sent a note before arriving, reminding us about how to behave and what to wear etc. I always found them rather patronising as I felt that I knew how to do my job! However, it does appear that some people do not understand theirs, or at least, do not understand their role at an exhibition.
Before you attend an exhibition, you need to consider the reason for your attendance. It can be about making your presence known in the market place, launching a new product or making a major announcement. For most companies most of the time, attending exhibitions is about meeting customers, whether they are existing customers or new ones.
If you want to meet a new customer, you first of all need to attract their attention. Your stand needs to be visually appealing but more importantly, you need to tell your potential customer what you do and preferably, what you do for them. If they cannot understand what you do, they are unlikely to stop. Many people at an exhibition are wary or approaching a booth where they do not know anyone so they need to know if is going to be worthwhile if they do. If you do not tell anyone what you do, in simple language that anyone can understand, then you are not likely to get people to stop.
If you make it easy for them to understand what you do, they are more likely to stop. However, that does require them to be able to know what your product can do for them. Much better to try to demonstrate what you can do for them. This is even more important if you are a new company. Established companies can get away with this because they are well known but for anyone else, explain why your customer should care about your product.
Once you have attracted your customer’s attention, you need them to be happy to approach you. I have seen so many booths where the people looking after it are head down, looking at their phone, or worse, their laptop. No one is going to approach you if you are not looking welcoming. If you are busy “doing your job”, they are never going to come up.
If you want someone to approach, look like you want to talk to them. Stand there with a smile and an open posture. Make the first move towards them and ask them a sensible question. If you look like you would rather be somewhere else, your potential customer will decide that you don’t want to talk to them and will walk on by.
With regards that sensible question, never ask “Can I help you?” A closed question like that is never going to get a good response. “What are you looking for today” is much better, as is “What is your objective in attending today”.
Lastly, stay to the end. This week I saw booths empty of their staff well before the end of the day. You never know when that important customer is going to turn up and if you have left early, you may miss them. It also tells other potential customers that you have better things to do than speak to them which is never a great message to give out.
Exhibitions cost a lot of money. Spend it wisely and make the most use of your time there.