Benjamin Franklin is credited with the quote, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

Yet, recent research by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) found that one-fifth of exhibitors do not train their in-booth staff. What makes this stat even more worrisome is the fact that 90 percent of responders said that the most important reason to return to a booth is due to the engagement they have with the booth staff.

According to the report, “The top-ranked factor that brings attendees back to a business-to-business exhibition repeatedly is the quality of face-to-face engagement with booth staff and product experts. Exhibitors are the core of an exhibition floor. The quality of booth experiences, the staff who work in the booth, can make or break attendee satisfaction with an event.”

The good news is that the number of exhibitors who do not train their staff is down considerably from the 2012 CEIR report. That study revealed that 50 percent of exhibitors rarely or never hold exhibit-staff training sessions.

Training is one of – perhaps, the – most important elements of preparing for a trade show. In fact, six months after an event, 80 percent of what visitors to your booth remember about your company is based on the interactions they have with your booth staff.

Yes, in the run-up to the show, issues like booth planning, design, construction, and other logistics can take priority. But then, a few months before the event, scheduling a series of training sessions is of paramount importance. In fact, for companies that exhibit multiple times per year, a steady rotation of booth training sessions will help ensure that your staff is at their best at all times.

Define Roles and Responsibilities

An essential part of training is ensuring that everyone understands their responsibilities and where they need to be at all times. Trade show days are long, and staffers will need to take breaks to ensure they are at their best when interacting with attendees. So, make sure it is clear who is to step in during someone’s break time.

Also, during training you will discover your booth staff’s strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to assign roles that fit them according to their strengths. Who will accel at meet-and-greets? Who is personable enough to be a floater? Who is detail orientated and has the knowledge to perform demonstrations? Once you have filled all of your necessary roles, make sure that everyone clearly understands what is expected of them and what isn’t. A full understanding of these parameters will help to ensure that the show days run smoothly.

Booth Etiquette

Essentially, your booth is a stage. So, anytime a staffer occupies the booth space, they are on stage and should be playing their part. In fact, the first impression most attendees have of your company occurs several feet away as they approach your booth. If they see staff that is leaning on tables, staring at their phones, engaged in conversation with other staff so their backs are turned toward the aisle, or absentmindedly snacking or eating, there is an extremely good chance that will be the only impression they have of your company.

However, positive nonverbal signals sent by your staff are one of the best tools you have to encourage attendees to stop by. So, be sure to inform your staffers about positive and negative body language.

Positive body language includes:

• Making eye contact
• Smiling
• Greeting attendees at the front of the booth
• Sitting only with a client who is also sitting

Negative body language comprises:

• Standing with arms crossed or hands in pockets
• Facing away from the aisle scenarios
• Fidgeting
• Leaning against booth walls and furniture
• Texting, checking email, staring at a screen

This is not to say that staffers can’t talk amongst themselves or be casual, they just need to appear ready to engage a visitor in conversation at all times. Also, no food in the booth. Again, the days are long and staffers will need to refuel to be at their best, but eating in the booth sends a slovenly message. Food should be consumed away from the exhibit, and water bottles need to remain hidden.

Sell Without Being Salesy

Give your booth staff a three- to four-sentence summation of what you want them to convey about your products, services, and/or company. You want someone to be able to approach any staffer and receive the same consistent message.

Next, review the difference between show floor interactions and selling in the field. Generally, in the field, a salesperson has the full attention of a prospect. Whereas, at a trade show, your staff is going to be competing for attention with every single other exhibitor and display on the floor.

To prepare your team for these encounters, create some role-playing scenarios. This will help your staff become comfortable with what can be some stressful, one-on-one interactions. By running through these scenarios, your staff will feel secure and in charge when on the show floor.

Clarify the Dress Code

There is no right or wrong approach to this. The key to establishing a dress code is simply identifying what works best with your corporate culture. For example, some conservative companies do not want an employee’s tattoos to be visible while he or she is on the show floor. However, for another company, a visible tattoo may be seen as a selling point. For some companies, business casual is the preferred attire while others supply staff with branded clothing or a full uniform.

The point is to establish your dress code and make sure that your team understands these expectations. A cohesive dress policy will help your staff tie into the motif of your exhibit.

Get Familiar with the Exhibit

Everything that has been mentioned up to this point takes place in the weeks leading up to the event. However, this next step needs to take place in your exhibit once the build is complete, either the day before or the morning of the first day.

Start by walking the show floor so your team can become comfortable with the location of your exhibit in relation to other significant landmarks of the hall, such as the entrance, restrooms, food court/restaurants, coffee stands, taxi/Uber pick up areas, emergency exits, press room, and basically any other area that a visitor may inquire about. Also, for your own edification, you may want to scout out the locations of any competitors.

Next, take a tour of the booth itself. Familiarize the staff with the layout including any meeting rooms and storage compartments, products and demo areas, and places for the team to store personal items.

Make sure your team is familiar with any literature, product demos, and collateral items. By this point, they should be able to recite most literature without even looking at it, but it never hurts to check. Also, doublecheck all equipment, such as a badge scanners and lead-retrieval systems. It is also useful to verify that there are no last-minute hiccups with technology.

Finally, follow up with each member of the team to make sure they understand their hours and responsibilities while on site. It’s not uncommon for staff to scatter as the end of the day approaches. Set your expectations early if you want to avoid this. You may also want to check that they know where they are staying and how long it will take them to arrive at the show’s location. Make sure they are aware of the correct procedures to take should they be delayed or cannot make the show.

The more you do to prepare your team for the event, the better they will perform. If you would like some assistance getting your staff ready for the big show, The Trade Group can help. We have an established Booth Staff Training Program that is designed to optimize your teams’ performance. Give us a call at 800-343-2005.

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