Among the things I’ve learned in the 20+ years that I’ve been training exhibit staff is to encourage my client – often a trade show/event manager who is measured on having a great show/event program – to ask and answer the the W.I.F.M question (What’s In It For Me) from their exhibit workers’ perspective. What value can they derive (related to what they were hired to do) by staffing a show?

When the WIFM question is asked and answered and a show’s strategy and plan is tweaked accordingly, exhibit workers tend to be more receptive to the trade show manager’s input and direction and motivated to represent their company to the best of their ability.

Identifying and then balancing the goals and needs of everyone involved prior to, at and after a show or event will lead to better attendee experiences and quantifiably improved results.

Many exhibitors do not teach their staff to properly engage and quickly qualify each visitor and focus their time and attention on those who are targeted. The big variable is how many of those who are attracted to your exhibit are targeted. If the percentage is big, then you will have a good show. If the percentage is small you will have a miserable result.

Too often the strategy is to attract a large unqualified crowd with give aways or magicians and such and hope that those people who are the targets will speak up, identify themselves and engage the staff! The more people you attract the harder it is to be successful. This is a pretty clear recipe for poor results and low ROI.

Put yourself to the test and see how many of these success factors you have in place, or observe as a visitor: (Check the ones you practice or observe regularly)

___ 1) Define the targets addressable at the event by product set
___ 2) Attract them with targeted promotion
___ 3) Train the staff to engage visitors and separate the targets from the non- targets
___ 4) Have a plan to manage the visit of the targets
___ 5) Convey specific, consistent, benefits oriented, high priority information that is relevant to each target set
___ 6) Have a pre- determined set of target visitor commitment goals (specific steps and activities).
___ 7) Ensure the commitment goals are steps that sales agrees is are steps in the sales cycle
___ Have a system in place to record the commitments
___ 9) Provide motivation and support to the committed visitor to follow-through on the follow-up step through at and post- event communications.
___ 10) Set as many pre-scheduled meetings as possible with customers, prospects, suppliers, partners and others who can improve your profitability in some way.

This does work! It takes focus, planning, training and execution, but it will deliver results and make for happier more productive staff members and visitors.

Ed Jones

(if you have a question or would like to discuss email me at edjones@constellationcc.com)

Of course be empathetic and polite, but exhibitors have about 6 seconds to get your attention and take your pulse. “Dumping” features I agree is not stage one. Rapport must be be established quickly through attitude and body language.

I suggest that staffers prepare one or two quick questions that help identify the prospect’s level of interest in the company, line, or product. The answer to each question determines what the next step will be. If this require more information, then asking the prospect to complete a short survey in exchange for a gift or incentive is a good way to probe.

I am sorry but I really do not agree with number 5. I want my staffers to be in charge and close the encounter with a choice of action steps such as: 1) Would you like to hear more? 2)Do you have some questions I can answer for you? 3)Would you like to place an order? 4)Would you like to have someone follow up with you after the show? 5) May I scan your badge so we can keep you posted on new products, services (or whatever)? If this is what Mr. Sommers means by control then that’s ok. But I want to lead the prospect to a decision that positions me to continue the process toward helping him or her become happily involved in my offer.

I understand that some booth staff can be downright rude and abrupt. The best advice to staffers and their managers is don’t try to “wing it”. Have a plan that respects the attendees and their time. Help them to quickly understand what you have to offer and know what you want to get out of this brief encounter. Then follow up.

By your comments it sounds like you’ve endured some harsh trade show booth staffing experiences. Here are some thoughts that may prevent future similar experiences.

Long hours
After almost 20 years of booth staffing, I’ve even staffed 5 days shows that lasted 10 hours a day but at times felt like they’d last the rest of my life. To make it through those long hours required first and foremost regular breaks — we brought enough staffers and scheduled their hours ahead of time. While staffing, I’d walk around to different sides of the booth to keep it interesting, and vary the engaging questions I’d use to start a conversation. Just starting a demonstration of the product also helped to engage visitors and sped up the time.

Giveaways, not takeaways
If your attendees are barging in for giveaways, then change your giveaway strategy. Instead of offering pens or other future halloween gifts, choose giveaways that would only be valuable to your clients in their job, like a special tool or a research report about their industry issues. Keep the giveaways out of site to discourage freeloaders, and only give them to prospects in exchange for qualifying information. And if there are some freeloaders there, you can’t change them, so instead try to focus your energy and time on the highly qualified attendees that are also walking the show.

Badges
Even if you don’t start by scanning an attendee’s badge, you can first look at their badge, or better yet, ask the visitor who they work for, what they are looking for at the show, or if they are familiar with your company. Not only will that get the conversation started with their needs in mind, but also with those few questions you will probably identify the people who have a pre-set appointment.

Spies in our midst
When a spy visits our booth their behavior usually sets off internal alarm bells. You can tell it’s a spy if they ask a lot of knowledgeable product questions right off the bat, yet they can’t look you in the eye. When you get the uncomfortable feeling that your attendee is possibly a competitor trying to snoop, it’s best to ask for a scan from their badge, or better yet, their business card, to see if they really are a prospect. Also, ask them many more questions about their business and what their specific needs are. That usually trips them up. When I’ve got a suspected or confirmed spy in my booth, I just tell them very little other than what they can see on the exhibit’s graphics. When I know it’s a competitor I might even turn the tables and ask them questions. But most of all, realize that nowadays spies can probably get all the info they want from your website and press releases about your products anyhow. You’re not really guarding secrets.

In the end, I agree with Brian’s main point that as marketers and sales people need to remember that the trade show attendee is walking down the aisle only thinking about their own problems. We will have a better chance of getting their business if we start the conversation on their needs, rather than focus on our own perspective.