When preparing for a show, there are a number of moving pieces that must all function together in order for the presentation to be a complete success. Preparing your team for success far in advance is critical to your overall success. Here are the measures you should take to ensure that everything is in working condition.
1. Act Out Scenarios in Front of the Class
Prepare for any eventuality you can imagine – from the ideal to the worst – and prepare a set of scripted responses to use in those situations. Practice with your coworkers, one of them will play the role of salesperson and the other will play the role of consumer, and rehearse these lines. You can improvise at your leisure to polish your wits even further. The goal here is to become an expert at guiding a consumer through a sales presentation.
2. Make Your Event Publicized
If you’re planning to advertise your trade show, you have a number of excellent possibilities. For example, you may hire out a half- or full-page ad in an industry trade newspaper at a subsidised rate to promote your business. Alternatively, you might go to Google and try to target specific conference-related search terms with AdWords campaigns.
3. Hold a dress rehearsal for the performance.
Practice makes perfect, as they say. Do a full-on dress rehearsal a day or two before the show to ensure that you are well prepared and that you will not feel stage fright on the big day. Getting comfortable in your outfits, practising your lines, and even becoming familiar with local dialects and cultural characteristics will all help you earn more sales in the long run.
4. If necessary, outsource services.
There are several organisations out there that you can outsource services to if you just don’t have the necessary capacity in your organisation. Inspect references and testimonials to ensure that the firm you choose is reputable and capable of working within your budget.
Now is the time to put months of preparations to the test in the real world. In order to be successful as an exhibitor, you must be more alert than ever before. Listed below are the procedures you must do to ensure that your show runs well and without a hitch.
1. Create a Positive First Impression
You must captivate visitors’ attention with a visually appealing booth design that piques their interest. Developing your brand at a trade show begins with the appearance of your booth and whether or not it attracts people to the exhibit.
It is important that when a customer visits your booth, their senses are stimulated. Make use of movies, music, posters, and banners sparingly, as you don’t want to overwhelm the buyer with too much information. There should be nothing in the booth area that repels the visitor; exhibit confidently and ensure that every object in the booth area serves a functional purpose before opening the door.
2. Establish a warm and trusting relationship.
It is your responsibility as an exhibitor to serve as the public face of the company. It’s important that you don’t come across as cold, distant, uninterested, or hostile, right? Instead of cold selling, warm selling may be more effective. Customers will be more engaged if you smile at them, are active and personable, and converse with them rather than pitching them.
As much as possible, try to meet people who will allow you to follow up with them later on. Once a relationship has been built, you’ve generated a warm prospect, which is someone with whom you’ve previously communicated or interacted. In the case of meeting a prospect at an industry event, for example, and he requests that you email him in order to set up an appointment, that would be considered to be a warm relationship. The greater the bond that develops between you and the prospect, the more probable it is that a sale will be completed.
3. Put up a Happy Hour or other supplemental event. 4.
In addition to increasing the number of opportunities to speak with prospects outside of the more formal environment of a trade show, supplemental events can help you build your brand awareness. A happy hour or cocktail party is a great opportunity to network with others while providing them with complimentary beverages and snacks.
Another option to explore is holding a workshop, Q&A session, or seminar during the same time period as the exhibit is being presented. This increases your brand’s exposure while the event is taking place, and you can station brand advocates at the event to urge attendees to stop by your booth and say hello.
4. Sell, but don’t be obnoxious about it.
In order to avoid coming across as a “used car salesman,” you should avoid displaying your products at a trade fair. Engage in a conversation with folks who have an interest in your product or service. Never bother them with pushy sells or desperate attempts to obtain their contact information. In the same way, don’t ignore anyone who comes up to your booth. It could be a competitor gathering information, or it could be someone who is far outside of your target audience, but everyone should be treated with common respect.
Provide feedback cards to anyone who wish to express their opinions, whether they are critical or complimentary. This will allow for a more transparent and participatory environment, which will be more comfortable for the visitor to experience. It also provides you with a tool to keep track of your sales style and determine if any changes need to be done.
5. Provide a Powerful Demonstration
At any trade fair, the product display may make or break your reputation; there is no room for error. Remove any unneeded information from your demo and make it more intriguing. Present one main benefit that resonates to your target audience, and then provide useful extra materials such as films, brochures, or specification sheets for those who are interested.