Your next trade show is coming up, and you’ve planned every detail. You’ve got a well-thought-out strategy, your attendee journey is on point and follow up process, and you’ve got your KPI measurement nailed down.
However, all of this doesn’t matter without a carefully selected team of trained booth staff who know how to engage, excite, and essentially draw in new leads.
After all, people buy off people.
In this blog, we will show you the importance of your booth staff to the success of your exhibitions, with particular attention to:
- The selection process
- Upskilling
- Key roles
Strap yourselves in.
Invest Time into Your Selection Process
Taking plenty of time to carefully pick out your booth staff is more important than you may think. You may have had what you thought was a talented team of staff at your previous exhibition, but how well do you really know them and their skill sets?
Lots of factors can play into the success of a trade show that depends on pure luck. Attendance may have been high, your staff may have been having an unusually productive day, and the attendees may have been in an extra good mood that day – perhaps the weather was a bit perkier than usual.
Remember, if one exhibition was a success with your team, it doesn’t always mean the next one will follow suit.
This is why it’s imperative to invest time in your selection process. You wouldn’t want to waste all the effort that you have put into the rest of your preparation and planning process to throw it down the drain due to failing to properly vet your booth staff.
Here is a handy checklist on where to invest time in your selection process:
- Find out their strengths and weaknesses
- Test their knowledge
- Take note of their body language
- See if they are asking the right questions
- Test them on the follow-up process
- Be assured that they will be prompt
- Do they have the right attitude?
These are just a few of the things to consider when selecting your booth staff, some of which may seem like a given, but you’d be surprised how often staff is tardy, or even fail to show up at all.
Upskilling your Booth Staff
Each member of your booth staff team will require a different level of upskilling.
What’s important to note is that they should have the right attitude. They should be wanting to learn and grow. If they aren’t, it might be wise to return to step one and rethink your selection. Even the most proficient booth staff have room to improve, whether they think it or not…
There are multiple ways you can train your booth staff, here are just a few examples.
Shadowing
This is one of the most timely and cost-effective ways to upskill your booth staff. We advocate pairing up with a well-trained, expert member of staff to show them the ropes. By seeing how a trusted and competent employee works, your trainee can learn the tricks of the trade first-hand…
Roleplay
If you don’t feel too comfortable with untrained booth staff shadowing on exhibition days, then why not take the exhibition to you?
Give your staff some situations that they are likely to face on the trade show floor and see how they would react in real-time. Do they remain composed? Have they got their knowledge nailed? How engaging are they?
Here, you can see where their room for improvement lies and advise accordingly.
Think TEO
TEO stands for Trade Show Engagement Optimisation. It is our fool proof methodology for mastering exhibitions, it covers the key pillars of trade show success.
From strategy to attendee journey, KPI measurement, follow-up, and of course booth staff.
Whilst it is primarily for those planning and organising exhibitions, by getting your booth staff familiarised with TEO, they can gain a full insight into what makes a successful exhibition and take that with them in their next trade show.
Lean on our expert team
At Expo Stars, we know how to level up your booth staff or point you in the direction of professional booth staff too.
We have been in the exhibition business since 2007, which means we know what the model staff member looks like, how they act, what their skills are, and how to ingrain this into someone else.
So, if you want outside help with upskilling your booth staff, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Your Booth Staff’s Key Jobs
It sounds obvious, but it is important for your booth staff to understand their role. If they don’t truly know their role and why it’s important, then the success of your trade show is at risk.
There are typically four main roles of your booth staff, although they may differ depending on your circumstances and what you require on the day:
The engager
This person must be a natural people person, with the resilience needed to handle rejection.
The product expert
They must know the product or service inside out. They will be prepared to answer any question put to them, whilst demonstrating a true passion for what they are promoting.
The presenter
Without sounding too obvious, this person should be comfortable presenting in front of crowds of any size, whilst exuding confidence. They not only need to know how to engage an audience but will know how to show their excitement about the features of the product or service they are showing or the on-booth experience they are facilitating.
The booth captain
This person will have the skills needed to bring a team together, boost morale, organise your staff, and have difficult conversations where needed.
Each of these staff members requires a unique skill set and specific personality traits to carry out their role successfully. Without such qualities, your exhibition will flop, and BAM! That’s your time and money wasted. Perhaps it would be wise to hire exhibition staff for your event instead? Read more here.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
You may have been overwhelmed with info here but fear not. We’re on hand to help you revolutionise your exhibition experience. Whether you need booth staff selection advice, help with training and upskilling, or want us to do the legwork and provide staff for you, we are here.
With a team of dedicated experts ready to make your next trade show one for the ages, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.