ITCA Nice


Working the stand for success


Jon Howarth is a trainer who works with teams of stand staff all over the world to help maximise the return on their tradeshow investment. ITCA asks Jon for his professional advice


So you’ve managed to secure an excellent position at ITCA 2011 and the stand will look great. Your marketing material is up to date and you’ve come up with some fantastic ideas for attracting visitors. So what about your people? There’s the usual


sales team, support staff and a couple from admin to make up the numbers. They’ll be fine, it’s not difficult . The customers are coming to you, right?! Research has shown that over 80% of an


exhibition stand’s effectiveness, and therefore its return on investment, is down to the people manning it. However for many companies their investment in the most important element is often a new branded polo shirt and a bit of product training. It’s easy to make some very elementary


mistakes. Below are six classic do’s and don’ts. Some may seem obvious but next time you’re at a tradeshow, walk round and see how the exhibitors measure up, you might be shocked.


Do 1. Work on your questioning skills No-one wants to listen to a one way sales pitch. Understand your prospect’s situation and issues first, then speak.


2. Drink lots of water Studies show you lose a pint an hour on a busy stand. If you start to dehydrate you’ll lose concentration and be less effective plus it helps preserve your voice.


3. Use your breaks Exhibition halls can be oppressive environments, too hot or cold, lights, noise, and air conditioning. Try to get outside for some fresh air, walk around stretch.


4. Agree a next action Ensure that you agree with your prospect what will happen next so you are both clear on the next action and make sure it happens.


72 www.onboardhospitality.com


5. Look welcoming, keep smiling Obvious I know, but can be surprisingly hard to do when your feet are hurting and you’ve had a late night.


6. Record in detail Create a visitor contact form and record everything, don’t trust yourself to remember, write down as much detail as possible, it may not be you who has to follow up.


Don’t 1. Say “Can I help you?” Try asking about what they’re looking at or why they’ve come to your stand today.


2. Pounce Nobody wants to be jumped on. Make eye contact and smile. Let the customer get settled before you make your move.


3. Eat on the stand In a survey of visitor pet hates, eating and chewing gum came out close to the top.


4. Huddle or guard Two classic body language mistakes are huddling together with colleagues in cosy conversations and positioning yourself at the entrance or edge


of the stand with your arms folded. Both make your stand feel unapproachable.


5. Monopolise visitors Keeping visitors on the stand when they want to go is the equivalent of outstaying your welcome at a friend’s house. Any hope you may have had of developing some business will rapidly disappear and they will just think you are being pushy. You may be anxious to make sure they hear about that last fantastic benefit, but if they’re shuffling towards the exit, then let them go gracefully.


6. Switch off your mobile phone There are very few things more irritating to a visitor than having their conversation interrupted by the sound of a mobile phone.


ITCA 2011 offers fantastic opportunities to


develop business but only if your people know what they’re doing. Good exhibitors make it look easy but that doesn’t mean it is.


Jon Howarth is a professional trainer who works worldwide with teams of stand staff to help maximise the return on their tradeshow investment. Jon can be contacted on +44 (0)1604 883541, jon@manningthestand.co.uk and at www. manningthestand.co.uk


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