How to effectively staff your tradeshow display

We’ve written a lot about tradeshow strategy, planning and even banner design – the key ingredients to get people to your stand. BUT that alone won’t sell your product. The vital factor of your tradeshow success are the people.

Your tradeshow staff are the ones connecting with potential clients and customers, converting leads and most importantly, building relationships. Here’s how to ensure that your staff can and will connect with the right audience.

1. Do your homework and know who, what, where and why of upcoming events

Your tradeshow strategy should list which shows you’re attending, your objective and your target audience for each show and this will inform who you send to promote your business.

Are event attendees likely to be top level executives, mid-level professionals or hands-on small business owners? Find team members who are most likely to connect with each target audience. Tom may be your sales extraordinaire when speaking with CEOs and marketing execs but could miss the mark when targeting the engineers who are the subject matter experts and the ones using your product.

2. Dress to impress

This doesn’t mean your staff need to wear their best business suit and tie to a tradeshow but how they’re dressed will make an impression and influence how they’re perceived by attendees. Their attire must be a clear representation of your brand, reflecting the quality of your product and service that can be expected.

Find the right uniform for your brand and that will appeal to your target audience. For example, we see big tech companies choosing brightly coloured polo shirts as their uniform, making staff appear approachable and customers more comfortable during the purchase decision making process.

3. Rewarding your team

While the purpose of exhibiting at a tradeshow is to achieve your business objectives, they offer the opportunity to reward team members with travel, networking events and entertainment. Ensure there is time for staff to explore the show, or the location city of the event if running for multiple days. Consider offering incentives for team members who hit their targets.

Keeping your team happy and refreshed will also keep them motivated and on track to achieving the KPIs the business has set for the tradeshow.