Exhibiting can be an exhilarating yet stressful experience.
On the one hand, you know that exhibiting can deliver you a high ROI but on the other there is so much planning and preparation that needs to be done that sometimes mistakes happen.
To help make sure that you don’t fall for these common pitfalls of exhibiting, here are 5 mistakes you should avoid when you next exhibit:
Bad behaviour
Everybody who walks past your stand is a potential customer and even if you’re not ‘that’ busy, you should remember that everybody staffing your stand is representing your brand. As such, their behaviour has a direct impact on your business.
Negative behaviours such as checking your mobile, sitting down or even eating, creates an invisible barrier between you and your visitors. It tells them that you’re not really that interested in talking to them.
So, remember those smiles and positive attitude at all times.
Information overload
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Another common mistake that exhibitors make is putting too much information on their stand. From paragraphs of text on the walls to mixed messages – nobody wants to read a novel when at an exhibition.
Remember that your display is meant to entice visitors on-stand for your staff to do the talking to convert them into a lead or sale. Keep your messages clean-looking, on-brand and short.
Maybe even just your strapline or short line to say what you do. In a glance, visitors should be able to tell who you are and what you do – nothing more.
Cheap displays
Another turn off for visitors at exhibitions is cheap looking displays. Such as banner stands that are peeling away at the edges, or displays that are falling apart at the seams.
A cheap display will do worse for your brand than not having one at all as it impacts your reputation. Sometimes a price is just too good to be true!
To avoid this potential pitfall, choose a supplier that guarantees a high quality display with no edge curling or delamination such as Marler Haley exhibition stands.
No training
Pre-event training is a necessity to make sure your staff are refreshed with both their on-stand behaviour expectations as well as product and service knowledge.
There’s nothing worse than talking to a salesperson who doesn’t know what they’re talking about – it damages your reputation as it doesn’t instil trust from that person.
So, make sure that your staff know your aims for the show and are seen as experts to help visitors.
Pushy techniques
Although a tried and tested technique, time has moved on from the market-stall like technique of shouting about your services. Instead of bullying people into your products or services (which will work to a certain extent) try to focus on listening to the needs of your potential customers.
Ask them probing questions that will lead to you talking about the benefits of your services to let them make an informed decision.
Using these top tips will help make sure that you don’t fall for the common mistakes made at exhibitions and leave you with a good ROI.
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