CHAMBER PART
Making a good impression
Research shows that only 15% of attendees remember the companies they visited
at a trade show. It also shows that an exhibitor has 3-5 seconds to get that
attendee’s attention as they pass by their booth.
So, how are you going to grab their attention and make that good first impression?
As Doug talked about earlier, set goals for the Expo and determine how to make
sure your message and your exhibit will help you achieve those goals. Here are a
few stats to consider when setting those goals:
We’re expecting about 1500 + attendees Average age 35-55
Gender is pretty evenly matched with 54% women to 46% male
How did attendees find out about the EXPO:
44% via Chamber email update
30% from Chamber website
26% word of mouth
For those of us who are not Nike or McDonalds, our logos - and sometimes our
company names - don’t really tell attendees what we do. Make the most
prominent feature in your booth your MESSAGE with a MAXIMUM of 3 most
important benefits you offer.
So if you sell Gold studded widgets tell people that: #1 your gold studded widgets
will make them happy; #2 will make them thinner; #3 will mow my lawn. Use
factual information and leave out adjectives like The Leader, The Best, #1 unless
you have stats that back that claim up.
Set up a mock booth BEFORE the Expo. Lay out your booth with a 6’ table and 2
chairs, plus whatever else you plan to bring. Map it out on paper. This does two
things – ease set up when you arrive on Monday September 23 between 2-7
p.m., and if you can’t make it at the last minute, whoever steps in knows your
vision and what to do.
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Place promo items and brochures towards the back of your booth to encourage
attendees to step into your space.
Statistics say that by leaving the middle of the booth space open traffic can
increase by 25%! So keep obstructions away from the front of your booth, and
unless you have to, do not stand behind your table…it creates a psychological
barrier.
Booth staffing
Set your schedule in advance, staggering personnel (not everyone there at the
same time – it crowds your booth) and ask replacement staff to show up 5-10
minutes ahead of time so they can get briefed on what’s happening on the
floor – what tactics are working with the crowd, if someone is going to stop
back by for any reason, or other pertinent information they may need.
If you’re a one person business, recruit someone to help you out. One thing
you definitely want to avoid is leaving your booth empty AT ANY TIME!
Be sure to train your staff & help on the message you want to convey, so they
can speak to attendees intelligently. Have them avoid using phrases like “I’m
just helping out a friend” it may send a subliminal message to potential
customers of “how are they going to be able to handle my business if they’re
the only person working”.
DATE DEADLINE: Remember to get any updated booth staff names to us by
September 13 so we can get name badges printed.
Appearance and Hygiene – yes we all know it’s common sense, but we sometimes
forget to practice it!
Dress professionally – doesn’t mean a suit & tie, but does mean clean, neat,
ironed, clothes that fit properly.
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 Think about having booth staff dress uniformly – khaki pants, blue polos
(logoed shirts are always a nice touch). This sends a psychological message
of “our staff is one cohesive unit.”
 Avoid patterned or crazy colors or detailed clothes – they are distracting.
 This includes accessories – dangling earrings, bulky necklaces and bracelets,
a ring on every finger, facial piercings.
 Men should not have a shirt unbuttoned past the second button, no chest
hair peeking out and/or chains showing.
 Ladies avoid low necklines and form fitting clothes. Men, this goes for you
too. Not so much the neckline, but a shirt that might be a little taut over the
belly is probably not your best look.
 Also included make up – for men or women - dramatic eyeliner and bold
lipsticks conveys a more of fun night on the town image than I can handle
your business image.
 Shoes – it’s a long day on concrete floors – forgo style for comfort.
 Stay away from cologne, perfumes, and scented lotions. Many people are
sensitive to this, so just resist the urge to put it on that day.
In that same realm…let’s talk about breath. We’ve all offended and been offended
by another’s breath before, and what does that do? Makes you NOT want to
talk with them.
 Avoid garlic, curry, and onions, tuna fish, and other pungent foods the day
before and the day of.
 If you’re a smoker and drink a lot of coffee… bring along mouth wash and
be sure to wash your mouth and hands before heading back to the booth.
Frebreze is a great trick for spritzing your clothes to get rid of lingering
smoke odors.
 Choose breath mints over gum.
Refrain from eating and drinking in your booth. Take a break away from your
booth to grab refreshment. If attendees see you eating, they will most likely
walk on by for fear of interrupting you.
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Booth staff chatter – chatting with your booth mates and other exhibitors may
make prospects feel they are interrupting and again just walk on by. So be
sure to stand facing the aisle, smile on your face, arms unfolded and hands out
of pockets.
Greeting prospects – you want to get people into your booth, but you don’t want
to by cheesey with sayings like “having a good time?” or “hot enough out
there for you?" Remember, you’ve got 3-5 seconds to hook them. Talk about
your business. Try things like “are you familiar with our product?” or “are you
familiar with the Gold Widget Company?”
Once you get them in the booth, make eye contact, introduce yourself and shake
their hand
NO WIMPY OR DEATH GRIPS PLEASE (PRACTICE YOUR SHAKE!). Seriously do
this and ask people to critique it. Sweaty palms? Use deodorant on them (it
works!)
Stand side by side instead of directly facing the prospect, creating a “V” with
your bodies. This keeps the personal space rule in play. Men do this naturally
with other men, but women are more prone to talk to others facing them.
Remember to “sidle” and let other staff know this as well.
Never talk for more than two minutes – be a champion listener and find out what
the prospects’ needs are. Ask questions about what they are looking for first:
 “Are you comparing products on widgets?”
 “What products or services do you need for your company?”
 “Here are some questions to think about in your research on widgets.
They have to buy YOU before they buy FROM YOU. Start building that trust by
helping them out in their search…they’ll remember it.
Let them know the follow up process and find out how they like to be contacted.
Say, “I’ll give you a call tomorrow or next week.” Or set up a time to meet
after the Expo to talk with them further. It’s the next step towards a purchase.
And, if you say you’ll call in three days…call in three days.
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Sales & Marketing toolbox
Prepare a brief description of your company & industry, along with industry
trends, stats on your product/service – do this without bashing another
company. Again, make sure all booth staff know this info. Use everyday
language – avoid industry jargon, acronyms, and industry specific terms –
don’t assume your prospect knows what you’re talking about break it down in
layman’s terms.
Bring more business cards and brochures than you think you’ll need. We expect
over 1500 attendees, so be prepared, while not all of them may not stop by
your booth, running out of information can be the loss of a sale. If I stop by
your booth and you don’t have a card or brochure to give me, when I go
through all my material the next day and DON’T see your card for gold
studded widgets, but do see your competitors card…guess who I’m calling to
order a million widgets?
Avoid bashing competitors – concentrate on what YOU do best. And if they ask
about your competitor try responses like, “they have a nice product, but
here’s where ours differs” UPSELL your product or service so your company
looks good.
How do you transition gracefully out of a time waster? You know if someone is
not going to buy from you within a minute or two. So how do you get rid of
them before they finish their life’s story? Give them a card or brochure and
literally walk them to the aisle (like walking them to the door) and ask them to
give you a call next week to set up an appointment.
Deadline Dates:
August 15 is cancellation deadline
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September 13 is booth staff updates
September 16th is when any additional booth décor rental forms are due
September 23rd is set up
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