Selecting and Training Your Booth Staff
- Udi Ledergor
- Jan 8
- 3 min read
Selecting the Right Staff
Whatever you do, avoid sending your product engineers! I'm just joking… somewhat. While your product engineers may have the most knowledge about your product, they often tend to highlight its flaws and concentrate on the technical aspects rather than the benefits your customers seek. Engineers rarely feel at ease initiating conversations with visitors, engaging in small talk, or asking qualifying questions. They usually prefer to demonstrate their product or receive technical feedback. If you anticipate technical questions on-site, have a product engineer or support person ready, but reserve them for addressing questions, not for initial interactions.
In my experience, salespeople are the most effective booth staff as they understand that gathering new leads helps build their pipeline for the upcoming months. Additionally, they have the chance to engage with existing prospects and current clients, offering opportunities for upselling.
Training Makes All the Difference
Conduct staff training a few days prior to departing the office for the show, and then review the key points each morning, about 30 minutes before the show floor opens.
Here are some recommended rules of thumb:
Exude confidence and friendliness, while maintaining professionalism and politeness.
Dress code: In the U.S., wearing uniform polo or rugby shirts with your company logo is acceptable. In Europe and Asia, when uncertain, opt for a suit to appear professional.
Position yourself on the outer edge of your booth or just outside it in the aisle to engage passing visitors.
Don't wait for visitors to stop on their own; take the initiative to draw them in.
To capture the attention of passersby, ask a simple question they can easily answer with a "yes." For instance, if targeting IBM clients, you might ask, “Do you use IBM products?”
Avoid starting with “Good morning, how are you doing?” as it often goes unanswered, and by the time you follow up, the visitor might have moved on.
Use the initial question to identify visitors you want to engage with, distinguishing them from those who are not potential clients. Quickly identifying potential clients allows for timely follow-up.
Once a visitor is qualified, promptly involve her in a game or giveaway to obtain her contact information.
If the visitor is a qualified decision-maker or potential client, and staff is available, engage her further by demonstrating a product and discussing her needs.
If the visitor's potential is unclear or she is unlikely to be a client, disengage swiftly to focus on more relevant visitors.
The following flowchart is a useful guide for managing booth visitors:
Do Not Do This at Your Booth
Stand behind a table.
Sit down.
Eat, drink, or check e-mails (would you approach?)
Huddle together with other exhibitors talking to each other.
Stand in the booth unless you are working the booth (yes, that even goes for your CEO who just wants to rest his feet!)
When to Use Local Staff
Hiring local staff, often referred to with more vibrant names, can be a smart option for reducing your company's travel expenses or when you lack sufficient employees to attend the event and manage your booth.
Employing local personnel is most prudent when the task is routine and demands minimal understanding of your product or service.
Examples include:
1. Scanning visitor badges.
2. Handing out giveaways and product literature.
3. Ushering people into meeting rooms or demo stations.
Don't anticipate that local staff will provide detailed descriptions of your product or service or be equipped to address technical inquiries about it.
Local staff attire guidelines: you may choose to dress as professionally or casually as you wish, provided you keep in mind that your staff's attire represents your brand and its values. This applies even in Las Vegas.
Take Away Tips
Tip #1 – Salespeople make the best booth staff.
Tip #2 – Booth staff should be confident and outgoing yet act professionally and be polite.
Tip #3 – Polo shirts and other uniforms for your booth staff are fine, but only in the U.S.
Tip #4 – Grab visitors in the aisle and draw them into your booth.
Tip #5 – To get off to a good start with a booth visitor, ask an easy question that is likely to get a “yes.”
Tip #6 – Disengage quickly from an unqualified visitor.
Tip #7 – Do not sit, eat, drink, check e-mails, huddle, or rest at the booth.
Tip #8 – Local staff is a great affordable addition to your booth for tasks that require little or no product knowledge.
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