Engaging the Customer

A Trade Show Displays Tip:

More good information on Trade Show Displays: So, you've designed what you feel is one of the more perfect exhibit displays; everything is set up and ready to go, you have assembled your staff and the first prospective customers are approaching your booth. Now what? Your staff must be trained to be assertive, yet not overbearing when engaging the customer. When planning a trade show exhibition some managers even hire professional trade show trainers to prepare for the big day. Here are a few common sense tips to think about before you interact with a prospective client. [

Your staff should appear comfortable and confident. Think of them as good-will ambassadors for the company. It is a no-no to be seen chewing gum, eating or drinking, or talking on a cell phone. Your staff has to appear focused on the matter at hand, even during the occasional lull in activity.

Additionally your staff should not congregate in groups while working in their exhibit displays. They may appear to be having a social conversation. Position them at widely spaced intervals. This will help put the customer at ease.

And this next tip is a basic, but critical rule: always listen attentively. Never talk over a customer in your enthusiasm to recite your pitch. Nothing will turn off a customer faster than the feeling that they are not being heard.

When delivering your pitch, keep it brief, no more than thirty seconds to a minute and maintain eye-contact the entire time. As you converse, look for body language cues. If a person looks bored and begins to wander away to other areas of the exhibit displays, don't hold them hostage; consider handing them off to another staffer. On the other hand if the person is enthused, don't dismiss them prematurely in order to talk to the next person in line.

The most important piece of advice is to follow the golden rule and treat others as you would like to be treated if the roles were reversed in the exhibit displays. Engaging the customer can be a delicate business. Karen Paxton writing in Computer & Software News notes that a trade show booth's staff typically has only eight seconds to attract the customer's attention. Your staff must be vigilant in pursuit of each lead. Every person who browses a brochure or grabs a giveaway must be engaged, and treated as if they were the CEO of a company, after all they just might be!

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