Although trade shows function differently to a regular working day at the office, delegation remains key to a successful event. During busy shows, it may even take an entire team of staff to ensure everything goes to plan. Be realistic—you can’t be everywhere at once.
Assigning specific roles to each member of an event staff will help you meet your goals and overcome any challenges that arise. The more smoothly the event runs, the better your prospecting.
Troubleshooting
Disasters happen, and stress can intensify during a hectic trade show schedule. Defined roles minimize time and frustration spent on unexpected problems and free up manpower to keep your booth running at optimal levels.
Task individuals with managing specific logistics such as technology, visitor freebies, printed materials, and organizing lead information. Not only can you identify problems and address them more quickly when a dedicated staff member has specific responsibility, but other staffers won’t get caught up in the stress and pulled away from other critical tasks. A faulty internet connection or misplaced business cards won’t derail your day.
Efficiency
Every moment counts at a trade show. If your booth isn’t up and running when the doors open, or if your breakdown is time consuming, you’ll lose money and time.
Role assignments ensure people know how and when to execute their responsibilities throughout the day–greatly reducing wasted time.
Providing each staff member with a specific function also decreases miscommunication problems. If technology fails, everyone knows whose role it is to come to the rescue. If someone needs to retrieve more freebies from the hotel room, there is no drawing straws. This helps to greatly streamline your management duties for the day.
Maximize Prospecting Time
Prospecting is one of the main reasons to exhibit at trade shows; and when you are face to face with a prospect, multi-tasking is not possible. You want to keep your focus on the potential prospect. Having staff assigned to specific tasks will reduce distractions when speaking with potential clients. Good leads are quickly turned off if they feel they don’t have your full attention and patience.
If you are more concerned about preparing for your vendor presentation or printing out more flyers, you may give off the impression that you are not interested in engaging with booth visitors. Most trade shows only last for a few days, so you may not get a second chance to interact with these prospects.
Consistent High Quality Interactions
Trade show events often last far longer than a normal eight hour working day. It can be an exhausting day when you factor in travel time, the physical labor of setting up booths, and being on your feet for hours at a time facing the public. Assigning each event staff a specific role can cut back on fatigue as the day wears on. Representatives can better coordinate their breaks and conserve their energy. A rested and refreshed staff equates to more consistency in interactions, as well as a higher quality of prospecting.
Make sure to check back often, because we are always updating our blog with your success in mind. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us any time by filling out the form below.
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