The decision to present your company at an exhibition has to be taken very seriously since this may strengthen but it may also weaken your company’s reputation.

When customers visit an exhibition, they do it for various reasons, either for fun and leisure, or to buy things. Your main concern should be to create good relationships with all of them.

So first of all, what you need to do is to attract them to your stand and in order to do that the decorator must take it in his/her hands to make it as attractive as possible.

But is the stand decoration the only thing that will attract the visitors? Of course the people that represent the company can do that, by being well dressed and this can take different meanings. If your staff wear uniforms on your premises then it is important that they wear them at the exhibition as well. If not, then a conservative suit for men and a dress or a suit for women would be appropriate. Of course if your company sells products for the younger age population or kids, the outfit changes accordingly.

The body language of the people that represent your company is also very important. If for example they stand on one leg, have crossed hands and look miserable, this is not the right way to attract a visitor. A more welcoming and professional stance will draw people in. A smile at passers-by, open body language, standing on both legs shows readiness to talk to people and assist them.

And once visitors approach what will the stand representatives say?  Open ended questions are helpful here, rather than questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. The often asked question “Can I help you?” can lead to a “no” that blocks conversation. Whereas asking the client who is approaching your latest car model “What do you think of our new…..” is more likely to lead to a conversation.

Clients will ask questions too and answers must be phrased in a positive manner and care must be taken not to say anything that will harm the company’s reputation.

When your company participates in an exhibition, motivate everyone to do their best.  The exhibition is an opportunity to maintain good relationships with existing customers that may visit you and with visitors that may be your new customers.

PeopleAchieve offer training on how to promote your company at exhibitions. In particular we have designed training for the International State Fair and you can find more details by clicking here.