Motivated staff, a guarantee for the results of your trade fair
It is not easy to choose your stand staff and often very difficult to motivate them during the exhibition.
1. Choose the people who want to participate.
When it comes to motivating trade fair stand staff, the most important element is this: They must want to work there. All too often, the management of a company asks its employees to go to a particular trade fair. If they had a choice, they would probably prefer to work on other tasks.
2. Eliminate any negative attitude.
Salespeople often feel that their booth work at a trade show restricts their sales routine. When employees have a negative habit of attending a trade show, their body language lets everyone know that they consider their attendance "an exercise in futility and unimportance".
3. Remember that everyone is an ambassador.
Remember that everyone who represents your company is an ambassador. By being helpful, courteous and professional, every staff member can strengthen your company's brand and attract new customers. Choose your team based on their knowledge of the products and the many customers and prospects who will visit your stand.
4. Encourage personal goals.
Each team member should have at least one goal. This increases responsibility, changes unproductive habits, increases productivity and will be a source of motivation. In pre-show meetings, encourage staff to share their goals with other team members. Encourage competition for the best business information received. After the show or during the show debriefing, everyone should share the results they have achieved.
5. Get the support of the company's management.
When a company's leaders are supportive of show activities, and show interest by attending the show, helping on the stand or participating in training programmes and pre- and post-show activities, their enthusiasm is infectious.
6. Be sure to inform your team.
You will motivate a team by letting them know what you expect of them at the show and by providing them with the training that will enable them to do their job effectively. No one is born a salesperson, a salesperson is trained.
7. Create a positive, fun and strong environment.
It is up to the management of a company to create a positive, fun and strong environment and to realise that success requires more than an incentive. Rewards and feeling appreciated are effective ways to promote better results.
8. Know your staff well.
Leaders need to know their individual employees and what motivates them. Studies show that being appreciated motivates more than money. Recognition and appreciation is a very effective way to create a positive, productive and stimulating environment at the show.
9. Team spirit.
Salon staff should work as a team and help each other when and where necessary. If you have a lot of staff, make teams that include technical specialists and sales people. Team members should have time before the show to get to know each other, trust each other and understand each other's strengths.
10. Evaluation of results.
At the end of the day, hold debriefing sessions to evaluate the results. Staff should be encouraged to feed back information to and from colleagues to find ways to improve day-to-day performance. Leaders should remember that individual results should be recognised at the group level.