This episode was originally published as a blog post here on Trade Show Insights. It’s since become a classic, because the problem never really goes away.
So now we’ve turned it into a podcast episode you can listen to and share.
Exhibit managers often come to me with a similar story: their sales team comes to the show, hangs out in the booth, and becomes more of a handicap than an asset. They want to know how they can turn that situation around.
Unfortunately, this is a common problem because the very things that make a sales person great at what they do can often create a challenge in the trade show environment:
- They’re used to spending time building a relationship with a hot prospect (taking them to coffee or lunch), but on the show floor that time has to be condensed.
- They have established territories based on client profiles or geographic region, so tend to have a myopic view of attendees – and may prejudge based on badges.
- They have a strong kinship with other members of the sales force (which is a good thing) and treat the show as a grand reunion.
So what can you do to overcome these challenges?
Start by providing them with training, no matter how long they’ve been with your company or how many shows they’ve participated in previously. Educate them on the company goals for that particular show and what the team is responsible for accomplishing. Get them invested in the team goal.
Explain that they’re expected to greet and talk with all attendees, and teach them how to qualify quickly and hand off to the appropriate person in the booth. Give them an incentive to gather leads outside their territory. If they want to have lengthy conversations with select attendees, encourage them to schedule appointments in advance – perhaps even somewhere other than in your booth.
To avoid having your booth become a hangout for the entire sales team, create a staffing schedule. Give everyone assignments for off-duty hours such as strolling by competitors’ booths to observe and analyze, or simply walking the show floor to see what’s new and which booths are drawing a crowd. (If you get resistance because they don’t want to miss out on a hot prospect or favorite client, that’s one more reason to encourage pre-scheduled appointments.) You can also arrange for at least one night during the show to be a team gathering, so everyone has a chance to hang out and simply enjoy being together.
And one more suggestion: Whenever you have the opportunity to select people to staff your booth, look beyond the sales team. Sometimes customer service people make even better booth staffers because they’re used to being on the front lines, answering questions from clients and prospects. They’ll also likely come across less high-pressure than the sales team.
Want more tips on how to work with your sales team and booth staff?
- What Makes a Good Booth Staffer?
- Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Be Staffing Your Booth
- Bridging the Gap: Aligning Sales & Marketing Objectives (podcast interview with Teresa Lopez)
- Reframe Your Trade Show Sales Conversations (podcast interview with Aleasha Bahr)
© 2011-2025 Marlys K. Arnold
