Some may think that you don’t need to have any specific skills to be successful at a trade show and get a number of contracts signed. Others may focus only on communication skills, which are, of course, important. Important, but not the only feature of a truly successful exhibitor.
What sets the most successful professionals apart? Let us introduce ten traits that make a significant difference:
1. Strategic Planning
Improvising, if you want it to be effective, requires careful planning. A successful exhibitor strategically plans and organizes everything that can be planned and organized before the event. It starts with establishing clear objectives for visiting the event, includes every detail, such as the design of a booth and logistics, and finishes with a well-thought-out plan for after-expo activities.
It’s important to take enough time for planning and make sure you have covered all the parts of your participation in the event.
2. Adaptability and Resilience
This goes as the second point because nothing ever goes according to plan, and a truly successful exhibitor knows it. They never panic if something goes wrong. They are creative with their approaches to solving problems that occur along the way, they know who to call to ask for help, and they dedicate some budget to unforeseen circumstances. Yes, they are resilient and flexible.
3. Good Communication and Presentation Skills
Imagine two exhibitors standing in front of you, presenting their products to you. One of them is passionately talking about their product, telling you a story that you find relatable, engaging with you. The conversation is flowing; they are laughing, you’re laughing—everyone is having a good time, even if you’re talking about the most boring product in the world. And another exhibitor is focused on themselves, wanting to leave as soon as you start talking to them and mumbling under their breath. Who would you choose to explore partnership opportunities with?
4. Product Knowledge
It seems quite obvious, but not all the exhibitors you might meet on the expo floor know their product well enough. But here’s the thing: you might be an excellent presenter and great at communication, but if you cannot answer questions the attendee is asking, your sense of humor will not help. It might even be rather irritating.
So, learn about the product, learn what customers and leads ask about it, and make sure you can answer as many questions as possible.
5. Proactivity
Waiting for an attendee to come to you and start asking questions is not the best strategy—it might never happen. People are different, and many might feel awkward being the first ones to start talking. A successful exhibitor never hesitates to initiate a dialogue. Of course, there should be the right moment to do it—it’s not good to jump on people the moment they step foot near your booth.
6. Team Player
Is it possible to handle exhibiting alone? Yes. Will it be successful? We doubt that. Having a team that is able to prepare the company for the trade show and represent it at the event is necessary to achieve the best results and get as many clients as possible.
A successful exhibitor is always a team player: they are supportive, helpful, and able to operate as part of the whole. They would never jeopardize success by following their own ambitions and wishes.
7. Leveraging Technology
We all know that technological advances allow us to be more efficient at work, and trade shows are no exception. A successful exhibitor is a person who is aware of and able to utilize technologies for their expo floor experience.
We’re talking about all the different interactive tools and virtual reality devices that can be used for the booth, AI for trade shows to support various activities, social media channels to increase awareness, and a number of apps for trade shows.
8. Rigorously Follow-Up
It would be great if exhibiting at a conference was enough to win partnerships and close deals, but often it’s just the very first step in communication with a potential customer. Once the expo is over, it is time to follow up on connections made and strengthen relationships.
A successful exhibitor doesn’t stop when the trade show is over. A successful exhibitor is there for their connections all year round, growing the number of business opportunities.
9. Data-Driven
Despite the fact that being a professional is often about listening to one’s intuition, it is also about gathering, processing, and analyzing data. Nowadays, business decisions should be data-driven, which is why any successful exhibitor utilizes data to make their next event even more successful.
10. Endurance for Late Parties
You cannot underestimate the importance of visiting after-parties at events. It is important to be there because that’s where you have an excellent opportunity to build genuine connections with people around.
You don’t need to talk business straight away (it is, actually, discouraged), but conversations and acquaintances made at after-parties often lead to business contracts. At the end of the day, we all are just people, and we value these human interactions.
Successful exhibitors are so much more than just good communicators. To be successful at trade shows, you need to combine a number of skills. The good news is you can learn all of them.
We wish you all a great trade show experience, and we hope that Confetta will be able to contribute to your success there.