5 smart ways to increase foot traffic to your trade show exhibit

5 smart ways to increase foot traffic to your trade show exhibit

Increasing foot traffic and visitor participation in your exhibition display can increase your ROI and deliver more sales and marketing opportunities for your brand.

But at many expo’s this can be a challenge.  You are often surrounded by your competitors who are eager to attract more customers, just like you!

To help you out, we’ve put together five useful tips to help you maximise your opportunities and get more traffic to your next trade show exhibit.

 

Schedule product demonstrations

 

If you have a high-quality product or service, then scheduled product demonstrations are one of the best sales tools you can use to boost foot traffic.

Product demonstrations can:

Enhance product knowledge – A sales presentation with a product demonstration stimulates interest and builds an understanding of the features and benefits of your products. Prospects have a better chance of understanding your product’s value and potential if they see it demonstrated by a product expert. Your product will also be more memorable when prospects can see, feel and sometimes smell the product rather than just listening to your sales pitch.

Project ownership – If you want to convey a sense of product ownership, then a demonstration is the way to go. Consider it a test-drive of your product. This projection of ownership can be a crucial step in instilling a connection between the prospect, their needs and the product.

Show proof – Proof that products offer tangible benefits provide essential support to your sales pitch. A physical demonstration supported by video, brochures, user guides and other demonstration tools can be all that’s needed to turn a visitor into a sale. Some people have a natural distrust for salespeople and would assume they will say good things to sell the product. Letting your prospect experience the product is a great way to show proof of quality.

Address objections – If a buyer has doubts or any product-related objections, a demonstration can help overcome them. You can also overcome any misinformation that your product may have in the market place through a proper live demo.

By scheduling demonstrations at regular times throughout the day, expo visitors can use their time more effectively and diarise when they plan to visit your booth. You can then schedule to have your best sales team on the floor to answer any questions they may have.

 

Use the right people

 

According to research by the Exhibition and Event Association of Australia, 80% of attendees visiting expos are responsible for the buying decisions for their company.

Engaging prospects in a one-on-one with a qualified and experienced staff member is critical and can make all the difference between a prospect walking away, securing a lead or making a sale.

You also want customers to have a strong first impression, so it’s important staff greet visitors in a positive way, make direct eye contact, project an inviting smile and welcoming body language. Doing so will make prospects feel comfortable and are more likely to spend time at your exhibit.

People you place at your trade show should have clearly defined roles to make sure they represent your brand effectively.

When it comes to exhibits, there are four main roles for staff:

Crowd gatherers – these are the people that are tasked to ask questions and engage attendees to come to your exhibit. They can position themselves in nearby aisles where your exhibit may not be fully visible to people passing by.

Hosts – the host is the person who visitors first meet at the display. They can provide hand-outs, scan show badges and direct prospects towards the exhibit’s areas of interest.

Presenters – presenters should be skilled public speakers that are in charge of giving in-booth presentations and demonstrations. Their job is to make sure prospects are engaged enough to drive possible sales.

Lead gatherers – This group have sufficient product knowledge and should know how to answer technical questions. They should also be able to ask sales-focused questions, and capture leads data quickly.

 

Consider location and flow

 

It’s all about location, location, location. Just like real estate, where you place your exhibition stand on the trade show floor is a key consideration. It has a strong influence on foot traffic and the number of people you can turn into prospects.

Factors such as the location of entrance and exits, areas where there will be higher human concentration, and even the way people naturally walk around the room must be considered.

When it comes to human foot traffic patterns, there are five identifiable locations that are highly coveted:

The Triangle – draw a triangle with one corner point at the hall entrance and the other two corners extending to the far opposite corners of the exhibition hall. The triangle method implies that booths inside of the triangle tend to get more traffic than that outside of the triangle.

The Rule of Right Turns – Studies have shown that people tend to turn right upon entry instead left.

The Wide Aisles – Foot traffic is said to be higher along the wide, main aisles of the exhibition hall.

The Bull’s-Eye – There are also studies showing that people tend to converge at the centre of the hall, thus making the middle of the exhibition hall one of the prime locations.

The Up Front – Booths that are near the main entrance are also said to get more traffic than the ones at the back. A valid reason for this pattern is that visitors entering a show are more engaged and more willing to engage with booths near the entrance. People who have reached booths near the exit may already be too tired and less responsive. Trade show organisers know this, making booths near the entrance harder to secure and more expensive compared to other locations.

 

Use social media to engage and invite.

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Social media is a great way to enhance your brand’s presence in a trade show. Some marketing options include:

• Use the show’s official hashtag 2 to 4 weeks before the show so you can discover trends and connect with expo visitors;
• Engage attendees and promotes your expo display highlighting demonstration times and expo giveaways;
• Send a personal Linkedin message to a prospect and invite them personally to your booth;
• Connect your brand with specific media contacts via Twitter or LinkedIn to highlight your presence at the exhibit;
• Come up with a blog post about participating in the show. Make use of the seminar discussions, customer questions, or a story about what products you will feature at the expo as the main topic of your post;
• Follow up with the leads you established and connect with them via social media.

Use Grand Stand Events to create a display that stands out!

 

The design, size and format of your display is the best way to attract foot traffic and make you memorable long after the expo has finished. Don’t just rely on your sales pitch.  Offer an interactive display that appeals to all the five senses.

 

 

Remember that there’s a sea of exhibit booths in a show, how can you stand out?  Here are some ideas.

• Aside from a product demo, why not consider showing an experiment, game or even a quiz to pique their interest?
• Don’t stick to the usual square or rectangle floor plan. Get creative and use unusual shapes and angles to challenge onlookers and instantly make your booth a point of interest.
• Employing optical illusions can make the onlooker do a double-take and make you memorable. Nurture intrigue and inquisitiveness by using video displays and projections to capture the visual attention of visitors.
• Don’t forget the power of great lighting. Lighting can evoke a certain mood, highlight a specific object or area, create focus and can even become a feature in itself. Lighting options are endless!
• Be creative and use a variety of building materials and create environments within the exhibition. Mix different textures to stimulate the senses and help you stand out from the crowd.

These are just five tips on how to increase your foot traffic.  At Grand Stand Events, we work with many of Australia’s leading brands to ensure they maximise the value from roadshows, exhibitions and events.  We don’t do ordinary!

Call us on 1300 979 114 to discuss your next event and see how we can help you stand out at your next show.