Staff
Who and How Many?
Need we repeat it? You go into an exhibition to sell, so whatever staff you use should be good sales¬people.
Obvious? You would think so, but so often this basic fact is forgotten. The office typist, the lad who sweeps the factory floor, the production manager (who is a miracle-worker with machines but as useful as an empty milk bottle when it comes to selling), the proprietor's wife: all have been used at some time or other by exhibitors, to their great detri¬ment.
Use your best salespeople - they are the ones who will squeeze the maximum benefit from the exhibi¬tion for you. If you are going to use trainees, put them with experienced personnel.
And - it ought to go without saying, but - make certain that whoever is manning the stand has a complete knowledge of your company and its products or services and is trained to give precise, detailed information. Make sure they are aware of your exhibition objectives and targets.
Don't overload the stand with people. Too many staff create a barrier which visitors are afraid to break. And there is always the temptation for staff to chat to each other, which is disaster! Visitors don't like to wait nor do they like to be pounced on by two or three people.
However too few staff can mean that visitors cannot be attended to quickly enough. One person is certainly insufficient, except perhaps at very quiet times, but the number you do use depends upon the size of your stand and the number of visitors. The first, of course, you know: the second you have to play by ear. If the number of visitors does not live up to expectations, don't be afraid to send some of the staff back to their normal jobs — you can always bring them back if things change. And be ready to bring in extra staff as necessary.