DON’T JUST STAND THERE – DO SOMETHING!

I really wanted to scrap my column this month and have an enormous Simon Burton-style rant about something. You see, I have recently returned from an exhibition where I was a visitor. Not just any old exhibition, mind, but one aimed at the exhibition industry. Populated by people in the industry serving the industry. Allegedly! There were hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of visitors. On one of the three days I happened to walk from my engagement at one end of the venue to an exhibitor I wanted to see at the opposite end of the hall. Being a few minutes early, I took a more scenic route, walking up and down several aisles until I reached my destination. It was ‘interesting’ that I managed the exaggerated journey without being engaged by a single exhibitor.

With this experience fresh in my mind, once I had concluded my meeting, I walked back this time tracing a different, but as elaborate route back to my original position. Again, I was not spoken to or engaged with by a single visitor, although I did acknowledge two smiles en route. On the final day of the show, I planned to walk slowly and leisurely up and down every single aisle – a task which took more than a few minutes as you can imagine. With the exception of a handful of exhibitors whom I knew personally, I was only spoken to by one exhibitor and smiled at by three more.

Now I fully acknowledge that I caution stand personnel against the dangers of pouncing on visitors, or saying, “Can I help you?” but I failed to realise the consequence of the other extreme. Please all you exhibitors out there do something to engage your visitors. If you do not have a mechanism for attracting people to your stand think about the mix of staff you put on show and their roles and skill sets. I fully accept the fact that not everyone is able or motivated to engage with visitors, but surely some thought about how you will achieve this important task should be attempted? There are organisations that provide people who are skilled and trained at hooking visitors and introducing them to the more reserved employees. Better still, give your people some basic training and help them help you. It’s really not that difficult. Using a combination of open body language and a smile together with a few well chosen open questions anybody can engage with a visitor. Even a simple; “Hi. How’s it going?” would do. A couple of minutes in advance thinking up some cheeky or creative questions would pay huge dividends. Perhaps we should run a competition for the best / cheesiest / most effective opening lines? If the worst comes to the worst, think about the ‘disco-a-go-go’ and recall how you initiated a conversation with a potential suitor – “What’s a nice girl / guy like you doing in an exhibition hall like this?” or paraphrase Humphrey Bogart; “Of all the aisles in all the exhibition venues you chose to walk down my one. . . .” well maybe not, but you get the idea. Visitors are often overawed by the experience as it is, so make it easy for them to find a friendly face. You never know, they may even have a budget!