I have always been fervid about excellence in delivering exhibition results for our clients. How we deliver the results is strictly down to hiring phenomenal gift that own the same core qualities, wherever they are set in the world.
Over the last 5 years, I have had the pleasure of working with outstanding professionals who are fervid about their promotion work and strive to do an superior job with each and every assignment they undertake. On the other side, we have also worked with people with fantastic gift, but somehow blew their chances of an outstanding career in promotions attributable some matters which were missing from their "promotional" DNA.
So what are the qualities that these outstanding promoters have in abundance? What makes these "Expo Stars" stand out from the crowd? Why are some promoters always set-aside one year in advance? Why do these brilliant promoters earn 50% more than anyone else? What is it that drives these "Expo Stars" that makes them take the client's breath away with an outstanding contribution to their exhibition/trade show ROI?
Successful promoters always leave clues. In the clause below I share the 7 P's that lay the foundation for being a Phenomenal Exhibition/Trade show Promoter. By implementing these 7 P's into your promotional career, not only will you have accumulated and regular trade show repeat bookings and earnings, you will have clients raving about you and your work.
Please note that the nomenclature in that clause is relative to Trade show Exhibitions, and Conventions and the clause is for people who are engaged in work such as a Booth Hostess, Promotion Staff/Model, Trade show Lead Generator, Product Demonstrator, Interpreter/Translator, Trade show Presenter, MC, Crowd Gatherer, Brand Ambassador, Spokes model, Narrator or a Sales Representative.
P # 1: CREATE A PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
The initiative to being a phenomenal promotion professional is having an outstanding soulal visibility. How you present yourself to your clients including Staffing Agencies makes a huge difference to how often you get bookings for jobs.
Clients and Agencies possibly have a choice of thousands of people that work in the promotional field. Your professional visibility is what will get you chosen ahead of the rest.
So what are the essential components to compilation a professional and job winning visibility?
1. Pictures:
80% of the client's decision is supported their first impression of you supported your pictures. Pictures can say a thousand words about you. So it is vitally important that your pictures really communicate your soulality, character, and professionalism.
As a minimum your picture portfolio should contain:
- A professional head shot with a beautiful grinning that radiates felicity and self-confidence.
- A full length picture in a business suit with open positive body language.
- A picture of you at work, at a booth/stand/promotion doing what you do best.
Below are some superior examples of visibility pictures that clients and agencies are extremely receptive to.
If you have been exploitation pictures that are photo-shopped, artistic shots, fashion shots, standing before of a bathroom mirror, taken in your bedroom, underclothing shots, at a party holding a glass of wine/cocktail, or even where your face is barnacled up as part of your visibility, then these are whole ineffective in portion you get promotional jobs. If you have these amateur type pictures, you will look like an amateur in the client's mind set and will not get the job ahead of soul that has professional pictures. A small investment in having professional pictures taken will pay dividends in accumulated bookings. What clients want to see is the professional soul that they are going to get at their booth so it is important your pictures communicate that you are a real professional.
2. Powerful Personal Statement
A powerful soulal statement that highlights your strengths makes a huge difference to being chosen for an assignment. What attributes do you have that will help the client meet their objectives? Why should the client choose you? What difference can you bring the client? The soulal statement should be no more than 200 words and should contain some really positive words that will help to convert the client that you are the ONE for them.
Example: "I am an outstanding promoter that speaks 5 languages, and loves to actively generate new business at exhibitions and trade shows. I am fervid about gross sales, meeting my objectives and learning about new business concepts in the process. I am on time and love working in a team environment... "
3. Specific Work Experience:
You should highlight in detail what rather promotions experience you have had in the past. This should admit the event name, the client/brands you represented, your tasks and responsibilities and your accomplishments in the job.
4. Education and Languages
As well as your experience, what will set you apart from the rest is your Education and Languages. You should highlight all your educational courses attover. With languages, you should highlight what languages you speak fluently. If you cannot hold a business level conversation in a language then this language should not be mentioned in your visibility information to avoid any embarrassment on the job.
5. Physical Information
Some assignments will involve the client providing you with a corporate uniform or outfit. It is essential that you have the correct physical information on your visibility including your natural height, apparel sizes and shoe size. If your physical appearance has changed from the pictures presented, like your hair colour, waist size then you should communicate this to your client and agency as soon as possible. There is nomatter worse than the client receiving a whole different soul to it shown on the pictures.
6. Testimonials/References/Achievements
If you have done a brilliant job for previous clients, then you should have these testimonials and references explicit on your visibility as proof that you are a true professional. If you have accomplishd certain career or soulal goals, then these should be highlighted too.
Once you have created your visibility, it is essential that you keep it updated. If you work for an agency, then delight ensure that they are communication all your attributes to the prospective client(s).
P# 2: PREPARATION & PLANNING
So your super professional visibility has now landed you an exhibition/trade show assignment. What will determine if this assignment will be a winner for you is the preparation and preparation you undertake before the actual assignment takes place.
A age ago when i was in training for my first ever gross sales job, I was taught the acronym "PPPPPPP" by my gross sales trainer. If you haven't come across this one before, what this stands for is Proper Planning and Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. This is not only applicable to a gross salessoul but also to other areas in business and soulal life.
So what can you do to prepare and plan effectively for each project that you undertake?
1. Fully read and comprehend the assignment brief well in advance of the event. Many people make the mistake of reading the assignment notes the night before the event. If you read the assignment brief 7-10 days before the event, then you not only have time to ask questions to your client but also it will give you time to do some research about the event and the client.
2. Research the client, their industry and the event. What are the client's objectives? How do you fit into their objectives? What rather visitant is attending the event? It is important that you ask these questions and understand the client's business environment.
3. Understand your role, tasks and responsibilities. You should understand and be very clear what is expected from you from the client. What will be your role? What outcome does the client expect at the end of the event as a result of hiring you? If in doubt delight connect with your agency or the client if you are working for them directly.
4. Learn the Script, Product Info, Questions to ask visitants and the Unique Selling points of the client's products and services. If you are working in gross sales, presenting or a lead generation related assignment, then it is essential that you learn the product info, your presentation script and/or the unique marketing points of the client's products and services. If you are in a lead generation or gross sales role, a good bench mark is to learn 3 open over questions that you can ask visitants to determine if they are a qualified prospect for client, and on with these question learn 3 unique key interest statements (ie features and benefits) that will help you to interact with the visitants and generate more qualified gross sales leads. If you are learning a script, it is essential that you use and adapt it to your soulality to deliver a winnerful presentation.
5. Research the Event Location and plan your travel. I cannot emphasise enough how important this is to your assignment. You have to know where the event is, where you need to go on the day, and how long your journey will take. Agencies and clients do not appreciate receiving calls on the day expression that you are lost and do not know where to go.
6. Know what you will need to wear and what uniform clients will provide for you. The client and the agency should communicate clearly to you what you need to wear and what items the client will provide if appropriate. You should prepare your apparel consequently and know what you will wear on the day of the event. You should also ensure ththe to the last degree bit your apparel and place are clean and appropriate for the event.Arriving at an event being fully prepared not only gives you the self-confidence but also the client feels the energy and the positive vibe from you to give them immediate confidence that you will do an outstanding job for them.
P # 3 BE PUNCTUAL
Live exhibitions, trade shows and promotional events demand that not only you are fully prepared anterior to the event, but also that you arrive on time as per your united schedule.
Professional promotional people do not leave anymatter to chance. By preparation your journey in advance, you should aim to attain the locus at to the last degree 30-45 minutes anterior to your start time, to give you a chance to collect your badge and find your way to the client's booth/stand. You may argue that you are not acquiring paid to arrive early, but for certain it is better to arrive early and avoid having your pay deducted for being late?
Detailed information about the location of the event is always available on the event website including directions and transportation information. Floor plans are also made available on the exhibition website, so you should take 10 minutes of your time to acquaint yourself with the floor plan and plan your journey from the entrance to the client's booth to avoid acquiring lost on the morning of the event. This 10 minute exercise could possibly save you 30 minutes of aimlessly walking the aisles trying to figure where you are.
If you are late, the impact is importantly negative to the client's plans, as they have to brief and prepare you for the job. Please remember that the client is already in a "tense and nervous" state as they have to ensure that everymatter is ready at their booth by the time the event opens. On the client's mind (usually the exhibitor's marketing/event director), they will have issues like the stand falling apart, the artwork not being right, the carpet being in a mess, the brochures not arriving, the electricity not working, the Wi-Fi connection not working and on top of that, they will have the pressure of the CEO attending on the first day! The last matter you need is to start the relationship off very badly with the client when they are in that "tense & nervous" state.
It is also important that you are on time with your breaks as a matter of professional courtesy to your fellow team members and the client. Ensure that you return back to the booth inside the period allowed for your lunch or breaks.
So just to summarize this passage in 5 words: Be on Time. Every time!
P# 4 BE PROFESSIONAL
Whilst you are working at the assignment, you need to ensure that you conduct yourself in a professional and business-like manner. Clients demand nomatter but the very best from you in terms of on timeity, professionalism and a pro-active "can-do" work attitude. Remember they are paying good money for your services. You have to be professional from the time you arrive on the stand to the time you finish the event. You have to expect more from yourself than the client or your agency should ever expect from you.
What does being "professional" actually mean in real terms whilst working at an exhibition/ tradeshow?
As discussed in the above paragraphs, being professional starts with preparation and your on timeity.
Turn up professionally dressed ready to do business. Your apparel, place must be clean and tidy the to the last degree bit times. Please ensure that your hair, make up and soulal hygiene are of the top high standard. Invest in several formal business suits if you don't own one already. Also ensure that you are wearing comfortable place as you will be standing up for most of the day. Looking the part and wearing comfortable place gives you extra confidence and energy to match the long days.
Be professional in terms of your communication with your client, fellow team members, superior programs and all visitants at the event. You must always be polite, friendly and business like with your behaviour on the stand. Always be smiling and create a positive first impression to visitants.
Be a team player. If you are working inside a large team, then you have to be part of the team rather than perform your tasks as an individual. Remember TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More.
Always keep your exhibition/promotion work area neat and tidy. If you see any litter, delight take soulal responsibility and deal with it consequently.
Always inform your client or your superior program if you are going away the booth/stand for any reason.
There is some negative behavior that you should avoid whilst working at the clients booth. If you walk through a typical trade show exhibition, you will find some people attractive in these actions. Please take responsibility and avoid partaking in these activities the to the last degree bit costs.
DO NOT Eat or Drink in the booth/work area
DO NOT Engage in idle chit chat with your team members whilst visitants pass by.
DO NOT Read magazines/newspapers in the booth
DO NOT Use your soulal phone or ipad/laptop in the booth/work area
DO NOT Use bad language whilst at the booth or argue with your colleagues
DO NOT file nails, fix your hair, or put make-up on in the working area.
DO NOT bring excessive baggage to the booth. Please leave it in the baggage holding area and collect it after the event has finished.
DO NOT bring freebee promotional materials from other stands to the booth. If you do collect freebees in your break time, delight put them in your baggage and out of site.
Remember you are only as good as your last event! So be a professional every single time!
P#5 BE POSITIVELY CHARGED
Live Exhibition and Trade show events are about face to face communication. Sellers are meeting buyers. Remember people buy from positive people, not from the fantastic stands which are on display or negative people that have their shoulders slumped.
It is your soulal responsibility to be in a positive state of mind for every assignment or project that you undertake. This starts from the moment that you enter into the exhibition hall. Leave your soulal issues and problems outside the exhibition centre. Your focus should get on how you can help the client accomplish their objectives. Nomatter else matters during the time that you are on the client's exhibition stand.
After standing up for 9 long hours, yes your feet will hurt, and you will just want to go home and have a long hot bath. But what is point in whining and whinging that your feet hurt? Everybody else is in the same position as you, so rather than let this affect you in a negative way, stay positive, and stay focused on your objectives.
Being charged also means starting the day with a beaming grinning. Your grinning will attract visitants to your client's booth, your grinning will create a positive first impression, your grinning will get you through difficult situations, your grinning will make other people grinning, and most importantly, your grinning will make people happy and allow them to approach and talk to you.
Having open positive body language helps you be approachable. When was the last time you approached soul whose arms were folded or soul that didn't look interested and wanted to be someplace else? Ensure that your back is upright, your shoulders are straight, your arms are by your side and that you are looking ready for business. Try and catch people's attention by making eye contact and smiling. It's amazing how many people will be drawn to approach you unconsciously.
I would recommend that you read books on reading people, body language, and crfeeding that winning positive attitude to help you become even better promoter.
P# 6 BE PROACTIVE
This P is probably more germane to those people that are hired as Sales Promoters, Lead Generators, Product Demonstrators or Crowd Gatherers.
Over the last 5 years I have walked miles and miles of exhibition floor. If I had a dollar for every soul that I have spotted at their booth/stand chit chatting to their colleagues, talking or texting on the telephone, feeding their sandwich, just standing there staring into empty space or working on their laptop whilst potential prospects walk past, I would be a very rich man. Even worse is when promoters are attractive in that rather behaviour. Clients are paying people to stand there and let potential prospects walk on by and they are acceptive this as standard behaviour.
Your job as a promoter is to attract people to the booth/stand. You are a professional that is being paid to bring people to the stand so you have to earn your fees. To do this effectively, you must be active in your approach to engage visitants, qualify them as prospects and move the prospect to the next stage in the gross sales process, be it to collect their business card, arrange a carry out meeting, seat them for a presentation, fill in a questionnaire or to hand them over the clients gross sales team.
Being active means knowing your client's products, their objectives, and what you need to do to accomplish them. It means constantly strain to meet your objectives to the best of your ability. It means having the discipline to constantly approach as many people as you can in the 8 or 9 hours you wear the exhibition floor.
By being active, not only your day will go faster, you will accomplish your objective(s) and the client will see a true professional at work. Will the client rebook you for their next event? You bet! Not only that, they will be approaching you to work for them full time if you put in a solid shift. You are the professional... so show the client how it should be done and why you are worth every cent or cent that you get paid for doing the job. Lead by example and always be PROACTIVE.
P # 7 BE PASSIONATE
Love what you do! When you are fervid about your work and love what you do, everymatter else just falls into place.
If you are only doing promotion jobs to pay the bills, and see it as easy money to just stand there, look pretty and shove leaflets in people's faces, then delight do us a favor and get out of the business quickly.
Working in Exhibitions and Trade shows is a brilliant privilege. You actually get paid to talk to and meet people from all over the world, sometimes you also get to travel, and you learn about new cultures and new business concepts. You get to make new friends. When you really put your passion into being a brilliant outstanding professional and have fun during the process, the rewards are very satisfying.
Let me put it this way. It beat generation the hell out of sitting in an office all day staring at a computer screen.
When you are attractive people and qualifying prospects you are actually making a huge difference to the world economy. You are portion the client get new prospects that will generate more relocus for them. You are portion the prospects by giving them new solutions which will help them improve their business. If you are facilitating international trade, portion the buyer and the seller, then it puts you in a very unique and privileged position.
If you can look back at the end of an exhibition day, and just think of all the people you have talked to, the prospects you have generated for your client and the amount of business that will be done as a result of your hard work, then you will feel very satisfied.
My advice to you to close off the clause is that you should strive to become the best promoter you can possibly be and just love what you do! Everymatter else will just fall into place.
