When it comes to improving your exhibiting ROI, most people assume the stand design and interactive tools are the most crucial pieces of the puzzle. And yes—they matter.
But after 25+ years in the exhibition industry, I can confidently say your sales team is the real game changer.
How your team engages with visitors, uses the tools you've provided, and handles post-show follow-up will make or break your results. No matter how eye-catching your stand is, success comes down to people.
That’s why I’ve put together this 9-point guide to help your sales team succeed at your next event—and turn more conversations into conversions.
Check out James' top tips in video form
1. Involve Your Sales Team Early in the Stand Design Process
Nobody wants to be an afterthought. Before you brief your stand designers, consult your sales team. They are the ones using the space, tools, and messaging to interact with prospects. Their insight can help you:
- Identify common sales objections
- Prioritise key product or service messages
- Shape the stand layout for smoother conversations
Consider whether your sales team could best advise the qualification questions for lead forms, or highlight the aspects of your proposition that take too long to explain. They could even help to prioritise messages/products based on their experience of what’s having the most impact on sales calls.
Involving them early ensures your stand design and engagement tools directly support the team’s goals, making the whole exhibiting planning process more aligned and effective.
2. Share and Align Objectives to Drive Results
Shape and share your objectives with your team as early as you can. Far too many sales teams don’t draw a direct correlation between their exhibiting efforts and their sales results, so ensure your objectives and theirs are aligned by including the following:
- Clear KPIs (e.g. number of qualified leads, demos, follow-ups)
- A breakdown of the exhibition’s strategic role
- Daily stand briefings and end-of-day debriefs
Debriefs allow team members to discuss what works and what doesn’t when engaging with visitors. This helps make the next day an even greater success and ensures staff stay on target.
3. Streamline Lead Capture and Follow-Up Preparation
Reduce the admin needed to capture details so your team can focus on free-flowing conversations. Work with your team to find the best way of capturing the information needed for your CRM.
Suggestions:
- Use electronic lead forms with dropdowns or sliding scales for fast data capture
- Make space for key qualifying questions
- Practice using the forms during training, and ensure there is a process in place for prompt follow-ups
Don’t forget to include space for those gems of information that your sales team can use during follow-up to remind the prospect of their experience with your brand.
4. Define a Stand Dress Code to Represent the Brand
Your exhibition staff are your brand ambassadors. What they wear sends a clear message to visitors.
Establish a dress code that:
- Reflects your brand values
- Ensures team cohesion and professionalism
- Makes your team easily identifiable
What would your brand look like if it were a person? Asking yourself this question will help to understand what your team should wear at events. Don’t be afraid to be bold and make this campaign specific too. Your stand team’s dress code should ooze professionalism and match your brand values, but this isn’t always a shirt and tie. It must be clear to a visitor that you part of the on-stand team and there to be approached.
5. Train and Rehearse Elevator Pitches
Even expert sales teams may not be experts at selling on an exhibition stand. They may be on fire in face-to-face sales when they have time on their side, but at an exhibition, it’s a very different story. With fast-paced visitor interaction, your sales team have much less time to get your message across in a loud, distracting environment.
Training should help them:
- Condense their pitch into 30 seconds
- Lead with value propositions
- Qualify out unfit leads quickly and politely
Role-playing exercises during training sessions will build confidence and improve delivery.
6. Keep the Team Motivated and Energised
Events are physically and mentally demanding. Prepare your team by building motivation strategies into your training and management plans.
Tips include:
- Scheduled break times
- Daily team goals and mini-challenges
- Banning food, phones, and drinks on the stand
Gamifying the experience with small prizes can drive friendly competition and keep spirits high across the team.
7. Rehearse the Full Visitor Experience
Arrive early on event day and give your team a tour of the stand. Use the opportunity to rehearse visitor interactions and run through the tools available. It is a show, after all!
This last-minute run-through helps reinforce confidence and ensures your exhibition stand staff are well-prepared for the real thing.
8. Assign Roles Based on Team Strengths
Not all team members are the same—and that’s a strength. Training should include a review of each person’s abilities so you can assign roles such as:
- Product demonstrations
- Data entry
- Lead qualification
Playing to people’s strengths increases individual accountability and improves performance on the stand.
9. Encourage Social Engagement and Relationship Building
Your exhibition team isn’t just there to sell—they’re also ambassadors for your brand. Include a section in your training that covers:
- Posting updates on LinkedIn
- Connecting with visitors during and after the event
- Sharing event highlights or demos online
After all, it’s your team members who each have a relationship with their customers and prospects. Encourage them to post updates about the event to support their lead generation activities.
Investing time in exhibition stand staff training is one of the most powerful ways to improve your event ROI. From early involvement and structured goals to role-specific training and social media support, these 9 tips will ensure your team is confident, motivated, and prepared to deliver results.
