The Power of Exhibitions & Trade Events
Is your organisation participating in an exhibition or trade event this year?
If so, then you will be competing for attention in a crowded market.
No doubt you are already well advanced in your preparations to have an eye-catching stand located in a prominent position to capture attention and interest. However, have you taken steps to ensure your staff is trained to get their key messages across amid the noise and distraction of a bustling exhibition arena? This includes engaging customers at the stand, delivering keynote presentations, and sitting on panel discussions.
Are you a glossophobe?
It is easy to assume that strong public speaking skills come naturally, but this is most often not the case. Public speaking is a skill that can be taught but requires preparation, practice, and rehearsal to achieve the best outcome.
Some people relish walking up to a complete stranger and sparking a conversation or presenting before an audience, but they’re definitely in the minority. For many, it can be a nerve-wracking event. There is even a name for the fear of public speaking, Glossophobia, with an estimated 75% of the world’s population sharing this concern.
Key Tips for Conversations and Presentations
- Know your audience. You will meet different types of people at an exhibition. Some will be highly knowledgeable and interested to learn more, others will be at the opposite end of the spectrum – and everything in between! You need to be able to adapt your conversation accordingly to increase the chance of capturing attention and interest.
- Know your material. Nothing switches off an audience faster than a presenter not being clear, concise and motivated about their organization’s products and services. Know what you want people to take away to encourage follow-up conversations and sales leads. Spend time preparing, considering your audience requirements, and if applicable, personalizing someone else’s speaking notes to make them your own.
- Know your delivery. Decide on the key points you want an audience to take away and use these as a basis of your conversation on the stand or event presentation, using interesting facts, figures and anecdotes to bring the content to life. You also need to use your words, voice and body language in a way that captures attention from the start, maintains interest throughout, and leaves the audience wanting to know more.
Need Coaching?
If you are planning to exhibit at a trade event this year, Spoken Word Communications can train you and your team to develop a powerful delivery, capture audience interest from the start, and make your key messages memorable to ensure you stand out from the crowd!
For more information, contact Dave.
Clive Hawkins, Senior Associate, Spoken Word Communications