5 mistakes international exhibitors make

Are you an international exhibitor? If you’re planning to exhibit at a trade show or exhibition in another country don’t fall into any of these traps and you’ll have a much more successful experience.

1:  Ignore Social media

People who were planning to attend anyway may happen to pass by your stand, but if you use the power of social media more potential clients and service providers may attend. Social media is an international exhibitor’s biggest weapon!

Use your social media accounts and relevant groups to let people know when and where the event is, who it’s for and where to find you at the event.  Invite people to come along and visit your stand.

Consider posting in the language of the country where the event is being held as well as your native language.

Do your research into what social media is predominant in the country where the exhibition takes place.  For instance, Facebook is banned in China, their preferred social media channel is WeChat.  You could even create an official Page to promote your company.

2:  Fail to prepare

Turning up with your business cards and current marketing material isn’t enough to make an impression as an international exhibitor.  Your company won’t be the only one visitors talk to, so make sure you have all your material in the language of the country you’re visiting. [TIP: we can help you to translate and produce these materials]

You should also research the host country’s culture.  Which type of attire is appropriate?  What is expected in terms of hospitality?  What is the correct way to greet people?  Which business processes are acceptable – for example is it best to make small talk first or do they prefer a more direct approach?  Get any of this wrong and you’ll already be losing potential business.

3:  Don’t invest in creating an attractive stand

If you rely on a table to put your marketing material on, a couple of banner stands and maybe a chair or two, you’ll find most people pass by, rather than stopping to talk.

Plan your stand so it is easily visible from a distance, has access to electricity and wifi and is not cluttered with things.

Consider the colours you choose – they have different meanings in different cultures:

Red:  Luck and happiness in some Asian cultures; danger, caution and evil in the Middle East.

Yellow: warmth, sunshine and hospitality in North America, but in most of Latin America is associated with death and mourning, while in Africa this colour may only be worn by people of high rank.

Green: the Irish national colour, but don’t wear a green hat in China, it says a woman has been unfaithful.

4:  It doesn’t matter who is on your stand

The people on your stand need to do more than smile and hand out leaflets.  Your staff needs to be able to talk with authority and knowledge about your company, your products or services, and to engage clients.

You may also need hostesses to provide hospitality and look after any visitors who are waiting to talk to a salesperson or other company representative.  This is common practice in countries like Germany and a university student, properly briefed will add the advantage of having a fluent native speaker on the stand.

5: Wait until a visitor actively approaches

You can miss many opportunities by only being responsive.  As an international exhibitor, find out the acceptable forms of greeting. Not all cultures feel comfortable shaking hands and in some cultures a man should not shake hands with a woman.

If you have native speakers on your stand encourage them to break the ice with visitors and then introduce them to the company sales team.

You may have a business card draw or a backdrop for taking photos of visitors.  Share photos – with consent – on social media. Give them your hashtag for the exhibition and ask if they could use it when sharing social posts.

Make your visitor feel as welcome as you would if they arrived as a guest at your home.

You wouldn’t make any of these mistakes, would you?

To learn more about going international, check out our podcast here!

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