You only have a a few seconds to catch the attention of shoppers before their eyes settle on something in the booth down the aisle. What can you do to capitalize on those first few Seconds?
1. Incite their curiosity.
Shoppers are expecting to see racks and shelves and counters in your booth. If you can prominently display something that is different your potential customers will be naturally drawn towards your booth to figure out what is unique in your space. In our recent booth for Scrapfest we hung a vintage parasol with flowers in it, and a glass chandelier from our booth frames. They could be seen from a distance, took no floor space away from our products and became quite the conversation pieces. They were also great landmarks for happy customers to direct their friends to.
2. Make them laugh.
One of the things that I invested in for the booth was a foam board poster that said "a good friend shops for scrapbooking supplies with you, a best friend helps you hide the stash when you get home." We hung the poster on the canopy frame facing the main aisle. Hundreds of crafters stopped to read the sign giving us an opportunity to chat with them and bring them into the booth. We also helped over 50 people take photos of themselves and their BFF in front of the sign. Those pictures were posted all over social media where my Web address is prominently displayed on the bottom of the poster. Not only did we get customers from this sale, but also free advertising from social shares.
3. Offer more than they expect
Being a veteran Scrapfest shopper I know how dry the arena can get when you are walking for hours on end. Visitors to our booth where offered free water bottles while they browsed. Shoppers were surprised that we were giving water to everyone without need for purchase and it placed our booth in their mind as a friendly courteous shop.
4. Be true to your brand
I can honestly say that anyone that saw our booth knew immediately what to expect as far as products. We spent a large amount of time planning which elements would best represent our brand. The shabby chic feel we achieved let our customers know we were a boutique type business that specialized in high end supplies from around the world.
5. Give them a reason to stay in touch
We handed out over 500 business cards to patrons of the show and with each card we made sure to connect a reason to keep it. Some customers were interested in additional pieces for a collection, some were looking for new lines that we are ordering in. Several people had an interest in classes and workshops and there were even a few that were interested in having their designs featured on this blog. Whatever the hook, we ensured that each customer felt invested in our business and knew that the information on the card was key to staying connected.
6. Be a problem solver
No one store has every product. If a customer has a particular item that they are looking for, go out of you way to find the business that has it. Do not give vague directions and send them on their way. If possible, personally bring the customer to the appropriate vendor. It will keep you in the mind of the customer as well as the vendor that may send business your way.
Well there you have It! 6 tips to increase your booths visibility. Try one or try them all and I am sure you will see your foot traffic soar.
Bonus Tip
Smile at Everyone! It is really hard to walk past someone when they are looking directly at you with a big smile on their face. Give it a try, bet you can't ignore them.
