For more information, visit the Washington Hospitality Convention website.

You staff your business with the best employees. Your vendor booth should be filled with the best people for the job, too. The Washington Hospitality Convention is just months away—Nov. 11-13—so now is the time to start planning your vendor booth. Whether you are staffing your booth or one of your employees are, here a few tips to think about as you prepare for the convention.

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Say hello to everyone

First impressions are everything, so your staff in the booth must smile and greet every visitor. Remember, the visitors to the convention are in the hospitality business, and showing excellent customer service will be an advantage. Use open body language: don’t cross your arms or legs and don’t fidget. Make eye contact and be friendly. Treat each visitor to your booth as your guest.

Know your stuff

Everyone in the booth should know the sales script and be able to answer questions about your company and products. They should be trained on company talking points and be able to make decisions on the fly. Pretend you are a potential customer before the event and ask the staff members questions—better yet, try this right when the doors open to show potential customers that there are people interested in your booth.

Set your goals in advance

What do you hope will happen at the event? Do you want to sell your product, or are you hoping to find new leads and meet others in your industry? Set these goals in advance and let your staff know what they are. Everyone should strive toward the same goal.

Finish strong

Follow up with your potential clients after the event. Make sure you collect their contact information before they go. Send a quick email to remind your customer about you and your company and let them know you are available to answer any questions or fulfill any orders they need.

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