Product demonstrations at your trade show exhibit create lasting memories and images in the minds of the people who participate in them. Why does this process work so well?
- They attract focus
- The benefits are easy to see
- It actually proves that the product works
- The attendee is involved
- Greater understanding through learning
- Demonstrations are memorable because they involve the senses
When you’re figuring out how to structure your product demonstration, remember how adults learn. For a lecture, adults will have 5% retention. For reading, retention goes to 10%. For AV, it’s 20%. For a demonstration, the retention rate goes up to 30%. Retention rates for a discussion group are roughly 50%, practicing by doing 75%, and immediate use of learning, 90%.
The average memorability and retention for commonly used exhibit methods includes formal product demonstrations, 80%, Informal one-on-one product demonstrations, 79%, static displays, 71%, attention-getting techniques, 67%, and the average of all types, 75%. A demonstration at a show is interactive, so it has a greater effect because the visitor practices by doing.
Demonstrations that work are integrated and planned to fit into the event so that the remainder of the time reinforces the demonstration. It’s a good attractor of attention and ensures information retention through action and involvement. Demonstrating how to use a product is so much more interactive and engaging than a static booth and will help you gather a crowd as well as communication your message. Demos make a booth more attractive and will increase prospects, garnering much more attention and informing visitors of the benefits of your product.
A good demo will help you compete with other exhibits for attention while boosting interest, sales, and return customers. Decide what you want to highlight and put together a demo. Practice on your own, then with a test audience of peers to see how it goes over. Know every step, bullet point, and aspect about public speaking: making eye contact, stirring interest, being professional, and speaking clearly. People who are nodding or looking to the right will be listening and evaluating what you are saying.
Remember that you’re not going to be doing all the talking and visitors to the booth should be engaged with the demo. You can have a more fluid presentation where you go by instinct or conduct the demo to a specific schedule. Usually, a compromise between the two works best. Conduct the demo as many times as possible– this will allow people who had not seen it before to wander over and engage with the booth. If you can do a demo up to four times an hour, it will be worth it. Even one on ones work very well for smaller booths.
Remember to probe or present a need and to fill it with the product. Lead by action, but you’ll need to have some words going too. Confidence in a presentation works great and can make everything go smoothly. If the presenter is at ease, the crowd will be as well. Let us know what you think: have you had success with this format? What approach did you use? Comment and let us know!