I ran into a nice little post about Cell Phone Courtesy Month from etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore, which is a good reminder that cell phones are not only everywhere at all times, they can often be used indiscriminately – and rudely. Wait – we probably all knew that, right?
But in a tradeshow booth, it’s always Cell Phone Courtesy Month!
Yes, we’re surfing the net, uploading photos to Facebook, talking to clients or suppliers or grappling with that certain someone who is supposed to deliver a graphic update by 11:30 and it’s already past noon! Cell phones – especially since the exploding use of smartphones – are addicting.
But in the booth, during showtime, a cell phone can negatively impact the impact you have on your visitors. If they see you talking on a phone, chances are increased that they won’t approach the booth.
It is easy to become a slave to your phone. The best way to counter that is to realize its a cool that YOU control, not the other way around.
In the list of reminders, Jacqueline tells us to ‘be all there,’ keep it private, avoid the ‘cell yell,’ keep it private and excuse yourself when using the phone.
Yes, some calls are important and need to be handled immediately. But if you’re aware of the situation and the surroundings, you can still handle urgent calls (answer and say ‘I’ll call you back in five…’ and then return to your ‘live’ conversation) and deal with the actual humans that are present at the same time.
Bottom line: give your full and undivided attention to the people in your booth. They’ll be thankful and your company will come off looking better – and that can impact your bottom line.
