Group Tours Speaking Up
Posted by: Cory Schaeffer, Listen Technologies Blog

Factories, distribution centers, plants and other industrial facilities welcome visitors daily to get an insider’s view of the products and manufacturing process. For some companies, these tours are focused on VIPs, potential clients and partners. For others, it’s interested tourists and community members. Whoever is visiting, guided tours can be an unforgettable experience.

To help tour participants get the most out of their visit and to make sure they have a positive tour experience, the tour needs to be planned, coordinated and executed in a way that everyone on the tour can see and hear the amazing things the company has to offer.

Below are 5 key elements that can help every tour visitor have a positive, memorable experience.

1. Ensure that everyone can hear every word from the tour guide. Factories can be loud—if the participants can’t hear, they will walk away with little more than a headache. An excellent solution for mobile tour groups is a Portable RF system from Listen Technologies. A wireless microphone/transmitter broadcasts the speaker’s voice to the tour audience. People on the tour have a personal receiver where they can adjust the volume control to suit their own needs. Gone are the days when a person in the back of the group is frustrated because she can’t hear the guide’s tantalizing commentary over the hum of the machines.
2. Plan the best route. A meandering route through the factory’s innards usually isn’t enough for a knock-out tour. The route the tour takes should be long enough to show off the amazing machines and other interesting areas of the facility but not too long to get monotonous. The tour should also include, but never interfere with employees as they busily engage in their daily activities.
3. Write a Script. Some tours are replete with quips, jokes and other such wisecracks, while other tours, particularly those given to current or potential clients and customers take on more of a serious or impressive tone. Whatever the intention of the audience, a tour should never be conducted off the hip. The tour guide should be well versed on every aspect of the facility and the workings of the equipment.
4. “Right-size” the tour for the audience. Some tours are short and others can be relatively long; however, regardless of the length of the tour, it is important to ensure the message fits the audience. Tours give the opportunity to impress guests with a “behind the scenes” look at the manufacturing process, the company culture, and how many widgets are produced each hour, day or year.  Interesting facts and tidbits make for a memorable tour.
5. Sell the past, present and future of the company. A tour is a great opportunity to discuss the history of the company, how it got to its current state and the innovations it is continuing to employ to take it into the future. Always highlight the benefits and remember that a great tour can be one of the most powerful sales tools a company has.

For more information on the right tour guide system for your needs, contact our TourGuide Solutions Experts at (877) 204-0225 or follow TourGuide Solutions on Facebook or LinkedIn.

TourGuide Solutions, an affiliate of BAYCOM, is North America’s leading provider of wireless tour guide & conferencing systems. Our customers use tour guide systems for manufacturing plant tours, special events, employee training and virtually any application where your voice needs to be heard. Tour guide equipment is available and in stock for purchase and rental for your one-way and two-way tour needs. TourGuide Solutions offers unmatched customer service and support and provides exceptional warranty and after-warranty care. With equipment on hand, your TourGuide Solution is ready to ship anywhere in the U.S. the next day business day. TourGuide Solutions offers a wide array of product lines from Sennheiser, Williams Sound and Listen Technologies.