b'BUSINESS MANAGEMENTindustry problem.said Powell. If you spend four hours at seminars Bonus tip: Not everyone can attend the show. Askand four hours at the exhibitor hall and then go colleagues if they need you to track down someout to dinner with people, youre going to be so information. exhausted none of it is going to take hold.Mistake #2: Undeveloped strategies Bonus tip: If you miss someone you want to see at a booth, leave your business card with a note Having specific goals is one thing. Pulling themon when you will try again.off is another. Given the limited time available atMistake #4: Ineffectual booth conversationsa show, its wise to apportion your hours with goal completion in mind.To avoid wasting time when you enter an exhibition Very often reaching a goal means touching basebooth, control the conversation. To do so you need effectively with a key exhibitor. Its too easy toto know what you need to discuss in advance, aimlessly walk from one vendor to another andand then steer the conversation immediately in get sucked into conversations about products orthat direction .services that take you off focus about what willAvoid open-ended questions such as whats new? really help your business, said Powell. Devotethat invite the exhibitor to ramble on, wasting your your time to those vendors who are most importanttime, said Peter LoCascio, a Salem, Oregon,-to your specific goals. based consultant (tradeshowconsultants.com). Make appointments with people who can helpTry an opener like this: My name is Jane Walter you reach your goals. Offer to speak with them infrom the XYZ Company. I am making a business a quiet spot away from their booths. Maybe thedecision to buy a [product]. Why should I consider show has a relaxation area with chairs and water.your model over the one from your competitor?Or you might meet an important colleague at aAnother approach is to ask, Whos your best nearby restaurant for lunch. expert on [subject]? Or Weve had problems with Bonus tip: Schedule meetings with critical vendorsyour customer service. Who here has the authority early in the morning before the day gets hectic,to fix that for me?when they wont mind leaving their booths for aNot every booth staffer is at the same level of coffee and donut. product expertise. If there is no one available to Mistake #3: Undisciplined time management answer your question, obtain the name and contact information for someone who can. Sometimes that You want to see the right vendors in a timelywill require making a phone call after the show fashion,soyoudontrunoutoftimebeforeis over. That can be a prudent step in any case. your essential work is done. And that requiresExhibitors often fail to follow up trade show leads careful planning. Rather than wandering aroundin a timely fashion, says LoCascio. Obtaining the aimlessly, approach the show floor strategically,name and number of a person in your territory can said Orvel Ray Wilson, a speaker and coach onhelp you perform your own follow-up to learn more trade shows (GuerrillaGroup.com). Use a yellowabout a product or service.highlighter or red sharpie to circle the A hit listBonustip: AskyourselfWhatisthebiggest those exhibitors you really need to see. Thenproblem I have in my business? Ask exhibitors connect the dots to their booths and prioritize thefor solutions.visits. After that, mark the locations of the B Hit List, your second tier of vendors.Mistake # 5: Unstructured note takingAvoid getting hijacked by interesting displays thatTrade shows tend to create a state of information are irrelevant to your work, he adds. Knowingoverload. You are going to forget a lot of what who youre going to skip is as important as whoyou see, said Chance Castellucio, Executive VP youre going to see. of Sales at PromoLeaf, a promotional products And take some time off. Sure, you are a go-gettercompany (promoleaf.com). There are so many and are excited about the shows possibilities.presentations that things can get jumbled in your But pacing is important. You need downtime,memory. One solution to the problem is to take www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer 7'