Ten trade show attendee rules

I attend two or more trade shows per year. Most of the work (business development, recruiting and client service) is accomplished on the telephone, of course. But there's nothing like getting out there and meeting people in person. Both candidates and clients.

You can see what's happening in the market and people can meet you. There's a wonderful, energized information exchange during the compressed time of a trade show.

Because of my concentration on companies making sports and recreation equipment, I attend Outdoor Retailer and the bicycle industry show annualy. Frequently attend the International Health and Racquet Sportsclub Association show and Club Industry, the biggest shows for fitness equipment.

Have also attended the luggage show, the ski show and the apparel show. During one calendar year, was in Las Vegas for trade shows five times in eight months. (IMO, trade show attendance is the ONLY valid reason for going to Las Vegas.)

Over the years, I developed a code of conduct to get the most out of the shows and avoid issues which might tarnish my professional reputation. Here in no particular order are those ten rules:

1. Book appointments in 30 minute increments. The prospective client is spending a lot for booth space, staff, transportation, etc. Time is at a premium and THEIR customers come first.

2. Someone who doesn't book an appointment makes a clear statement of non - interest in the service offering. Sometimes I " ... stop by the booth" or " ... call on the cell phone." But only once.

3. Research the individual and company in advance. Get a sense of the person's background and accomplishments as well as the product offering. Knowledge is power.

4. Select a hotel some distance from the convention center for two reasons: your privacy and their privacy. Keep a clear separation between work and rest times.

5. In Las Vegas, never gamble or go to strip clubs. Either activity reflects poorly on one's professional demeanor and will have prospects wondering why they would spend with you.

6. Never partake of alcohol during business hours even if offered free at a show booth. Same rules apply at shows that apply at home. Don't want to smell of alcohol before close of show.

7. A social drink after the show is fine. A little wine with a business dinner is fine. Beyond that, you're sending the wrong message. If you want, buy a bottle and take it back to your hotel room.

8. Meet candidates in a public space. Take separate transportation in both directions. That way you can avoid any potential allegations of forward or inappropriate behavior.

9. Trade business cards with each person you have a conversation. When you're back in the office, send an email thank you with some personal reflection on the meeting to each person.

10. Observe who has foot traffic and excitement. Check out the product offerings. When the show is over, call them with market intelligence ... which will differentiate you from others who want their business.

Trade shows can be a valuable selling tool if you understand how to work them well.

Ten expressions to leave at home

Those hilarious guys from "I Hate People" posted a list of ten expressions to avoid in an interview. Some are overused, some are "power words" meant to convey prestige ... and all represent well worn pathways in the brain.

Confession time: I use one of these expressions on my web site. Embarrassing but true. But I'm not going to call further attention to this grammatical faux pas by mentioning it.

So without further adieu, here they are:
1. Thinking outside the box
2. Deliverables
3. First and foremost
4. Touch base
5. Prioritize
6. Offline
7. Mission critical
8. Core competencies
9. Conceptualize
10. Bandwidth

That's a great start, but, gosh, there must be a lot more that set your teeth on edge. Let's see if we can come up with another ten annoying, cloying clichés which fill a void in communication with blather. Okay, I'll start:

A. Circle back - To check with others and respond to a question.
B. Stakeholders - Other participants in getting a product or project to completion.

Okay, now it's your turn.

Wisdom is where you find it

Went cruising around the adidas web site the other day. Yes, "adidas" is how they style themselves. And who am I to fight with success?

A friend at adidas got me pit passes for a NASCAR event in this area. I was thinking about getting a t-shirt featuring his sponsored driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., as a show of solidarity.

Because of my trade, I clicked through to their job board. And then I found this ... a compendium of easy to use, sensible, logical tips for doing well in an interview at their company.

Really like the simplicity and wisdom of this list:
-- Research the company.
-- Research the position.
-- Be on time!
-- Check your appearance!
-- Practice!
-- Conversation!
-- Handshake.
-- Your resume.
-- Follow-Up.
-- Have Fun & Relax!

My biggest criticism is the writer was a little heavy with the exclamation points!

Other than that, I have, over the years expressed all of these statements many times to help candidates do well in interviews. The downloadable "interview tips" pdf files elsewhere on this site contain many of these points.

Kudos to adidas for publishing a tidy list of does and don't for candidates ... which is a great template for interviewing at other companies, too.

All the tech tools and nothing's getting built

Found this interesting blog post. It focuses on technology tools (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) as barriers to communication ... rather than communication expediters or enhancers.

Duane Roberts says it's critically important to create a real, mutually beneficial relationship beyond the nominal "friend" or "connection" or "follower."

Maybe I'm showing my old school, "back in the day," shoe leather personality. I agree with Duane that being a LinkedIn "Lion" is not a real measure of anything if you can't get a call back or a referral.

This reminds me of Human Resource people who use "resume flow" as the metric of choice. As a recruiting professional, my question is, "How many of those individuals are actually qualified to do the job?"

In referring to the 5,000 Twitter followers one might have, if no wants to help you, " ... give them a reason to change their minds."