As you are getting ready for your next convention or trade show, I think it is a good time to talk about maximizing your success at trade shows.

It is wonderful seeing friends and colleagues who I haven't seen in a while. For instance, going to an upcoming writing conference will bring me face-to-face with several people that I often converse with on the phone.

There's just no substitute for a good face-to-face meeting. We spend so much time on the phone, and communicating via e-mail and voice mail, that it's more important than ever to really connect...in person. It will be a pleasure to say a real "hello" to you all at The Global Business Café fall cruise. I'll be speaking about the newest techniques in business development - please come up and introduce yourself.

There's a good deal of material that has been written on how to maximize your trade show presence when you have a booth (e.g., Connecting with Key Decision Makers). I am also thinking that it's important to make the most of your time and energy walking around the convention floor. Here are three guidelines to help you.

1. Make a plan.
Trade shows can be expensive propositions and a well-thought out plan helps you get the most from your investment of time and money. Here is what I suggest ...

• Pick out the sessions you want to attend. Try to go to sessions that have speakers who are going to tell you something you don't already know. Expand your base of knowledge. If you always go to creative sessions, attend a database or CRM session. All you need is one good idea.

• Write letters to new prospects whose offices are in the vicinity of the show to set up meetings. Since you will be in (name of city), you may want to write letters to prospective customers in the area. I usually write something such as, "I've always wanted to work on your business and I'm going to be in Atlanta for the (name of trade show)." Then, I try to schedule drinks, dinner or breakfast. I find that breakfast works really well because people often schedule their dinners well in advance, but often can squeeze in breakfast plans.

2. Look for new creative ideas.
Because they offer unparalleled access to your competition and your potential customers, trade shows are a great opportunity to disrupt your thinking and expand your creative horizons. So, I suggest you...

• Keep your eyes wide open. Fill your bag with everything that looks interesting, everything that looks new, even if it doesn't apply directly to your area of business. I try to take a survey walk through the area and note where I want to go back and visit. At the National Radio Talk Show every spring, I pick up information on everything from show content to syndication and come up with fresh ideas for my programs.

• Check out the competition. Look at your competitor's promotional materials and their booth. Did you make the right decision by not getting a booth, or does your competitor's booth look really active? What is your competitor doing right? Where do you think your competitor is falling short?

3. Prospect for new business.

• Have information about your company on hand. While you're making your way through the convention floor picking up interesting information, it doesn't hurt to have some information about your own company. That way, when you find yourself in conversation with a potential customer, you can say, "Here's an article in XYZ Magazine profiling our company." Or, "Here's a brochure about our organization that lists some of our customers." Most of all, bring plenty of business cards.

• Make an effort to talk to a good deal of people. You never know who landed where or who knows whom - it just makes sense to try to touch base with as many people as possible. A writer at our company told me she got her very first writing assignment from someone she sat beside at a session on how to write direct mail copy.

• Review old acquaintances. Before the show starts, spend a few moments thinking about who may be attending the show who you would really love to catch up with. Try to track down former colleagues and customers you haven't seen for a while.

• Follow-up. There is nothing more important than this step. I am amazed at how many organizations spend a fortune at a show, only to collect business cards and then do nothing with them.

Here's a true story that illustrates this point: Last year, I visited a booth that I was interested in. I spoke to the representative and discussed what I needed. Then I put my card in the fishbowl for a chance to win a case of wine.

Guess what? I won the wine! I sent a letter of thanks to the representative and asked her to have someone get in touch with me. I didn't hear from anyone. This year, I saw the same representative and asked why no one had ever contacted me. She explained that she passes the leads on to the sales department and doesn't know what the sales department does with them.

The moral of the story is to follow-up. Hot leads can get cold in a New York minute.

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