Trade Show Preparation (attendee)

Trade shows and conferences provide opportunities to learn and meet new people, who may be in need of your product or service.

Here are 5 Things I remind myself before attending a trade show like the upcoming Trade Brooklyn on Tuesday, March 15, 2011.

1. Have a goal of how many people you want to meet.
2. Practice describing, in one sentence, what your company does and how it helps businesses / people (*Alternate Escalator Pitch).
3. Don’t just throw a business card into someone’s hand the moment you meet him / her and keep moving (drive by networking).
4. Don’t spend too much time talking to one person and spend even less time talking to someone you already know. You can catch up with someone you know after the event. Remember, you already have a relationship.
5. After someone gives you their business card, write interesting things about their business and any follow-up reminders on the back of the card.

* An “Alternate Escalator Pitch” is a pitch you can say in the amount of time it takes two people to pass each other on escalators traveling in opposite directions (without yelling ).