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You heard it here first: "Anybody who likes going to trade shows is a very sick person because these are hard work if you do them right," says Steve Miller, author of How to Get the Most Out of Trade Shows (McGraw-Hill, 2000) and a consultant based in Federal Way, Wash.

After all, preparing for and attending the show are only two-thirds of the battle. After soaking in the new products, concepts and camaraderie, pool and spa professionals must put that information to work while resuming the normal business they abandoned temporarily to attend the show.

Creating an action plan to guide and focus your time on the show floor isn't enough. To get your full money's worth, you need an equally sound follow-up strategy:

* Take charge of the process.

It's tempting for attendees to toss their trade show materials in a corner, put their feet up on their desks and expect vendors to ring their phones off the hook. After all, good salesmanship demands that sellers make the first move to demonstrate their commitment to customer service. Right?

However, this path of least resistance leads to missed deals, says Cynthia Lett, director/CEO of The Lett Group, a consulting firm based in Silver Spring, Md. "They probably made more contacts than you did and have a heavier workload to follow up on," she explains. "It isn't that they don't want to do business with you. They may not realize how imminent your need is."

As a compromise, mention to vendors you meet at the Expo that you'd like to hear from them by a specific date and flag it on a pocket calendar; pick up the phone yourself the day after if they fail to respond.

* Devote time to follow up.

A good place to start? When arranging your schedule to attend the Expo, extend the length of time you plan to be away by one day--then spend that day back in the office without interruptions. Devote the first eight to 10 hours to nothing but follow-up. Be strict: Refuse to accept phone calls and ignore unnecessary meetings or other distractions. Even hesitating 24 hours means your experiences will be harder to recreate when you finally do grab a chair. "It's like learning algebra or geometry," says Al Rizzo, owner of Rizzo Pool Co. in Newington, Conn. "The teacher taught a problem in class, and you went home that night and sat at the kitchen table until you got it."

# posted by Medical Information : 3:45 AM