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Choose which shows to attend carefully and purposefully. The Boca Raton show may be tempting, but the Cleveland show may generate three times the leads. Remember, trade shows aren't paid vacations. They're work. Use available demographic statistics and information on past shows to find out which ones will be attended by the greatest number of potential prospects. Similarly, be wary of trade shows in their first year. They don't have this type of data, so you may devote a lot of time and money only to spend the weekend in an empty convention center, or one filled with inappropriate prospects.

Put forth extra effort in organizing your booth. Sending two employees to a show with a table, a couple of folding chairs, a banner and some brochures won't get you anywhere. If anything, it'll hurt your company image and cost you customers. A stylish, professional appearance is essential. So are quality promotional gifts for attendees. You should outfit your staff with matching shirts embroidered with your company logo. Prep them on appropriate etiquette. They should stand and sit straight, smile, speak in positive, friendly tones. They shouldn't eat or smoke at the booth, read magazines or do paperwork. You might want to appoint a booth manager, or fulfill the role yourself, to keep the staff in line. With new prospects the first impression is everything.

Set goals for yourself to make sure you get the most out of every show, and to make sure a particular show is worth attending next year. Before you leave, decide how many serious prospects you want to acquire, how many clients you want to meet with, how much promotional material you want to hand out and so on. Then monitor your progress and adjust accordingly.

Use trade shows as opportunities to see just what your competitors are up to. Schedule time for visits to each of your competitors' booths (perhaps without the embroidered company shirts). See what sort of promotional merchandise they're handing out so you'll be in a position to hand out better stuff yourself next time. Sit through their demos and presentations and pick up copies of their literature. It's a little like corporate espionage, but without the questionable ethics!