Got an attitude about trade show? Love em, hate em or tolerate em, the way you think about trade shows shows. In your demeanor, vocabulary, conversational tone your general attitude. These are five important Q&A about attitude and training from clients like you.

1. Our Sales and Customer Service training center gives us sessions on how to sell and follow-up. What's so different about trade shows?

Trade shows are a completely different environment. The time is compressed, the expectations are high (sometimes too high), you're constantly on stage meeting strangers and when you get back to the hotel room or the office, you have to follow-up leads as well as do your regular work. The more you know about this unique marketing opportunity, the more comfortable and successful you will be.

2. We're just going to a show to walk the aisles. Why do we need training?

Are you a good spy? What are you looking for? Do you know trade shows are the best source of market intelligence about your industry, new products, new processes, new suppliers, new partners, new reps, new employees and new competitors? Training can help you be more aware of your surroundings, focus on your targets and be open to new opportunities.

3. Personally, I think trade shows are a boring, insufferable waste of my time when I could be doing some real selling. I'll bet training can't change my attitude!

You're right! So, stay home. Actually, you're probably an exceptional sales professional who hates the lack of control you feel at a show. TSTi has identified the five reasons you're uncomfortable, can help you prepare for shows and at least get you to grit your teeth, smile and produce for three days.

4. We usually just send one person and he always complains about how tired he is. What can training do for us?

Trade shows are hard work, but he's your responsibility. Get him in shape. Send a younger person. Get him some relief via a temp service - or ask a local client, rep, retiree or supplier to help staff the booth. If he's tired and shows it, he's pulling down the image of your entire company. Change it!

5. We really go to shows just to see old clients and keep up those relationships. What's training going to do for us?

While it's nice to be part of the old gang and keep up with personal and industry gossip, trade shows may be an expensive way to do it. Training will help you find new "old clients," look for relationships with new suppliers and, at a minimum, make you less insulated in your approach.

Julia O'Connor

In one way or another, Julia has always been in sales. From the time her mortified mother found out that, as an enterprising 5-year-old, she was peddling homemade pot holders to the neighbors, to her current expertise in trade show marketing, she has been interested in results. And in order to get the results she wants, she will guide, train and teach.

Her careers range from public and professional education design, to freelance advertising-public relations, to real estate investment portfolio management.

Since 1982, Julia has been working with clients in trade show marketing. And, when she asked clients, "why are you going to that show?", she found most did not know. Time to teach.

After years of informal instruction, Trade Show Training was incorporated to provide structured training ranging from trade show basics to the ergonomics of exhibit design. She designed Camp Sho-M-Sel-M to improve sales staff performance in the trade show environment.

She holds degrees from The University of Georgia in Advertising, an MA in Mass Communications from The University of Iowa, and an Indiana University MBA in Marketing. She is a frequent speaker on marketing, networking, entrepreneurship and trade shows.