Crowds mob your trade-show booth to leave business cards for a chance to win a big screen TV. You congratulate yourself on generating 6000 leads. Two weeks later, your frustrated sales staff dumps them in the trash.

Problem is you found 6000 people interested in a big TV – not your company’s product. “Eighty-five percent of the leads collected at a trade show are never followed up on by anyone. They are collected with an emphasis on quantity, rather than quality,” explains Orvel Ray Wilson, co-author of “Guerrilla Trade Show Selling.” But done right, “trade shows have the lowest cost per sales lead of any source,” he said. “For every dollar you invest, you should see $10 come back in profit.” Here’s how to maximize your show-going:

• Choose the right show. Try to check out a show a year before your exhibit. Ask valued customers which shows they go to.
• Create buzz. Use mailings and direct calls to customers to let them know you’ll be there.
• Set a target for leads-generated. Assume each staffer requires five linear feet of aisle-exposed exhibit space and can speak to one qualified lead every 10 minutes. From this, you can extrapolate both the number of staffers and the size of the exhibit space needed.
• Location. Larger firms typically snap up islands near show entrances. Most shows use a seniority system, so prime real estate may not even be available to newcomers. Try to get locations on the way to food services or restrooms. Corners are preferable as they give twice the aisle exposure. Alternately, rent two end booths on opposite aisles to create a double-sized “end cap.”
• Don’t print booth numbers on literature. About 5 to 10 percent of exhibitors drop out, making bargain show real estate available at the last minute. Usually show organizers would rather give space away than have it empty.
• Uniforms. Outfits such as matching golf shirts and khakis make staff identifiable. “Body language speaks louder than words,” said trade show consultant Susan Friedmann. “Exhibitors should definitely not act bored, eat, drink, sit or stand around talking to colleagues.”
• Be alert for corporate espionage. Your competitors will visit your booth, shedding their exhibitor badges. Brief staffers on what information should and should not be divulged. Have staff visit competitors’ booths early in the show to better spot potential spies by appearance.
• Review. Six months after the show, survey a randomly selected 5 percent of your leads via telephone. Ask them what, if anything, they bought from you since the show. The sample should paint an accurate portrait of trade show performance.