Sex, Drugs, & Rock-n-Roll at Trade Shows

Here's the Scenario...

You're at a trade show. Out of town. It's probably an unfamiliar city. Maybe an exotic locale. Lots of strangers. There's a client or two. A couple of buddies. Lots of opportunities to do business. Lots of opportunities to get yourself in a bind.

Here's how to stay out of trouble, save your dignity and keep your job.

Trade shows are hard work - both physically and emotionally. It's tiring to travel. Hard to be away from home. Boring to be pleasant and smile for hours. And, a blow to the ego when people ignore you, don't respond to your comments, look the other way when passing your booth, or just say "no" to your offer.

There's pressure to produce. Talk with prospects. Entertain clients. Look for partners. Scout out the competition. Get the business. And, increasingly because of technology you're never out of contact but have to keep up with your "real" job at the same time. So, it's easy to fall into the traps of your normal stress reducers - the inter-relationships of sex, drugs & rock-n-roll.

The Lectures and the Tips...

I call these behaviors - Things your mother taught you not to do, but since you're away and you think nobody knows you, you can get away with them. Sorry, somebody does know. And that's you.

Sex - Ah, how nice it is to be loved. Or at least enjoyed for a short period. The temptations and availability of anonymous sex are high when you're away plus there's the chance to have a rendezvous with a co-worker, client or other business acquaintance. Magic moments fizzle fast when the sun comes up. Remember, your life is longer than the trade show.

Drugs - Does your company have a policy that allows you to buy, sell, and use illegal drugs? Doubt it. You are on company time from the moment you leave your home until you return. Not only do you endanger your career and industry reputation, you run the risk of breaking US and foreign laws. Jail? Not a nice experience. Note that the U.S. Embassy cannot bail you out if you break foreign laws.

Are you traveling with legitimate prescription drugs? Keep them with you in the original bottles with the pharmacist's labels, keep a written copy of the prescription details in another location (in case you lose the vials and need refills). And most importantly, don't double up doses because you feel ill or uncomfortable. Check with your physician before you leave in case you have a minor emergency. This is especially true if you have allergies, a heart condition or use mood levelers. For example doubling tranquilizers may calm you to the point of stupor.

Rock-n-Roll - Hey, it's Party Time. Free beer. Free booze. Lots of great food. Music to rock by. Business is on a roll. You're king of the hill and queen for a day, you're entertaining and being entertained. What a life!

With some clients and in some cultures, you're expected to indulge in Party Time behavior. Drink a lot. It's OK to get drunk. Cozy up to the hostesses. Let your hair down and have a good time. Party hardy. Here's a secret - You can still be pleasant, have a good time, and stay sober.

Why be a prude when party opportunities abound? Because you're smart. You know alcohol loosens lips. Your hosts are now willing to brag about their business - details on the newest product, personnel shifts, corporate goals, and insider gossip. If you're sloshed, you won't remember. If you're drinking club soda with lime, you will.

Conversely, when you're drinking, you may trash your boss, reveal company secrets, ask the wrong person for a favor and be generally boastful and obnoxious. You'll be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

When sober, you're smarter because you're gathering critical market intelligence - information to get you ahead of your competition and be a leader in industry trends. Remember, at a trade show and all surrounding events, you are what people perceive as Your Company. How you act is how people view your firm.

The Solutions...

There are ways to avoid these traps. Here are perfectly legitimate excuses for not indulging in wayward behavior, but you have to make the rational decision to use them.

Think first of your health. Anything you knowingly do that endangers the health of you and your family is stupid, and hard to explain. Keep the wedding band on. Be polite and say no. The major VD's are still around, though treatable. But as global travel expands, new viruses and diseases are popping up and transmuting. Besides the emotional trauma associated with sexual escapades, the health risks are just not worth it.

Understand your corporate policies from using drugs to paying bribes to accepting gifts. What's standard at the office, applies away from the office. If you don't know your policies, ask before you go. Better be safe than sorry.

Examine your religious beliefs and laws. Adultery is a big sin in most religions. So are lying, cheating and stealing. We all want to do business with people who are trustworthy. It's your responsibility to demonstrate that.

Trust your gut. If you're uncomfortable in a situation, get out. Whether it's physical danger or an emotional jolt, your intuition is your best guide.

You can say "No, thanks." Because of health, corporate policy, beliefs and intuition. But the main reason is because you're a trustworthy person.

Julia O'Connor - Speaker, Author, Consultant - writes about practical aspects of trade shows. As president of Trade Show Training, inc,, now celebrating its 10th year, she works with companies in a variety of industries to improve their bottom line and marketing opportunities at trade shows.

Julia is an expert in the psychology of the trade show environment and uses this expertise in sales training and management seminars.

---

How To Become A Better Sales Manager

YIPPEE! Kendra won, or should I say, "She was hired,"... Read More

Determining Sales Fit; the Key Growth Process for Your Business

Help your organization grow by assessing the right indicators in... Read More

Online Sales: Secret To Increase Your Sales By Bundling Your Products

Microsoft has used this online sales secret to become a... Read More

Building Trust For Lifetime Success

Trust.One word.One very powerful word that can increase both first... Read More

Increase Retail Sales With Meetups

I recently attended the monthly Italian language Meetup here in... Read More

Ten Awesome Ways To Incease Your Sales In Holidays

Everybody thinks that the businesses will slow down a bit... Read More

It?s Time For A Sales Management Revolution

Are you dog tired because of the way you manage... Read More

Poor Performance - Fix it by Coaching

Coaching is about finding out the cause of poor performance... Read More

Getting Off The Advertising And Sales Rollercoaster

Seeing the results of advertising your business can be like... Read More

Accepting Responsibility for Your Sales Success

That we live in a time of relentless and pervasive... Read More

Sales Forecasting For New Businesses

Sales forecasting is the process of organizing and analysing information... Read More

Increasing Business Through Distributors

You're a small company with a good product. You are... Read More

How to Beat the 80/20 Rule in Sales Performance -- Part 2

Another key reason why companies suffer from 80/20 performance is... Read More

Your Extended Shadow And Successful Sales Management

In a small midwestern town, the local high school of... Read More

3 Ways to Increase Your Sales

Last week I got a call from Jose, who was... Read More

The Hidden Competition: Avoiding the 2 Most Common Competitors

There are really only two types of competitor:1. Obvious2. HiddenThe... Read More

Pointless Targets

I recall a heated discussion with a sales director some... Read More

The ACCOUNTABILITY Challenge for Today?s Business Management

In today's 24/7 driven business word, accountability is becoming a... Read More

What Is A Proposal? And Why Do You Need One?

Do you know anyone who regularly wins bids? Or can... Read More

Discounting Your Way Into Sales Oblivion

I don't even like saying the word d---------g. I have... Read More

The Get Dangerous Quickly Approach to Product/Service Training

In 2000 a computer distributor hired me to help them... Read More

3 Steps To Getting A Sales Meeting

The best way to get a new customer is to... Read More

Business Career, Executive Coaching Article - Perfection vs. Excellence

"(Howard) Hughes never learned how to convert his knowledge to... Read More

The Nine Warning Signs that You Need a Sales Video

Corporate videos are an important sales tool that can often... Read More

Moving a Business Relationship from Free to Fee: Turning Strangers to Friends with Power of Freebies

In the last issue I shared with you a technique... Read More

Raise Your Fees Overnight!

Do you want to make more money?Yes, I guess that... Read More

Sales Marketing: 12 Sneaky Tricks To Help You Outsell Your Competition

Business can be like war sometimes.You may have to fight... Read More

The Product or the Sale

This is a quandary not unlike the chicken or the... Read More

Want to Increase the Amount of Business that Your Firm is Getting?

Business development is important for every business and refers to... Read More

The Surest Way to Boost Sales

If you have a small business and you are looking... Read More

SEZ WHO? Tips About Recommendations, Sales Cycles, and Trade Shows

Here's the scene. You're at the trade show, having a... Read More

Generous Donor Refused (how qualified business slipped away)

Generous Donor RefusedPicture this. You are a fund development director... Read More

How We Build a 90% Failure Rate into the Sales Process

I recently began doing training in the banking industry. Across... Read More