Some trade show advice is obvious: dress professionally; be friendly and engaging; never turn your back to passers-by. But even if you do all these things right, your exhibition/ trade show experience could fall flat. Here are a few tips to keep your exhibit running smoothly—and make sure your company makes a great impression on attendees.

Rotate your staff. Some of the more obvious “don’ts” of trade show behavior—like eating, sitting down, leaving the booth unattended, or taking calls at the booth—can be prevented simply by shorter shifts. A trade show can be exhausting, even for your most experienced and extroverted salespeople. The experience is much easier when taken in half-day shifts. This way, your staff will have plenty of time to take care of other business, and it ensures that the face you present to your customers is fresh, energized, focused, and truly relaxed—not tired.

Use trained, experienced staff. Make sure you prepare your staff ahead of time. Simple do’s and don’ts of acting professionally at a trade show may be obvious to you, but not to someone without trade show experience. If possible, take your staff to a prior trade show to scope out the competition and develop goals for your exhibition. To an experienced, outgoing sales pro, a trade show is a fantastic opportunity to network, make contacts, learn more about the market and the competition. To someone with more introverted tendencies, however, it can be intimidating. Don’t force the issue—pick people who thrive in the trade show environment to staff your booth, and you’ll be doing yourself as well as your staff a huge favor.

Streamline your presentation. It can be easy to spot the first-timers at a trade show: they bring everything in their catalogue at once. Experienced exhibitors know that the attendees are looking for the latest developments, not last year’s line of products. Use your trade show to showcase what’s new in your business—it will attract more traffic than you would by showing products they’ve already seen.

Get an appealing, welcoming booth. Get a booth that’s open and inviting. Set out a banner stand with eye-catching graphics and compelling ad copy to draw people in. Your trade show booth should also present a coherent image, with professional graphics, coordinated colors, and a polished look. While there are trade show booths to fit every budget, it pays to avoid cutting corners—your trade show booth reflects on your business.

Have a plan for big prospects. Many trade show attendees will come to your booth for a brochure and a free giveaway—and then move on to the next thing. But every so often, you may get a visit from a big potential client who wants to talk business. Your next steps can make a big difference in whether you land this prospect or let him fly. If you get a visit from a serious prospect, is there a quiet area of the booth where you can talk? Do you have enough staff so that one can pay exclusive attention to an important prospect while others take care of the booth? Do you have a sales pitch, literature, and information ready? Plan for the best-case scenario.

Focus your brochures and marketing material. To really make an impression, don’t just bring the same brochures and graphics you use every year to a trade show. Create brochures and banner stand graphics that are specifically tailored to the trade show you’re attending. The more focused your literature is on the attendees, the more effective it will be. Make sure that your graphics and literature coordinate with your booth graphics, or change them to match if you can.

Give attendees a reason to visit. The biggest hits at any trade show are vendors who run an exciting interactive exhibit—a demonstration, a media presentation, or a short talk or class. It’s equally important to have a good giveaway. Give out something different than the standard mugs, pens, and keychains so common at trade shows. Choose something creative and useful that has lasting value.

A warranty. Many trade show display vendors offer one-year warranties on their pop-ups—either the frame or the entire display. Some offer lifetime warranties included in the price, or as an extra cost. Trade show displays can encounter wear and tear during transport, set-up, and as a result of trade show traffic, so it’s a good idea to check your vendor’s warranty policy before buying.

A trade show can be a big investment—especially for smaller firms. Put your best foot forward, and you’ll see a bigger return on that investment. The right staff, the right display, the right products, and the right plan can make all the difference at your next trade show appearance.