Autumn is here and along with it comes trade show season. Typically held when people are more inclined to venture indoors, the majority of trade shows occur during fall and winter months.

Trade shows remain a popular marketing tool for many small businesses. There's a trend toward niche-serving shows, bringing together vendors anxious to reach clients hunting for everything from pet supplies to computer software to accountants.

However effective a trade show booth may be for your growing business, the investment can be substantial. That money typically includes booth space, graphic design costs, booth design materials, electricity, giveaways, pre-event marketing, shipping expenses, and staff wages.

To make the most of your time, effort, and money, it's critical to create a plan for each event. Follow these suggestions to help prepare for trade show success.

• Research the show. Be sure to buy into a show because it will attract the audience you want to reach. Don't be dazzled by sheer attendance numbers. Sometimes, it's better to reach 200 solid prospects than to hand-out brochures to 3000 passersby.

  Ask pointed questions of the trade show organizer, and contact previous exhibitors for their input. Did they generate leads? Was the show as well promoted as the organizers claim? Would they attend the show again? The more homework you do on each prospective event, the more likely your investment in a particular show will produce returns.

• Establish your goals before the show. What do you want to accomplish with a booth at the show? Typically, trade show exhibitors have one of three different objectives: to sell products or services on-the-spot, to generate leads, or to promote their brand.

  It's a mistake to try to do all three things at your booth. Effective trade show marketing often means choosing just one of these strategies and executing it well. For instance, if your company wants to generate leads, design your booth materials for that purpose, train staff to qualify booth visitors, and set up lead capture mechanisms.

• Set a budget. Like any project, costs can easily escalate out of control unless you set a firm budget. Beyond the booth fee paid to the organizer, be sure to anticipate often-overlooked costs such as print materials, staff wages, travel, shipping, carpet rental, display units, accommodation, electrical hookup, Internet access, promotional giveaways, and pre-show marketing.

• Pre-promote. Create a plan to promote your booth at an upcoming show. You may want to mail or email notices to your customers or prospects in the area. Add a line about the show to your outgoing emails for a few weeks before the event. Or, run ads in local media inviting people to "see you at the show." Don't rely entirely on the trade show organizer to generate traffic. Instead, help augment the organizer's efforts by implementing your own pre-show communications.

• Send the right staff. "Anyone interested in staffing our booth at the show, please sign up below." Remember, the people sent to the show to staff your booth should really be from the marketing, sales, or service side of your business. Don't send the computer repair guy unless he's there to talk about your computer product. Pick people who are outgoing, friendly, knowledgeable, and prepared to work.

  As a rule of thumb, you'll need three staff for every 100 sq. feet (a 10' x 10' booth) of exhibit space rented. If your booth gets busy, you'll want enough staff there to effectively engage all visitors.

• Establish booth etiquette. Code of conduct for trade show staff includes wearing professional attire (or will they wear custom-made company shirts?); standing (not sitting); eating and drinking away from your booth; and a complete ban on cell phones. Remind your team to bring mints instead of chewing gum.

• Get a speaker slot. Most trade show organizers offer seminars and workshops at their show to add value to guests and exhibitors. Speakers may include representatives from exhibiting companies, best-selling authors, or professional trainers. If it applies, secure a seminar or workshop slot on the schedule. It's a great chance to promote your booth, generate leads, and heighten your company's visibility and credibility.

• Follow up. It isn't enough to gather leads-you need a follow-up plan. Amazingly, many exhibitors don't follow up on the leads they generate at a show. Trade show sales leads get cold quickly, so you must plan to follow up on those leads within two weeks of the event. Before the event, sit down with your team to decide what you'll do with the leads?will you mail to them, call them, or email them? It will depend largely on what you're selling and your unique selling process.

• Brainstorm for the next one. Shortly after your trade show experience, gather your team to debrief. Were objectives met? Why or why not? Did your handout materials work? Did you attract the number of visitors you expected? Where you under or over your established show budget? Pick the brains of everyone who was involved in organizing or staffing the show in order to learn how your business can boost results at the next one. Post-show review will also help you to decide if you want to attend the same show next year.

Trade shows can be wonderful forums to meet a lot of people in a short period of time. Like any marketing opportunity for your growing business, being properly prepared will surely help produce greater results.