That Trade Show Your Boss Went to

Your manager or his manager attends trades shows, right? Cool. Good. Because if your managers are not attending trade shows and the seminars that go along with them, then that would not be a good thing. Why? Okay, real quick cause I don’t want to get off track…how do you feel about your doctor not attending trade shows and staying on top of his profession?

HVAC Comfortech, a large and very well attended trade forum, just finished up this past week. I heard through vendors and industry trainers the event was positive and contractors seemed to be inspired by the business ideas and information that they learned. These folks also said, and to paraphrase, “I hope these contractors can go back to their companies and implement what they learned.”

And I hope that I can win the lottery.

Now, I am not being cynical, just real. Your managers are so busy being busy at what they are busy at, that it is difficult for them to implement newly learned stuff.

How would you like to help? Remember what we say about helping your manager: you help yourself first.

Ask your manager what he learned from the trade show. There’s a good chance he will talk about the show at your next service meeting. Don’t wait. Ask him what he learned and if there is anything he plans to introduce to your company. Here are a few replies that you might hear:

• Not too many new things really, same ole same ole
• A general response acknowledging a few things learned
• What seminar? We never made it out of the bars
• I learned such and such. I really like it. We’re going to try it out
• I learned such and such. I really like it. It’d be nice to try out

We’ll break these responses down tomorrow.