Don’t eat, drink, sit down, read, or talk on your cell phone. These make you appear unapproachable and convey the message that you have better things to do than talk to prospects.

Do ask visitors probing questions and listen carefully to their answers. If the No. 1 rule in real estate is location, location, location, then the No. 1 rule in trade show marketing is qualify, qualify, qualify.

“I’m currently giving a presentation I’ve titled Sunk in 72 Seconds, because that’s the time you have to stop prospects, get their attention and qualify whether or not they’re a true prospect for you,” says Stephen Schuldenfrei, president of the Trade Show Exhibitors Association, the national trade association for event marketing professionals. If they’re not, then not only are you wasting your time talking to them, but you’re also unavailable for talking to other attendees who are prospects.

Don’t be a border guard. Body language and non-verbal cues are critical. Don’t stand with your arms folded across your chest or in such a way that you’re a barrier to booth visibility or entry. Stand and offer non-verbal cues that invite people to approach you.

Do try to disengage with visitors who aren’t prospects. Without being rude, you can gently nudge them to move on by saying something like “Thanks for stopping by our booth” or “I think XYZ company two booths down might have what you’re looking for.”

If you notice that a visitor is waiting to talk with you while you’re trying to disengage from a non-prospect, give this visitor a brief nod. The nod lets the visitor know you see him and gives a subtle non-verbal cue to the non-prospect that it’s time to move on.

Don’t put your giveaway fishbowl on the edge of your booth. Collecting business cards for drawings and giveaways is fine, but you still want to qualify visitors as best as you can. Rather than placing your fishbowl on the edge of your booth where attendees can just drop and dash, place it in a spot where you can engage them in conversation first.

Do remember to bring your appointment book. “The appointment book is the most forgotten tool at most trade shows,” says Schuldenfrei. “Collecting leads is one thing, but what you really want to do is book appointments.”

Don’t cluster with friends and employees. It’s a natural tendency to want to hang out and socialize with people you know. But for exhibitors, a trade show is work, not a social event. Prospects are less likely to approach your booth if it looks like you’re constantly socializing.

One final do: Take advantage of the media presence at the show. Ask the show organizer for a media and publications list before the show. Compile press kits to hand out that include vital industry information like the latest trends, statistics, technologies and products.