At a trade show, the exhibiting company expects to showcase its best products, services and staff. But what happens when the exhibit was great, the products and services super and the response was not up to expectations?

One very real reason is Management was haphazard in selection of its staff the subtle and no-so-subtle behaviors of its most visible representatives were offensive.

The staff members were flawed by one or more of the seven deadly sins of exhibiting staff. Are you responsible for selecting these people or worse, are you one of those selected?

PRIDE is excessive belief in your own abilities - also known as vanity.

AT A SHOW You are the peacock, strutting around. You are the know-it-all, the one who interrupts conversations, talks over the demo and gives unsolicited opinions. You want more than your share of the limelight. Whether you are an expert or not, you believe yourself to be one - even when your pronouncements are erroneous.

ENVY is your desire for others' traits, status, abilities, or situation.

AT A SHOW You are the gossip-monger, the one who makes snippy comments, drops pseudo-truths about competitors and passes along company secrets. When you think you can get away with it, you are the back-stabber, liar and imitator. You think that by denigrating others, you raise your own stake and others will choose you over your implied competitors.

GLUTTONY is your inordinate desire to consume more than you require.

AT A SHOW You are an addict, whether your choice is alcohol, drugs, food or speed. You are obsessive about fulfilling these needs, often sloughing off show duties, often showing up with a hangover, glassy eyes or a thick tongue. You believe in crashing parties, maximum use of expense accounts and you often go off alone when official entertaining has ended. You may need to be bailed out of jail.

LUST is your inordinate craving for pleasures of the body.

AT A SHOW You may think it stays in Vegas or on the road or as a secret. It does not. Whether it is in person or online, today your privacy can be compromised in so many ways. Your computer and credit cards can be hacked or stolen. You can be followed, mugged, blackmailed, get a disease or snapped by a cell phone. Ultimately, you are selfish by ignoring the well being of your family and your companys reputation.

ANGER is manifested when you opt for fury - also known as wrath.

AT A SHOW You are quick to flare up, often for no reason. You snipe at wait-staff when lunch is not perfect, stiff the bellman, curse the union labor and revel in making a scene. You feel justified to yell at anyone you consider beneath you, including your own staff. You believe fear is an acceptable trait and makes you a commanding presence. Instead, you are an embarrassment.

GREED is your desire for material wealth or gain - also called avarice or covetousness.

AT A SHOW You are hyper-competitive. You want the money, the toys and king-of-the-hill feeling. You are not above cutting side deals, suggesting bribes, stealing clients, messing with leads, indulging in gossip or passing along secrets when you think it gives you an advantage. You are sneaky and at the low end of the ethics scale.

SLOTH is when you avoid physical work also called being lazy or procrastinating.

AT A SHOW You are never around when work needs to be done. You skipped the pre-show meeting. You lost the e-mail, missed the client appointment, couldnt find the right room. You misplaced the leads or the packing slips, ignored the show contracts and forgot to check in at the office. Your excuses sound rational but after awhile, nobody believes you. They will leave you alone and after awhile, you will be alone on the street.

What does this mean? People expect good things to happen. They remember more vividly those behaviors and attitudes that make them uncomfortable.

At a trade show, the staff is the social and ethical embodiment of a company. Individual flaws and faults may be magnified because of the briefness of interaction. The incidents will be remembered by the company name, not the individual. And folks may ask - Why should I do business with a company that hires a jerk like that?