Identify the Product Question Before Routing the Visitor
When a visitor introduces themselves as a trauma surgeon, ask which product brought them over before choosing a colleague to involve.
Representative: “Which product are you interested in, and what would you like to check?”
Visitor: “The planning software. I need to know whether an exported plan will work with the review software our team uses.”
Representative: “Have you seen the demonstration, and has anyone discussed the export question with you?”
Visitor: “I saw how the plan is created. We haven’t covered what happens after export.”
Before making the introduction, check the product name or demonstrated version if either remains unclear.
Keep the demonstration running while a greeting colleague clarifies each visitor’s product question and confirms who will continue the conversation.
Decide Which Product Team Can Answer
A representative who knows the documented export formats may still need a software colleague to assess how those files would work in the visitor’s existing system. Use that distinction to decide how far the first conversation can go:
Let the first representative answer questions within their scope. They may be able to identify the displayed version, explain a familiar feature, or discuss a published specification.
Bring in the relevant specialist for technical interpretation. Configuration differences, supported connections, or a visitor’s particular operating requirements may need specific product expertise.
Arrange a later conversation when that expertise is unavailable. Explain what is confirmed, leave the technical point open, and identify the person needed to continue.
For a question spanning two product lines, keep one coordinating contact while the specialists address their respective parts. Record which part each person has answered.
Route Two Arrivals Without Interrupting an Active Demo
In one example, Alex is demonstrating an instrument connection when Dr. Lee and Dr. Chen arrive. Dr. Lee wants to compare configurations A and B; Dr. Chen has watched the planning-software demo and wants to check whether its exported plan works with their team’s review system.
Jo, the colleague greeting them, establishes both questions while Alex continues presenting. After noting the configurations Dr. Lee wants to compare, Jo contacts Maya, the software specialist. Maya agrees to meet Dr. Chen at 2:30 p.m. at the meeting counter, and Jo confirms the arrangement with the visitor.
Once the demonstration ends, Alex joins Dr. Lee for a brief comparison. If it develops into a longer review, Jo checks when Alex can continue and where they will meet. The live demo layout guide explains how to make room for that discussion while keeping the viewing area available for the next audience.
Pass Along What the Visitor Has Already Seen and Asked
Give the receiving colleague enough context to pick up the open question:
Product and intended use: The product or version involved and what the visitor is considering it for.
Original question: What they asked, in their own terms.
Ground already covered: The demonstration they watched or answers they received.
Open point: What remains unresolved, including any part belonging to another product team.
Promised next step: The agreed action, its owner, and any confirmed timing.
“This surgeon has a software question” could send Maya back through a workflow Dr. Chen has already seen. Jo can introduce the open issue with its context:
“Maya, Dr. Chen watched the planning-software demo and wants to confirm whether the exported plan can be used in their team’s review system. We’ve covered plan creation, but that compatibility hasn’t been checked. You’ve agreed to take the question, and I’ll send the documents you identify after your discussion.”
Name the Next Person, Place, and Time
The colleague arranging the conversation checks the details with both people and records the agreement. A short confirmation can cover the person, place, and time:
“Maya has confirmed she can discuss the export question with you at 2:30 p.m. at the meeting counter. I’ll note the appointment and be your point of contact if the timing changes.”
When Maya cannot give a firm time, Jo agrees how and when Dr. Chen will receive another update and records that commitment. The appointment is added once Maya has confirmed her availability.
Carry forward what the visitor has already seen, what remains unanswered, and who owns the next conversation or promised document.
Rehearse the Handoff and Fix the Failed Step
Rehearse the two arrivals while one specialist is occupied, letting the greeting colleague respond without coaching. Watch for a visitor repeating information, a request no one has accepted, or a demonstration interrupted to sort out a referral. Repair the missing step: add the context that was lost, assign responsibility for securing a receiver, or clarify what the greeting colleague handles until the demonstration ends.
For the running example, the two records could read:
Question | Receiving specialist | Context to carry | Contact if delayed | Agreed next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
How do instrument configurations A and B differ? | Alex — instruments | Connection shown; configuration differences still open. | Jo | Alex agrees to discuss A and B after the current demo. |
Will the export work in the visitor’s review software? | Maya — software | Plan creation shown; compatibility with review software unconfirmed. | Jo | 2:30 p.m., meeting counter. Jo sends the agreed documents afterward. |
Jo handles visitor updates if either arrangement changes; the receiving specialist handles the technical response. Repeat the failed part until the recipient can continue from the record and the active demonstration reaches its planned stopping point.
FAQ
What should the first contact ask before directing a surgeon?
Ask which product they mean, what they want to check, and what they have already seen or been told. Their specialty gives background; the product question identifies the expertise required.
What if two visitors need the same specialist at once?
Confirm which conversation the specialist will take next. An available colleague can answer within their scope and arrange the other visitor’s next step, with a named contact responsible for updates. Give a firm meeting time only after the specialist confirms availability.
What must be passed to the next team member?
Pass the product, original question, what has been shown or answered, and the unresolved point. Include the next action and its owner, especially when different product teams are handling separate parts.
Conclusion
The two records show who will answer each question and what each visitor has been promised. Review the agreed handoffs alongside AAOS multi-specialty booth planning so the product stations and shared conversation points support the introductions and meetings the team has rehearsed.
