Congrats on a new pole! I am so glad I got a 45mm pole. I'm a massage therapist and use my hands all the time and using the 50mm pole hurt my wrists after a while. Think of a 45mm pole as learning to drive a stick-shift car. It's a little tricky at first, but once you get it you can drive ANYTHING! 🙂
As far as chrome or stainless steel, I personally can't tell the difference much. One of my teachers advised that stainless steel reacts well with water in the air (I live in Seattle) and so I got that. It is super slippery when cold.
The tricks I learned to make it sticky is 1.) Turn on the heater in your pole room to 68-71 degrees. 2.) Clean your pole with rubbing alcohol (Windex leaves a slight film. Also, make sure you don't use fabric softener in your laundry as your pole towel will leave a slippery film on the pole.) 3.) I warm my pole up nice and good by climbing to the top, crossing my legs and sliding down to the bottom. I repeat this about 4 times and it's good to go! Plus when you get warm, you get stickier!
One more thing – check out Platinum Stages poles. They are SUPER easy to install and use. If you want spin mode you simply remove a small pin. SO EASY! Love them! And despite what you hear about "customer service" they are a great company willing to help with any questions you have. Good luck!