Smart Tradeshow Follow Up
Four Rules to Turn Leads into Customers
Tradeshows can be both exciting and exhausting. Most of the effort goes into the planning: creating the right presentation, designing your booth, and promoting your message. Staff is primed and ready to make contacts with the thousands of potential clients passing by your booth. By the time the show ends, they’ve collected contact information from prospects, and have engaged in many meaningful conversations, but they are tired and ready to get back to their jobs. Here are four of the most important follow up rules.
Follow up According to Needs
Not all leads are created equal. Prioritize your leads. Which need specific information and which need more general information such as a fact sheet? Hot leads need an immediate follow up—the next day—with either a phone call or email. This is the time to provide the quote they asked for, or to answers questions, the real reason for your follow up. If you were asked to provide information to someone who has decision-making authority, do so the next day.
Follow up Immediately
“Studies show that most trade show leads are never re-contacted or activated, which wastes the time and money you spend,” says Joanna Krotz, co-author of the "Microsoft Small Business Kit." Timing is critical. Don't let a hot prospect become a cold lead because too much time has passed before you've made contact. Your post-show strategy should be fairly simple: call the most serious prospects within two days. Then follow up with all your leads within five business days, either by email or phone. The longer you take to make contact with the customer, the more chance there is of another exhibitor getting their business.
What about the contacts that aren’t considered good prospect or leads? Email all attendees who provided their contact information. Thank them for stopping by your booth and repeat the message, sales point or offer you were promoting at the show.
Prospect Your Turn Downs
Obviously not all your leads will be interested in buying your product or service. This doesn’t mean that warm or even cold leads should be ignored. Give them an alternative to purchase and offer a way to keep in touch. This can include putting them on your newsletter mailing list, inviting them to participate in webcasts, or sending them articles or whitepapers about your industry. The goal is to cultivate these leads and keep actively engaged with your company until they are ready to purchase.
Evaluate Your Performance
One of the most important post show activities is to evaluate your performance to help you plan future events. Due to the weakened economy and falling trade show attendance, assessing your success (or failure) is even more crucial. “Trade shows are experimental marketing,” says "Powerful Exhibit Marketing" author Barry Siskind. That’s why it’s important to find out what went wrong and what went right? Follow up with your staff by asking the following questions.
- Was it the right trade show for your business?
- Was the booth functional and did it suit the venue?
- Was your booth in the right location to attract enough traffic?
- Did you meet the right people or prospects?
- Was your literature and handouts effective?
- Was your sales force able to handle the number of prospects?
- What did your biggest competitors do differently? How did they fare?
In all follow-up activities, don't assume that potential customers will take the time to contact you for more information. Remember that your hot leads also talked to your competition at the same show and they will most likely respond to whoever does the best follow-up.
Tradeshow followup
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Business & Finance
Latest Articles