- Contact customers while your business is still fresh in their mind.
- Provide more complete information about your business.
- Learn from their responses to improve your trade show performance next time.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Prepare for the future
If all goes well, you're going to be extremely busy once the trade show ends, so you should write the bulk of a follow-up letter, email, or newsletter prior to the trade show. Once you return from the show, you can personalize the message and send it out.I recommend: If you have trouble writing a follow-up letter, consider using a business letter template for the skeleton, then add your company's specific information.
Take notes during the show
Follow-up begins before the trade show even ends. Note details for each customer you meet, so that you can respond to his or her specific needs, contact the right person at that company, and meet deadlines the customer might have mentioned.I recommend: Categorize leads as "hot," "warm," "long-term," or whatever other categories work for you. Ideally you've eliminated those customers who are "just looking" with questions about their needs. Take notes on the back of the prospect's business card or use a lead sheet (see page 18 of the manual) to record important information.
Contact customers quickly
Ideally you'll follow up with trade show leads within two business days. Five business days should be the absolute max, so if you're following up by mail, you can't wait a week then mail the postcards and letters.I recommend: If employees have the energy and an e-mail address, they should write the prospect at the end of the day they met, promising to send material as soon as the trade show ends. Even better, they'll fax material from the show itself or send information to your home office so the customer has something waiting for them. Marketing advisor Jeffrey Gitomer suggests opening any follow-up letter or phone call with a message that ties into the customer's concerns at the trade show.
Hire someone else
Depending on the size of your sales team and the number of leads you have to follow, you might want to hire an outside firm to winnow the leads and organize them in terms of importance and urgency.I recommend: Bartizan Connects, MyExpoLeads, ITN International and Netkey sell software or rent kiosks to manage leads on the trade show floor. Companies such as Convention Data Services sell software that helps you manage leads and track results. Lead Generation Solutions will follow-up the initial leads for you to prioritize them.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Keep employees working on regular business during the trade show. Otherwise you'll be overwhelmed by day-to-day affairs once you return to the shop and won't have time to follow-up leads in a timely manner.
- Don't assume that customers will contact you for more information. They probably saw your competition at the same show and will sign up with whoever does the best follow-up.
- Relegate customers who drop off business cards for a giveaway to the lowest level on the follow-up pole. Yes, they looked at your booth, but if they were seriously thinking of buying from you, they would have spoken to someone at the booth.
- Don't collect more leads that you can follow-up on in a reasonable time. Otherwise you might turn potential customers off by ignoring them when you promised to send materials.
- Make trade show costs more palatable by closing sales with your leads. The more you sell, the more cost-effective the trade show.
Event Planning Information Resources
Agency specializing in event marketing throughout the USA & beyond. Events are our specialty. See all the event media available to you at one source.
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Agency specializing in event marketing throughout the USA & beyond. Events are our specialty. See all the event media available to you at one source.
www.emcoutdoor.com
Branson Convention Center
World-class convention facility in Branson, Missouri with 220,000 square feet of high-tech meeting space. Book your space online today!
www.bransonconvention.com
World-class convention facility in Branson, Missouri with 220,000 square feet of high-tech meeting space. Book your space online today!
www.bransonconvention.com
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