A survey done by the American CEIR (Center for Exhibition Industry Research) says that 42% never receive the material they are promised at the trade fair, and 28% only get it after they have bought the product from… Well take a guess… the competitor.
Following up after a trade show is a cause of concern for many. We start too late, and it takes a long time. And it can feel a little overwhelming. The good dialogue and atmosphere we had at the fair is difficult to follow up on …
I was thrilled …
… the last time I was at a trade fair myself. At the Euro Shop (the exhibition industry’s own fair) I was presented with some cool exhibition products and gadgets. They would fit perfectly into our product range, and I was well on my way into a decision-making process.
One product was cool. Really cool actually! The salesman promised me prices and material so I could quickly decide and place an order with him when I got home and had discussed it with my colleagues.
But then nothing more happened …
… as in nothing at all. I did not hear a peep from the man. Never received the material he had promised me. Not a call, not a brochure, no prices – not the slightest material came from him.
To make a long story short, I went to my friend Google, found the company and a salesperson, and got my hands on the material I needed to move on – despite some skepticism and great disappointment.
Moral of the story? Keep your promises to avoid missing out on potential customers.
With explicit goals and a well-defined target group, along with motivated staff and a systematic approach involving automated and digital lead collection, the follow-up process will run smoother than ever. The key requirement is to maintain complete control over these five areas:
Before attending trade shows, fairs, exhibitions and conferences, it is important to map out what a lead means for your business and which factors are relevant for your sales people to categorize a quality lead.
It could be questions like:
1. How do you define a quality lead? Often it will align with your target customer profile and factors like industry, job role, purchasing power.
2. Which leads do you need to take home to achieve your goals?
What information do you need to collect about your guests/leads, in order to be able to follow up purposefully – what do you need to remember to get answers to and permission for?
The more information you get from your guests, the more personalized content you can create for them afterwards. Make sure to always sum up what you talked about to help customize their experience.
What will you follow up with and how will you send out the material? Have your follow-up strategy in place with materials like brochures, prices, pdfs, white papers ready before you attend your trade fair, conference or another in-person event.
Don’t leave it up to chance, what your guests bring home.
But most important: Prepare before the show
How do you collect leads to streamline the following-up process? Do you have the right (digital) tools available? Do you collect business cards, connect with your new connections on LinkedIn or do you send an e-mail?
With the rise of AI and e-mail automation, you can easily create an automated flow dependent on your segment and personalized content based on your guests.
Who does what, when? How do you easily and quickly get your leads into your CRM so that they are part of the existing sales process?
Easy and targeted follow-up starts before the fair. Mindset, ownership, internship, and time in the calendar must be aligned and fine-tuned so that your promises do not become unmanageable to keep when you return from the fair.
Remember though that not all warm leads will convert into sales. However, as they have invested their precious time in your product, your resources will be better spent focusing on these to increase your chances and build meaningful relationships.
And just to return to my friend from the Euro Shop
– my path to becoming a customer with him, could have been much smoother if he had been completely focused on the above 5 areas
– and had he kept his promise …
With explicit goals and a well-defined target group, motivated staff, and systematic (and digital) collection of leads, the follow-up will be piece of cake. The only thing it requires is that you have complete control over these 5 areas:
Which leads do you need to take home to achieve your goals – what characterizes a good, hot lead for you?
What information do you need to collect about your guests/leads, in order to be able to follow up purposefully – what do you need to remember to get answers to and permission for?
What will you follow up with and how will you send out the material? Have brochures, prices, pdfs, etc. ready before you leave.
How do you collect leads to streamlining the following-up process – do you have the right (digital) tools available?
Who does what, when? How do you easily and quickly get your leads into your CRM so that they are part of the existing sales process?
Easy and targeted follow-up starts before the fair. Mindset, ownership, internship, and time in the calendar must be aligned and fine-tuned so that your promises do not become unmanageable to keep when you return from the fair.
And just to return to my friend from the Euro Shop – my path to becoming a customer with him, could have been much smoother if he had been completely focused on the above 5 areas – and had he kept what he promised …
Build an effective lead generation funnel and STOP missing out on potential customers.
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