Follow up on leads – it’s worth it!

Never been easier

Data capture and following up on leads from an exhibition or trade show has never been easier. No longer do you need reams of paper to collect names, phone numbers and email addresses as it’s all captured on a tablet and sent straight to your database, ready for you or your sales team to follow up on. Or is it??

Research has long suggested that the vast majority of leads generated by trade shows never receive any follow-up by company representatives. A recent study estimated that less than 70% of exhibitors have a plan in place to follow up leads after the show.

 This is crazy!

With the likes of MailChimp, Asana and other database marketing tools that can be automated to contact leads after the show, this really should be a simple task and one that can be set up weeks before the show. But so often this part of the sales process gets forgotten in the ‘whole trade show plan’ and the leads that you do generate become worthless. 

So here are a few ways you can make sure this does not happen to you:

Create a Trade Show Plan

A trade show plan does what it says on the tin. It is created for a specific show and covers everything from the layout of the exhibition stand, lighting, connectivity, devices, staffing and promotions. However, one of the most important things it should include is ROI and lead generation. Without a plan in place for what happens after the show these leads are in danger of being forgotten.

Create a Data Capture Page

A data capture page will create a new database where you can keep all your leads from the show. You could encourage visitors to leave their details by offering a reward, whether in the form of a competition or further information. If possible have a dropdown list on the data capture page that can categorise the leads into specific targeted groups. This way when you send them info after the show it will be relevant and targeted to their industry.

Have a Post-Show Plan

Have a plan in place for after the show covering how and when you are going to contact these leads and who is going to do it. Ensure your follow-up plan offers a range of options for further engagement, like a free download or a demo request (don’t limit this to one option, give them a few to capture everyone’s interest). And make sure that you remind prospects of any announcements or special offers that you made at the show. Basically, make your email count, make it drive some action.

Make it Someone’s Job

If after-show contact is not a job for you then find someone who can own it and run with it. Ensure that person understands the plan and then has all the tools to make it happen. Include conversion analysis in your plan so that you can understand how many leads converted into sales and their value – sometimes this kind of info helps you negotiate with event organisers the following year.

We love warm leads

Any lead created at a show or exhibition is considered a warm lead. These are people that have visited your stand, have given you their email address and have shown an interest in your product. Contact them and make the investment you made at the exhibition give you something in return.

Make every lead count.

If you need help with your next exhibition stand or want to design some collateral around data capture give us a call on 1300 240 250.