Trade show follow up is the area that many exhibitors often neglect in their trade show marketing plan. When leads are handled inadequately, even the most successful trade show can be a huge waste of a company’s time and money. Good trade show follow up techniques begin before the trade show begins and end only when the lead has given a definite answer.

Trade show follow up should be included in the beginning of a trade show marketing plan in order for it to be effective. First, define how contact information will be collected. Will you ask for business cards or will sales staff be recording the information? Determining the type of customer you are seeking lets the trade show staff know which type of client they should focus on. For example, a company may be looking to expand its customer base for a particular age, niche industry, or product need. Making short notes on each lead is also important for effective trade show follow up because it can be used to personalize the follow up later on.

Trade show follow up needs to be organized in a way that ensures that no rock is left unturned so to speak. Sorting the contacts at the end of each business day will make the task easier because the information is top of mind. The most common method is by arranging them into hot, medium, and cold leads and they can be further sorted by preferred contact method.

Choose A Follow Up Method

The method you choose for trade show follow up might not seem that important at the time, but it can mean the difference between a prospect and a sale. Primarily, customers want to know that they are listened to and they can get what they want. Therefore, if the lead has specified a specific method of contact, be sure to use it. Also, be sure to include a personalized thank you. Whether it is an email, fax, or hand written note, or logo imprinted promotional items sent by mail, it shows your customer that you appreciate the time, money, and effort they put into stopping at your trade show booth.

Don’t Wait To Follow Leads

Trade show follow up needs to occur as soon as possible after a trade show to keep the products in the forefront of the customer’s mind. The best strategy is to start with the most promising prospects first and work through the list until all of the customers have been contacted. This might require a series of contacts, but the first exchange should not take place more than two weeks after the trade show. Remember that the longer you take to make contact with the customer, the more chance there is of another company picking them up.

Poor trade show follow up can make even the most successful trade show marketing plan fail. In fact, any contacts that fall by the wayside can translate into years of lost profit. By being prepared to handle the volumes of information, organizing the customers, and following leads quickly, you can greatly increase the company’s customer base.

 

About the author:

Jonathan Edelman provides helpful advice about trade show strategies. With years of experience in the trenches, he is an expert on booth displays, follow up techniques, and using trade show marketing strategies to boost revenue.