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Article - Successful Tradeshow Follow Up
Tradeshow Follow Up: Success Or Failure Depends On Planning And Execution
Tradeshows can be fun, hectic, loud, exciting and exhausting. But to make them truly valuable, you have to plan, prepare and most importantly, follow up. The timing and type of follow up can mean the difference between a prospect and a sale.
The Planning
Tradeshow exhibit success begins in the planning stage. At four to six months out, determine what information and marketing materials you want to give your prospect at the show. If you get a list of attendees prior to the event, send a postcard inviting them to stop by for a free gift.
Be sure to order you promotional item/free gift with your company logo, web site and phone number far in advance. There are so many great choices today beyond pens and key chains.
Printed materials for the show showcase the features and benefits of your product or service. They need to be exciting, but not too technical. They need some detail, but not be bogged down with legal jargon. Include a testimonial or two as well. At the same time you can plan the materials you will use during the follow up process. These will be more detailed and address specific questions, selling points, needs or aspects of the offering.
Try writing down the characteristics of your ideal candidate and sharing it with your booth team. If everyone knows who you are looking for, you have a better chance of finding them.
Develop a “scoring” system for leads generated from your tradeshow exhibit booth. After the show you will segment prospects for different types of follow-up based on potential to buy.
Determine how you will collect the lead information. Will you use a business card “fish bowl?” Will prospective clients enter a drawing? Will you have a ‘sign up’ sheet for your newsletter? Try offering something of value for the privilege of collecting their information.
At the Tradeshow
A few simple reminders. Smile. Shake hands, and most importantly, listen. Ask open ended questions. If they give short, one word answers, move on.
During the show you will “score” the prospects. For example, a booth visitor with decision-making authority and a large budget would get a higher score, and more detailed follow-up, than a visitor who stops by for the free giveaway.
Jot the “score” on the person’s business card or drawing entry, or keep a log at the back of the booth. Visitors should not know their score so do this discreetly. You can also use the card, drawing or log to make notes on your conversation, any special interests or questions they had or if you said you would send them something.
The Follow Up
This is where it all pays off. Good follow up turns prospects into sales. Every contact that does not receive follow up from you could represent years of lost profit.
In one study, 48 percent of companies did not follow up with qualified prospects. (Franchise Update Mystery Shopping Blues). That’s a lot of missed opportunities. If you are not calling the prospects, your competition might get the sale.
Effective follow up generally has these parts. Who, When, How and What.
“Who” is whom to contact first. If you scored your tradeshow booth visitors, you can rank them in order of highest potential to buy. Some use these categories: Customers (highest priority -- those with a need today); Prospects (may need you soon); and Suspects (“just looking,” may need you later). Do this before you get there back to the office. For multi-day shows, do it each night so the conversation you had stays fresh in your mind.
“When” is as soon as possible. Higher prospects, or “customers,” should be contacted within two business days, others within a week. Do not let hot prospects grow cold because you let too much time pass before you make contact.
Set aside time in your calendar for your post-show follow up. Do this before you leave for the show. It may take more than one e-mail or phone call to reach the prospect. Be persistent, but don’t be a pest. Keep reaching out until they say “yes” or “no.” Once a week to start, then taper off to once a month or quarterly.
“How” refers to the method of follow up. Will you call them, send an e-mail, or mail something? Did they express a preference at the booth? If not, try different methods with different prospects as a test to see which gets the best response. Use that method next time.
“What” is the message or additional information you planned to provide. Did you promise to send an interesting article? A DVD that details your offering? A product sample? Do what you said you would do. Fact sheets, articles, higher value promotional items and product details also make good follow up.
Personalize the correspondence with their name, or preferred nickname if you know it (i.e., business card says “Robert,” but he introduced himself as “Bob”), and be sure to address the prospect’s interests or needs he or she shared with you at the tradeshow.
Include a special offer or something that persuades them to take action. Encourage them to follow your blog or tweets, or to sign up for your “tips” newsletter.
Tradeshow success takes effort. Timely follow up pays off. But you have to be prepared before, during and after the show to turn tradeshow booth visitors into prospects, and ultimately customers.
