Have you ever attended a trade show and then spent the next few weeks unsubscribing from newsletters and sales pitches from companies you barely recognize?
I can’t help but wonder, given my own experience as a trade show attendee.
Here’s what I suspect happens:
- They sponsor the event and set up a booth.
- They put together a list of attendees’ contact info based on collected business cards, contest entries, and captures from the dreaded lead guns, which instantly gather contact information by scanning trade show badges.
- They dump this list into their CRM or marketing automation database.
- Attendees automatically get blasted whatever the company is already sending to their email lists.
Trade Show ≠ Instant Engagement
Just because someone attends a trade show does not mean that every organization in attendance is relevant to her, or that she is eager to receive newsletters, the latest product updates, or a sales call.
Too many companies wrongly assume trade show attendance equals instant engagement.
5 Steps to Follow Up with Trade Show Leads
If you don’t want to be banished to the spam file or voicemail, use these five steps when following up with trade show prospects.
1. Invite or welcome them to your email list.
Explain how you got their name, make it personal, and connect back to their motivation. For example: “I hope you enjoyed the conference as much as I did. We really believe in (core event values).”
If they chatted with a sales professional, reference that conversation. Do what you can to show what you have in common (primarily, the event) and why they should engage with your company.
2. Create event-related content.
The event is what connects you. Write articles and blog posts about it. Interview the event’s subject matter experts.
Bring along a reporter. Demonstrate your value to attendees by providing a fresh perspective and helping them take in even more knowledge.
After all, that’s why they attend conferences and trade shows. Use this content as part of a nurturing campaign, as outlined below.
3. Nurture first. Don’t sell.
Only 5% to 15% of inquiries are ready to speak to Sales, so the rest require nurturing until they fit your universal lead definition (ULD).
Develop a lead-nurturing campaign to guide prospects through the marketing funnel until they’re ready to speak to Sales. Find out how to do that here: “Lead Nurturing: You could be losing as much as 80% of your sales; here’s how you keep them.”
4. Encourage your salespeople to make personal connections.
Make sure your sales professionals individually follow up with the people they spoke with, whether that’s through sending an email, connecting on LinkedIn, or following them on social media. People build relationships with people, not companies.
5. Keep them engaged, even if they’re never going to be a customer.
Don’t discard attendees who are not a fit. They could become a champion of your brand, or possibly a partner or collaborator.
Engage them by developing a nurturing campaign that will keep them up to date on what’s happening in your organization. Invite them to subscribe to an online newsletter, attend online events, or connect via social media.
Want to learn more about how to make the most of your trade show investment?
Check out this article: “9 Simple Tactics to Drive a Higher Return on Trade Show Investment.”
No hype. No noise. Clarity your team can actually use.