Five Tips For Following Up Trade Show Leads
If you are exhibiting at trade shows and events, following up leads is an absolutely vital part of the process. According to Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), 80% of tradeshow leads receive no follow up. This is a terrible statistic because it is a waste of time and money to exhibit if you aren't going to follow up.
Some believe that if a prospect is interested they will simply get in touch, and there can also be concerns about being perceived as pushy or desperate. But they will be expecting contact from you, and if you don't reach out to them - one of your competitors might get there first. Small businesses need to trust their suppliers, and get to know them. So take every opportunity you can to develop a relationship with your contacts.
With this in mind, here are 5 tips to help you plan a successful follow up campaign.
1. Follow-up promptly after the event
This means you need to have a basic template prepared before the trade show starts, tailoring with personal touches as required. A succinct, professional and tailored message sent promptly will help you to stand out from other companies who may take longer to reach out. If you attend lots of events and trade shows, don't just use the same template over and over. Make sure you keep things fresh and different each time.
2. Pick your times carefully
Avoid Friday afternoons through to Monday mornings or your email might get lost in a full inbox.
3. If possible, include a call to action
Give them something to respond to, whether that is a special offer for all orders placed before a certain date, or an invitation to your wholesale website, or to arrange an appointment with a rep. Try to solicit some kind of direct engagement so you can continue with your conversation.
4. Make it easy for them to place an order
Include everything they need to place orders with you. So that might be a link to your wholesale website, their assigned rep's contact name and details etc. Just make sure they have all the important information to hand.
5. Reach out to missed prospects
With a little bit of re-wording you can use your template to contact attendees you had hoped to see but missed at the show.
Read my Trade Show Tips for lots of ideas on how to have a successful trade show experience as a small business.