Leads collected at trade shows are some of the best you can get. Managing those leads can be complicated but it doesn’t have to be. Knowing the plan before you go to the show allows you to close those deals and keep your business growing.
Collect Your Leads as Efficiently as Possible
If the show has a lead retrieval system, take a good hard look at the cost. Being able to scan a badge and get a name, company, phone number, and email from someone is worth it. The $500 – $900 you will spend to get leads will balance out the time you will spend inputting business cards or even the lost opportunities because you didn’t get someones contact information. Many businesses are not printing business cards anymore, how will you collect someones information if that is the case?
It can be a larger expense but the time it will save when inputting your leads will make it worth it. I have spend 8-24 hours sorting and typing in information from business cards.
If you have to go the business card route due to the show not having lead retrieval here some tips to streamline.
Gather your team and split the work up. You need to have all the information in a useable format within 72 hours after a trade show. The more people you have on this project the better.
Now, before I hand out the lead cards, I will separate them depending on the information that I received. Group 1 is full information, name, title, business, phone, and email. The physical address is a bonus for me. Group 2 is name, phone, and email. Group 3 is name and email. Group 4 is for those that only gave me a name and a phone number. These groups go onto a different sheet of my Excel file. If I know someone is interested in what I am selling, I will place a star on their lead card. This serves as my reminder to follow up with them first. These leads are marked in a color.
You will create a system for grouping your leads and what is most important for your business.
Learn tips on how to bring traffic to your booth.
Input Leads into Your CRM
However you track your leads, input these new ones into it. If you do not have a CRM system, look into HubSpot. They have a very robust system that is free. This allows you to track when and where you received leads, when they turn into customers, and the value of those customers. This information allows you see what your cost of acquisition is and how much you can spend and still make money.
Send a Thank You Email
Every email that you have collected may not be a warm lead now, but can turn into one later. Sending out an email to them within 72 hours of the trade show ends helps to keep your company top of mind. You then have a collection of emails to send newsletters and promotions. Do not over do the number of emails you send out and always comply with the laws of your area for unsubscribes.
Follow Up
Those leads that you marked as urgent should be contacted within 72 hours. I would suggest the phone for this follow up. Email can be used but anyone who has been to a trade show knows that they will return home to an inbox overflowing with “Thank You” and “Follow Up” emails. If the lead urgent, pick up the phone. You can follow up with an email after your phone call but