Trade Show Success Strategies Part 3 ~ The Follow-up

Trade show value and ROI comes after the event in the follow up – that’s where sales will come from.  But, most vendors fail in this area, 80% of trade show leads never receive a post show follow up, those followed-up on typically fall off the map after being sent the first and only email.  Think about it…..  We’ve invested significant time exhibiting at the event so that we can gain leads and prospects invested their time in visiting with us.  We owe it to every one involved to follow-up immediately.

Immediate follow-up is a must, “get it while its hot” as they say.  Plan ahead for follow-up, maybe it would have been appropriate to put a section for this in the pre-show planning.  I think that it is important to set actions for each type of lead, such as a customized email followed by a timely phone call for qualified leads, an email from the president for session attendees, an email blast from the marketing team for any unqualified attendee, etc.  Show generated leads are not cheap, $1,400 if you use the example given in part 1, so work all levels of communication while pushing for the sale, in person meeting and or demo.

Follow-up boils down to this……  Just do it!  We can come up with many reasons not to follow through with this step, “they dont want to be bothered”, “so much work piled up on my desk while I was gone”, “I dont even know where to start”.  Fact is that they are waiting for your out reach so set all of these fabricated reasons aside and do it!

At some point you will be able to call the trade show process complete and measure your results against your initial objectives.  This is when you have exhausted all leads and closed all the business that has resulted directly from the trade show itself.  If you kept good records of this activity, you should now be able to evaluate the success of this particular show.  After all, if you are going to put this much work and money into anything, don’t you want to make sure that it’s worth it?

Although ROI is one of the ways to measure your success, you should always consider the other benefits as well.  These benefits can include establishing your brand, community awareness, educating the public and building new relationships and alliances with other companies.  You will have to do your own analysis on these non-monetary benefits.

Best of luck with your upcoming shows!