FOLLOWING UP ON TRADE SHOW LEADS
- Pro-Branding
- Mar 14, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 13
Trade show prospects are akin to leftover pizza—while some remain after the event concludes, they often do not appear as appealing as they did initially.
This phenomenon primarily relates to the mindset of the salesperson. It is not just customers who experience excitement from the dynamic atmosphere of a trade show; it's natural for salespeople to feel a sense of letdown once the event concludes. After investing significant time in preparation and spending days engaging with enthusiastic prospects, returning home can feel like coming "back down to earth." Interestingly, the most effective trade show salespeople are often the most prone to this feeling, as their substantial investment of time and effort leads to the greatest sense of relief and exhaustion afterward.
Be assured, the moment you exit the trade show floor, time becomes a critical factor. Although it may not be immediately apparent, it is indeed the case. The excitement and energy discussed throughout these blogs—capable of generating a year's worth of sales in just a few days—diminish rapidly. By the time your prospects board the plane to return home, they are already transitioning back into their usual routines. Regardless of their initial enthusiasm for your products, their interest is likely to wane swiftly.
Therefore, it is essential to promptly follow up with prospects who did not make a purchase at the trade show. Allow a few days for them to finish their travel and settle back into their office routines, but refrain from delaying beyond that period. Each passing day significantly diminishes the likelihood of finalizing the sale.
The advantage is that you are likely to face minimal competition. It is widely recognized that sales professionals frequently fail to follow up with prospects unless they are considered "red hot," irrespective of the circumstances. However, the drawback is that you might also fall into similar patterns. Although it is challenging to quantify the sales opportunities lost due to procrastination, it is reasonable to assume the number would be significant, especially regarding trade show leads. It is crucial to maintain discipline and promptly reach out to your prospective customers.
Begin by targeting your most promising prospects. Identify individuals who were close to making a purchase and remind them of the significant benefits your solution offers their company. Refer to your detailed notes, which are now critically important, to highlight the most relevant advantages. Additionally, consider areas where you can enhance your offer. There may be new information or minor product improvements that were unavailable at the trade show but can be presented now. Alternatively, you might arrange financing options that were not feasible to establish quickly outside of your office. The specific situation is less important than promptly reaching out to them to progress the sale while the trade show experience remains fresh in their minds.
To ensure success, it is essential to maintain comprehensive notes. Previously, I advised documenting them on a clean sheet of paper during your customer interviews at the trade show. Ideally, you have kept this information well-organized. It is advisable to enter these details into your database or CRM program promptly. Utilizing a few hours on your flight home could be an opportune moment for data entry. Although you may not be inclined to do so immediately, having relevant data readily available will significantly facilitate closing those prospects, emphasizing the importance of recording it while your memory is fresh.
It is important to consider the appointments scheduled prior to the commencement of the trade show. Identify the prospects who canceled their travel plans or were unable to meet with you on-site. In the week following the trade show, it is advisable to follow up with these individuals. Propose scheduling a meeting to demonstrate what they missed at your booth or simply to reconnect and discuss their current needs, given the missed opportunity to do so earlier. While this interaction may not match the impact of engaging with a live buyer amidst the enthusiasm of a trade show, it remains a valuable conversation that can pave the way for future sales.
Lastly, it is important to understand that trade shows are seldom one-time occurrences. In most industries, they are held annually, which means another event may be approaching soon. Given their significance as major sales opportunities, I view them as six-month cycles. A proficient sales professional might dedicate an hour or two each day to prepare for an upcoming trade show—adhering to the steps outlined in this blog—for six months. After the event concludes, they begin the process of following up, finalizing orders, and reaching out to prospects. This follow-up process also requires approximately an hour a day over six months. Upon completion, what do we do? Precisely, we start the cycle anew.
While trade shows are not the sole avenue for sales opportunities, they represent one of the most significant. Given their regular occurrence, it is essential to consistently follow up with leads and customers from one event while preparing for the next. The key variable in this process is your personal development, as you should continuously expand your network and enhance your trade show selling skills.
Achieving a year's worth of sales within a few days is indeed possible. To accomplish this, it is essential to be well-prepared, develop a strategic plan, keep abreast of industry trends, and thoroughly understand the trade show selling process. While this may seem demanding, it is also highly rewarding. By adhering to the advice in this blog and gaining some practical experience, you will soon view your trade show booth as an exceptional revenue-generating asset.
Pullout: Dealing With Third-Party Leads
Surprisingly, there are a few sales professionals who dislike trade show leads. To comprehend their perspective, one must consider the methods some manufacturers use to collect contact information: they prominently display their latest, most impressive gadget at their trade show booth, accompanied by exceptionally attractive models, and proceed to scan the badge of every passerby. Eventually, through some inexplicable process, these "contacts" are presented to the sales team as "leads."
It is possible that these individuals were never genuinely interested in the product initially. They might have attended to view the new machine, meet someone attractive, or merely collect a keychain; such occurrences are common. Consequently, there is a disparity in expectations. The company believes it has amassed thousands of potential customers, whereas the sales team perceives it as merely a collection of random names and phone numbers. Naturally, they are somewhat reluctant to invest significant time and effort in following up with them.
The question arises: How should you proceed if you encounter this situation? What is the appropriate method for managing dozens or even hundreds of trade show leads that you suspect may be of low quality? I suggest a dual approach. Firstly, despite the potential difficulty, I recommend contacting the individuals on your list. While they may not seem promising, there is always the possibility of discovering a valuable opportunity. Just because someone visited the trade show booth for a complimentary gift does not necessarily mean they are uninterested in learning more about the product.
Even if they are not, the initial call should be brief. As sales professionals, we often spend more time complaining about our tasks than it would take to complete them. This is typically the case with trade show leads. Either dedicate an afternoon to contacting them by phone, or if time is limited, allocate a weeknight or Saturday morning. This approach will not only help determine the value of the leads but also likely maintain a positive relationship with management. Unless there are thousands of names, it is generally advisable to address the task and meet the expectations of your corporate team, at least in the short term.
For a long-term strategy, consider the second part of my recommendation: Advocate for the inclusion of additional or better-trained sales personnel at your company's booth for next year's trade show. Communicate to the responsible party that having qualified staff on site can significantly enhance the ability to close more sales and rapidly boost revenue by effectively qualifying prospects and assessing their interest. Ideally, this will increase the opportunity to finalize sales in person; at the very least, it will help identify the top leads, providing clarity on future follow-up calls.
It is regrettable that some companies continue to equate mere presence with potential leads. However, becoming overly concerned about this is unproductive. When presented with a collection of third-party trade show leads, utilize them to the best of your ability and subsequently offer recommendations for improvement. Although this approach may not be optimal, it has the potential to generate future sales.
Comments