Topic
Lead Follow-Up
The show isn't over when the booth comes down. Capture, qualify and follow up fast, before your leads go cold.
The show isn't over when the booth comes down. Every conversation you had in the aisle is only worth something if somebody picks it up afterward, and a quick follow-up keeps the conversation fresh. Failing to follow up on leads made my list of the 25 most common trade show mistakes, and so did skipping post-show marketing.
Build the system before you go
Before the show, decide who gets the leads and how fast they'll be contacted, then set up a way to know it happened. That closed loop is what keeps leads from getting lost. It also takes sales and marketing agreeing on the plan up front, so everyone agrees on what a good lead is before the show.
Define a qualified lead first
Agree on what "qualified" means before anyone scans a badge. Then decide what you want each person to commit to next. That could be a demo or a quote, or a meeting with a rep. Those questions belong in your show plan, and I've listed the rest in how executives should measure trade show results.
Take real notes
Don't rely on the badge scanner. It usually gives you contact information and not much more. Write down what the person needs and what you promised them. Note how hot the lead is too, either on paper or in a better tool. Those notes are how you qualify quickly and write a follow-up that sounds like you remember the conversation.
Work the whole list
Your A leads go straight to sales. Your B and C leads still deserve contact from you after the show, so they can be nurtured toward sales-ready over time. Marketing to them doesn't stop when the show ends.
Track what it produces
Follow-up starts before the show. If you book meetings with pre-show emails, count them and tag each one with the show name. A simple spreadsheet with the name, company, show and meeting time works fine. Then your post-show report can tie meetings and leads to pipeline instead of guessing, which is what the measurement section is about.
Start here
- Pre-show emails that actually book booth meetings
- 25 of the most common trade show mistakes
- How should executives measure trade show results?
- 3 things to measure at trade shows
- Measurement
- Want a second opinion on your follow-up plan? Ask Michael
How to Measure Trade Show ROI When Your Sales Cycle Is Long
Measure in stages. Set objectives and a cost per qualified lead target before the show, tag every show lead in your CRM, then report at 30, 90 and 180 days: qualified leads and meetings first, pipeline created next, and closed revenue last.
Pre-Show Emails That Actually Book Booth Meetings (With Templates)
Send three or four short emails over the six weeks before the show: a save-the-date with your booth number, a reason to stop by, a specific meeting request with two time options, and a final reminder.
25 of the most common trade show mistakes
Since I started in the trade show industry in 2006, I've seen the same mistakes come up again and again, at companies of all sizes and in many industries. Here are the 25 I see most often.