Trade Show Follow Up – It all starts Before the show – way before the show.  Specifically, your post trade show follow up is an integral part of your overall pre-show preparation – and for good reason.  In conjunction with your pre  and at-show preparations, your post trade show follow up activities need to coordinate with and support the other two in order to yield profitable results from your participation.

Let’s take a hypothetical/generic situation to illustrate.  Your company features 10 items being sold into multiple markets.  For this example, let’s choose an industry specific vertical market in which 3 of your products are sold and are therefore the items you are exhibiting at this industry’s annual show.

Once you’ve decided the features and benefits of the 3 products you are promoting and how you are going to identify show delegates as qualified potential buyers you then have to capture these delegates’ information and initiate your follow up process.

At most industry trade shows your follow up process is aided by an optional Leads Capture System available to exhibiting companies.  It is crucial for effective follow up that you utilize this System, which allows you to scans a delegate’s name tag and captures all their identification and follow up information.  The equipment also provides space to make immediate notes concerning your interaction with a qualified delegate (only the badges of qualified delegates are scanned).  This aids you and your team in prioritizing these leads for your crucial post trade show follow up.

Let’s say your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for this show is “add on accessories” for each product at a significant discount when purchased within 10 business days after close of show.  You want to reinforce this offer in your trade show follow up to all qualified delegates who visit your booth and you want to do it within 24 to 48 hours following the show.

This is where your already in place pre-show preparation of post-show follow up material and procedure really pay off.  With your follow up material and program in place, you can have immediate nightly follow up with each day’s qualified delegates, or wait until the last day to contact all with your “show special” offer.  Additionally, if there are especially qualified delegates who warrant immediate attention, their follow up information you have captured can put you eyeball to eyeball with them again at the show or before you both leave town following the show.

When you make your initial phone call follow up to your top prospects in the 24 to 48 hour post show window you are likely to be truly surprised at your prospect’s reaction.  You can hear it in their voice (or they may even vocalize it) when you introduce yourself as a show exhibitor following up on their visit to your booth (or to you having visited with them at their booth).  It sounds something like “The show just ended yesterday and you’re already calling me?!?!”  Your ensuing conversation is likely to be far more productive than one made a week or two later to that same prospect.

Realize that an ever growing number of today’s influencers/specifiers/buyers now rely primarily or even exclusively on their mobile devices for both their communications and information gathering.  Effectively using these tools to provide your initial post trade show follow up message is virtually a given.

That being said, remember you want to establish your all important personal relationship (people trust/interact with/buy from people) that makes you/your company/your staff truly stand out.  To do this, you and your team must follow up effectively and most importantly, promptly with your personal phone call – made within 24 to 48 hours.

For more information on Trade Show Follow Up and other B2B Trade Show Marketing tools and techniques, please contact Hiett Ives at 832-8-372-6900 or HiettIves@ShowDynamics.com