LEAD FOLLOW UP

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You have just come back from the trade show, opened your emails and gasped at the number of calls and follow ups you need to do. On top of that you are thrown on the moving train of day to day business. All of those leads from the show and no time to address them.

This is where most companies fail with respect to having a “Successful Trade Show”. Hopefully you were able to qualify your leads at the show. There will be some that require immediate attention, a Hot Lead, some that are potential buyers within the next few months and others that you decided were important but you were not sure of the amount of interest in your products or services.

Here are some tips:

No matter how busy, follow up within 3 days. If you said you were going to send literature or address a certain question then do so in the manner in which they requested it. Create a Trade Show file either electronically or on paper and record the date the information was sent, the method of contact, what was sent. Electronic databases are the way to go today as they allow you to personalize notes as well as the main contact information. Follow up with a phone call and ask about their interest, their time line. If the lead is dead, it is dead. Move on! However, very few sales are made with one call. Ask if you can follow up in 3 months and do so. Continue your repeated call cycle until you decide the lead is dead or they tell you so.

Remember, at some point in time someone is going to ask for the ROI of the show. (Return On Investment). This is where you apply the sales directly associated with the show to the cost of the show. A positive ROI is why we keep attending.