March 22nd, 2007 -

By Barry Siskind

Indianapolis, IN: First contact with a visitor should be within seven days after an exhibition. That is not a long time, but for the visitor looking for solutions to business problems it can seem like a lifetime. They are back in their office and excited about what they saw and learned at the show.

If the timing of an exhibitor’s follow-up coincides with this increased level of interest, the chance of receiving a positive reception is greatly enhanced.

Research shows that an exhibition lead is superior to leads obtained in other marketing venues for four reasons:

1. They are serious buyers. Ninety percent of attendees use exhibitions as their number one source of purchasing information. They come to shows for a reason. In fact 76% of them have a pre-set agenda. They know what they want and whom they want to see. From the exhibitor’s point of view, these leads cost half as much as a traditional field sales call.
    
2. They are more receptive Forty-eight percent only need to hear from an exhibitor once to make a purchasing decision because they have already seen the products and services and know what is being offered before the follow-up call.
    
3. They have checked out the competition An exhibition is a one-stop shopping center where all the solution providers are found under one roof at one time.
    
4. They are ready to buy Attendees visit a show with an objective. They find and compare various solutions. Fifty-seven percent of these visitors will make a purchasing decision in the next twelve months.

In order for an exhibitor to do his or her job in a timely manner, planning for follow-up cannot be left until after the show ends. A follow-up program must be in place long before attending the show. It should be part of the show planning.

An exhibitor must be ready to deal with the leads garnered at an event or there is no point in collecting them in the first place. The first step is understanding that it doesn’t take much to win at exhibitions — a little planning and a dash of common sense puts the exhibitor well on the way.

Why Don’t the Majority of Leads Turn Into Business?

Research has shown that nearly 80% of all show leads are not handled properly. An astounding 43% of prospective buyers receive materials after they have made a buying decision with another vendor, while 18% report never receiving materials at all.

The three major reasons for this business travesty are: 

1. Poor quality leads
   

2. Lack of resources
   

3. Lack of accountability
   

Poor Quality Leads

Lead quality is the number one obstacle to the implementation of a follow-up plan. Often exhibitors come home with a handful of business cards or a box filled with ballots and diligently begin their follow-up. It does not take long to realize that the business card contains very little useful information.

Beyond name, title and address what do they really tell the exhibitor about the prospect? Each follow-up conversation now starts from the beginning. It’s as if the exhibitor and the prospect were complete strangers. Any relationship-building efforts at the show are now wasted.

More often than not the questions asked in the follow-up with one of the names from a draw box is “Did we win?” Clearly people were more interested in the prize than the product.

It’s no wonder that sales people get discouraged when the leads they follow-up are of questionable quality.

In some cases show leads are put into the hands of other people who were not at the show but are responsible for converting these prospects into business. The exhibitor’s well-orchestrated follow-up plan may involve many players working in harmony, each feeding the next with the information they need to do their job effectively. The solution is to develop an effective way of gathering prospect information that is immediate, consistent and filled with useful information. This is where a lead card works best.

Lead cards are a formalized method of recording lead information for post-show follow-up. Lead cards are not notes recorded on scraps of paper, a memo book, a laptop computer, or, worst of all, the back of a business card. Notes taken in one of these fashions leaves the quality and consistency of information to chance – the exhibitor only gets what he or she remembers to ask for.

Taking notes on the back of a business card is the worst scenario of all. Some people print both sides of their cards, leaving little room for notes, and others use color paper or synthetic materials that eliminates the possibility of note taking. With business cards an exhibitor may also have a cultural issue to deal with (some cultures view their cards as an extension of themselves and defacing the card in any way is a cultural no-no).

Another solution, which many show managers offer, is the use of a lead retrieval system, which is usually tied into the show registration. These can take the form of bar-code readers, hand-held wands or card swipe machines. Lead retrieval systems are a great method of recording attendee information, which an exhibitor can have quick access to.

While the benefits of these systems are great, one must avoid the temptation to abuse them by relying on the system to give all the information needed. Some do and some don’t. The solution is to use the lead card on its own or in concert with the lead retrieval system.

Here are some tips to help create a lead card:

1. A lead card is a pre-printed form which includes all the information the exhibitor needs to qualify prospects such as decision making ability, budgets, time frame, needs etc. It should also have additional room to record anecdotal information, personal preferences and promises made.

   If the lead card is used in conjunction with a lead retrieval system, then knowing what the system doesn’t provide gives clues to the questions that should be included on a lead card. Most systems will provide basic demographic information, but do not take into account personal preferences, problems the prospect has had in the past or specific solutions they are looking for.

2. A perfect size for this card is 4" x 7" which fits comfortably in a jacket, blazer or pants pocket. It is also small enough not to be misconstrued as an order form or application of some sort.

3. Lead cards can be padded with about 15-20 sheets per pad. The exhibitor should avoid tearing it when taking it out of a pocket. Padding also comes with a cardboard backing, which provides a hard surface to write on.

4. Another trick is to create lead cards as a two-part form. This is really handy for exhibitors who want to give one copy to the sales rep for immediate follow-up and the second copy to sales or marketing management for future use.

5. Don’t wait until the presentation is over and the prospect has left to complete the lead card. It is appropriate to record comments during the conversation. If the exhibitor feels uncomfortable about writing notes in front of a prospect then think of recording this information as a non-verbal way of stressing the importance of the prospect and their information. All one has to say to the prospect is, “do you mind if I jot down some of this information?”

Whether the purpose for exhibiting is taking orders, selling products from a booth, creating awareness of a company or product, or looking for people to do business with after the show, lead cards are the most important tool. Don’t leave the shop without them.

Lack of Resources

A common complaint heard from exhibitors is that after the show they are just too busy to follow-up. When returning to the shop, there are orders to fill and pressing priorities that often leave lead follow-up in the “file of good intentions.” Good intentions don’t get business, but applying the right resources to a follow-up program will.

The right resources don’t have to be considerable. In fact a follow- up program can be greatly enhanced with a minimum investment of a few hundred dollars.

Once the show is over the visitors return to their businesses excited about having found new solutions to their concerns. Eighty-eight percent of these visitors have never been called on, and the only way they learned about an exhibitor and/or his or her company or products and services was at the exhibition. So, ignoring these people is tantamount to throwing business out the window.

Organize leads by creating three or four categories (i.e. immediate needs, long term potential, decision influencers and so on). Now the next step is to find an effective way of acknowledging each visitor that visited the booth. A simple thank you for visiting or acknowledgment that their name is being passed along to a field rep who will be in touch with them shortly or that the quotation is being developed can go a long way.

Think about the categories. What needs to be said to each? Now write the letters (e-mails or faxes) ahead of the show.

The next step is to find someone who can fulfill all of the exhibitor’s show promises. When the exhibitor comes back with a hundred leads, typically most of these can receive their first acknowledgment by letter. The problem is that there is no one in the office waiting to send out a hundred letters.

So the trick is to arrange some temporary help. This is an inexpensive way of ensuring that the first response happens on demand. The expense of a few hundred dollars for temporary clerical help will more than pay for itself in the additional business generated. Once the first mailing is out, the exhibitor or his or her staff can follow-up on a one-on-one basis in a more relaxed manner.

Lack of Accountabilityy

There are two issues related to accountability: who is accountable for follow-up and how is it monitored.

It is one thing to hand leads off to a sales force or dealers and representatives. It is quite another to ensure that these leads are treated properly. One reason they may not be taken seriously is past experience. As we have already discussed, past experience with poor quality leads may have de-motivated some of your representatives. After all, why chase a lead that they know nothing at all about — other than the prospect visited a booth at a show.

Get the sales force on board as early as possible in the planning of the show. With a clear understanding of how these leads will provide them with much needed information and an assurance that the leads will be passed along to them in a timely manner, their commitment to follow-up should increase.

Often companies will treat show leads separately and pay additional bonuses or incentives for their follow-up — which transfers accountability to the people on the front line. They now are accountable to themselves for additional rewards from their show leads.

The astute marketer will also establish systems to monitor these leads separately from other leads obtained through separate marketing activities. One reason for this is to establish a true return on the show investment; because of long sales cycles this investment is often not realized for months or years after the show has ended. By tracking real results of these show activities, marketers learn valuable information and are in a stronger position to allocate future marketing dollars.

Monitoring is often accomplished by adding additional information fields into an existing contact management system. You can create regular reports on the current status of each lead. These reports become a valuable management tool. Tracking is the only way to truly know whether the show investment is really paying off.

---

A Guideline for Creating Your Follow-up Plan

Checklist for Creating Your Trade Show Follow-up Plan (opens in new window)

The printer-friendly checklist you will find when you click the link above represents the framework for an effective follow-up strategy that should be completed and committed to prior to any trade show. By developing a follow-up plan using these questions as a guide, the exhibitor will have earned a position among the meager 20% of exhibitors who take the time to ensure that they get value from their exhibitions.

---

Printable version of this article as a PDF, including the checklist: A Guideline for Creating Your Trade Show Follow-up Plann (PDF opens in new window)

 

About Barry Siskind

Barry Siskind is the president of International Training and Management, a full service exhibitor education company in Canada providing a wide range of products and services to help exhibitors improve their performance on and off the trade show floor. He is the is author of several books includding The Power of Exhibit Marketing. He is one of Canada’s most sought after consultants and speakers and North America’s foremost trade and consumer show expert. Visit his web site at www.siskindtraining.com.

About Thompson/Kerr

Thompson/Kerr Displays has been providing trade show display services for over 25 years with an experienced staff of exhibit, design, and installation professionals. The company is committed to helping its clients make the most of their trade show and/or public exhibition marketing programs.