We all know attending trade shows and conferences are an expensive, but necessary part of the current business climate. With so much time, travel, energy and money invested it’s imperative that you grow those relationships you’ve just cultivated and know how to follow up with trade show and conference leads.
If you are still in the planning stages of your conference visit, this post on preparing for a conference or trade show might help you more right now.
Here are 4 proven ways to ensure you make the most of out of your trade show and conference visit!
Swift follow up
You want to reach out to your trade show and conference leads while your initial conversation is still relevant. New research from Cvent on 2,000 business executives found that “nearly half (47%) wanted to be contacted within a few days” while nearly a fifth said “they like to connect with a contact…within 24 hours after the event has ended”. This tight window needs to be adhered to in order to remain relevant!
Related Post: How Quickly Should You Follow-Up with Inbound Leads?
Use an email touch point
With such a quick turnaround needed for following up with conference leads, the fastest and most effective way to reach back out is via email. Prepare ahead of time with your email messaging sequence and value propositions so these can be quickly sent out post-trade show/conference.
Personalize
With a tight timeline on the turnaround for reaching back out personalization will be key to making sure your message stands out from the rest. Adding that personal touch to your email communication communicates to your prospect that you listened to them during your conversation.
Whether business or personal related, the attention to detail shows your prospect what kind of relationship they can expect from you in the future.
Nurture through the funnel
So, you’ve followed up quickly with a personalized email, now what? All too often, trade show and conference leads are thrown to the wayside as we want to purse hotter leads. What is missing from this equation is a marketing plan to nurture these leads through the funnel.
Be prepared by having an action plan ready with phone and social media messaging done before the event. Schedule these out ahead of time so you can nurture them all the way through your funnel.
Need help following up with trade show or conference leads? Fill out this form and let us know how we can help!
Download Our Step-By-Step Guide for Ideal Inbound Lead Follow-Up Strategy Now
Using our expertise in lead generation and sales, we’ve tested several strategies in our own business and on behalf of our clients. Across the board, we found that the ideal inbound lead follow-up strategy requires 2 things:
Urgency in response
Commitment to sales cadence if the prospect does not immediately answer
In this download, you’ll receive:
A successful sample sales cadence to get in touch with your leads
Details on WHY this works and how it helps your company drive more business.