Plan your leads and follow ups!
How leads are allocated and followed up is of great importance and should be planned well in advance.
Leads need to be graded, according to importance - this must be done as visitors come to the stand. Over 70% of exhibition enquiries are never followed up.
Have a system for getting out a standard letter to a visitor within 24 hours of their visit to the show. State your intentions - and stick to them!
Grade your prospects as follows;
A - "hot prospect"
B - "good prospect"
C - "general information requested"
D - "specialist"
Ensure that there is allowance for notes on the lead form so you can make follow ups specific where applicable. If you are selling a number of products/services, it is essential that you document which position the candidate is interested in (please see dummy lead form attached which includes all information required).
The most successful results follow from calls made within five days of the show finishing. Sell this idea to the stand team - avoid post-show wind down.
The time to assess the show is within 48 hours of the doors finally closing. The real success may not be apparent for a while, but all staff should be debriefed, and their reaction to the show analysed.
If possible have a system for getting out a standard letter to all leads within 24 hours of their visit to the show, then follow up all leads in order of importance.
Obtain the views of all those involved with your exhibition project regarding;
- New potential clients
- Direct Sales
- Continued loyalty
- Repositioning
- Competitors' approach
- Additions to database
Make the follow up call as planned. Explain who you are, and remind your prospect where you met him; they are bound to remember the show, even if they don't remember you.