When considering the ROI of trade show exhibits, it's important to remember that the main purpose isn't necessarily direct sales.
If done correctly, the leads collected at these events can be far more fruitful and profitable for a company, not just in the short term, but for the long term as well.
The secret to this, however, is how these leads are collected and handled.
To get the most from trade show leads, here are some great tips for sales staff and businesses to keep in mind when running trade show exhibits.
Be Smart When Collecting Contact Information Many businesses collect lead information by holding various contests, collecting or handing out business cards, or simply putting out a fishbowl and having people drop their contact information into it.
This may help to gather a large number of leads, but it doesn't help improve the ROI of even the best trade show exhibits.
These and other similar methods just collect a large number of unqualified leads that will have to be sorted through at some point.
Instead of collecting information from any and all leads, use methods that help to qualify a lead before taking their information.
After all, there's no sense calling 100 leads when 99 of them don't even have a use for a service or product being offered by your business.
Make The Contact Information For Leads Easier To Work With Many businesses are diligent when collecting contact information for sales leads, but they aren't quite as diligent when following up on them.
In fact, 70% of leads collected at trade show exhibits are never followed up on.
This makes a large amount of the work that was put into collecting those leads a waste of time, and leaves a large amount of potential profits sitting on the table.
Many times, it isn't because they are pushed to the side, but because they simply get mixed up or lost.
One of the best ways to control and keep lead information organized is by using a lead recorder, which electronically collects a list together and uploads directly to a computerized contact manager.
This makes it easy to see who has been contacted, what their needs are, and who has yet to be followed up on.
Start Building Connections With Leads From The Start Quality is generally better than quantity, and the same can be said for leads collected at trade show exhibits.
Sales staff members need to make an impression on the lead, and make them feel important.
For example, many businesses hand out gifts to those who visit their booth during an event.
And while this might leave somewhat of an impression, it won't help to build a loyal following.
Instead of giving everyone the same gift, stock the booth with two types of gifts.
Those who just leave their contact information can be given the lower end gift.
The high-end gift, however, should be kept hidden under the table or counter.
This way, when a qualified lead sets an action item like a meeting or a phone call for after the show, they can be given the gift personally.
Lastly, don't forget to drop each lead a note that simply thanks them for stopping by the booth.
Trade show exhibits should always have short and long-term benefits for any company.
By incorporating these simple tips into the managing and follow up of leads, the ROI of each show can be significantly improved, making these types of events well worth the effort.