Turning Trade Show Leads into Customers

It is commonly believed that 80% of trade show leads receive no follow-up (CEIR). The bottom line is that if you want more customers (which is why you are exhibiting), you need to connect with the attendees to your booth after the show.

Be Proactive- That is Stephen Covey's number 1 habit for highly effective people. Go after the business, and don't just sit back and wait for the business to come to you.

Here are four ideas for following up with leads after a trade show:

1. Phone Calls- Call to thank these attendees for taking the time to speak with you at the event. Ask if there are any further questions you could answer in regards to your products and services. Be prepared to provide them with answers.

2. Thank you cards- Handwritten thank-you cards are a nice gesture to show your appreciation. It also shows that you took time out of your busy schedule to recognize people that stopped by your trade show exhibit. Attach a business card in order for them to contact you.

3. Email- Use this method sparingly since any email they don't recognize could get deleted. Inform them at the event that you will be sending email so they know to expect it. Include your contact info in order to make it easy to contact you.

4. Memorable Gift- If you find your perfect, ideal client among your prospects, you may choose to send them a gift along with a note asking for a meeting. I recommend sending something more memorable than a coffee gift card. Speedpro Frisco likes to send handmade, gourmet cheesecakes from Dandelion Cheesecakes. That's a big impact for $9 each!

Even with an amazing trade show display, attendees won't necessarily remember talking to you. It's a good practice to refresh their memory and contact new potential customers no more than a week after the show with one of these four ideas. This increases the chance they'll do business with you. Good luck!