Modus is no stranger to events. Not only do we help our clients be successful at events, we also attend, exhibit and run our own events. So, not only are we experts on what makes an event successful, we have become experts on what makes them not so successful. Here is what we have learned from our clients and how you can avoid some of these common mistakes that are costing you time and money.
Mistake #1: Letting qualified leads slip through the cracks
There are many good reasons to exhibit at trade shows, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more important reason than collecting new leads. Turning leads into sales is how you prove the ROI of these shows, after all. But how many leads are you missing out on because of a slow, manual entry process or confusing hard-to-use scanning devices?
Lead qualification speed can be the difference between hitting or missing your lead goal, especially during busy periods where good leads might walk away if they aren’t approached in a timely manner.
Mistake #2: Not following up with your leads
It is no secret in the trade show industry that lack of lead follow-up is a common problem. According to a survey conducted by Salesforce Training, 85% of exhibitors struggle with following up at all and, of the 15% that do, many didn’t follow-up for several weeks (survey).
Momentum is lost after a week, so having a process to get those leads to sales as soon as the show ends and a thought out follow-up plan is critical. Your sales reps need to be able to prioritize the best leads as well so they can identify who to follow-up with first and start closing deals.
Mistake #3: Not making it personal
While there are many things in life you don’t want to make personal, interacting with potential leads is not one of them. Make it personal.
Before the show, do your research. Know who will be there, what pain-points they are going there to solve, and make sure you have the content and information you need to start valuable conversations around these topics.
At the show, make them feel valued by your company and not just another number in the crowd. Don’t pull them in by their name badge looking for a quick scan, start a conversation and find out how you can help them. Not only will this make the lead feel better about your company, but you’ll have better qualifying information to enter into your system for more effective follow-up later.
After the show, tailor your post-show message around their specific needs. You know what problems you solve best, create messaging campaigns around those pain points and use the qualification information attained during the show to personalize each leads follow-up.
