Attending an exhibition, trade show or conference is a great way to boost the profile of your business. If you plan effectively, using high quality promotional materials such as exhibition stands and banner stands that successfully represent your carefully crafted brand message then it is likely that you will have lots of interest in your booth, and as a result you will leave the show with lots of exciting new leads and enquiries.
Generating leads is only one part of puzzle that results in sales, and the approach you take to following up on them could mean the difference between each lead becoming a future business partner, or simply a wasted name on a piece of paper. Which one is more valuable to you?
Read on as we give you some tips on when, and how to approach your leads after your next exhibition:
Be patient
Coming back into the office with a large pile of leads to follow up is certainly exciting for you and your business, but it is important to wait a little while before getting in touch. Just as you have a growing to-do list, your leads will also be coming back to work after a busy week away to an overflowing inbox with lots to catch up on. If you approach too soon then your leads may not have the time to talk to you no matter how interested they were in hearing more about your offerings. Wait until later in the week when they will be less busy, and more receptive to talking business.
Do your research
Rather than calling up your leads frantically as soon as you arrive back to work, use this time immediately after an exhibition to plan effectively. Your leads will all have specific needs, requirements and pain points that they believe you can solve – this is why they showed interest in your product or service initially. Do some research into their business, find out more about their problems and put together a strategy of how your company can help. When you do eventually get in touch with your leads, showing them that you have taken the time to cater to their needs exactly will make them much more likely to take discussions further forward with you.
Keep in subtle contact
Whilst some leads may be happy to speak to you on your first attempt, others may need a little more time to consider your offerings and won’t be receptive to a traditional sales approach. Connect with these leads on social media channels such as LinkedIn. By doing this, they can gradually become aware of the benefits your business can bring to them, as well as the solutions and services that you provide. Then, in their own time, you could be receiving a call from these leads after they have made the decision that they would like to work with you!
Of course, building a list of leads at an exhibition is the result of an eye-catching and appealing brand presence at the show itself. Get in touch with us today, where we will be happy to help you build a great exhibition booth with our range of display stands, banner stands, roller banners and more!