Creative Ways To Follow Up With Leads From Your Trade Show Booths - By: Chris Harmen

Virtually every company that takes the time to exhibit trade show booths or table top displays will take the time to call and follow up with any leads that emerge from the event. Calling is a great first step because it allows you to reconnect with people who were interested in your products at that time, and remind them of the facts that were highlighted in your tradeshow booths. Calling is a good start, but it has significant drawbacks: you can't show images over the phone, your conversation won't be recorded for later reference should the prospect desire it, and most importantly of all, everyone else will be calling too. You should still give prospects a call, but your business may find it more profitable to use one of these other techniques as well.

Idea #1: Send A Thank-You Note

The thank-you note is an iconic symbol of politeness, a gesture almost from another age. That is one of its principal advantages when used as a follow up to tradeshow booths: it is relatively unexpected. One of the best ways to attract attention from prospects is by sending them a handwritten, old-fashioned thank-you card to their snail mail address. Email is generally preferable for most forms of follow up after table top displays, but it's hard to beat the uniqueness of a great card.

Idea #2: An Appreciation Gift

Like a card, this gift would be sent after the table top displays have been taken down. The idea behind a gift is to give something that will be useful for the prospect and will remind him or her about your company. Examples include paperweights, tote bags, and other utility items; try to avoid inexpensive, small tokens like pens, which are more appropriately given at the actual trade show booths. Gifts sent after the exhibition should be more substantial, recognizing that these people deserve more service than those who had no interest in your company.

Sending out gifts in this manner also helps increase the return on your investment in the gifts. This way, you only distribute them to qualified leads, so you're much more likely to get something back for your investment. Gifts are a great way to draw attention to your tradeshow booths, but unless you draw a distinction between qualified leads and people who just want something free, you're unlikely to get the best results.

Whatever You Do, Don't Wait!

The biggest mistake any company can make is waiting more than a week after the tradeshow booths are taken down to follow up with leads. You should be starting to compile and sort your different leads even before the exhibition ends, so you're ready to start following up immediately after. You should wait a day or two to let the visitors get settled into their offices again, but after that is the time to start making calls, sending gifts, or sending thank-you cards. Whatever you do, don't let your company be off the minds of your prospects for more than a week, or you're likely to be forgotten.

Prompt follow ups are the best way to ensure success from your trade show booths. No matter how you choose to reconnect with prospects, unless you do it swiftly, you are likely to lose the lead. With swift action and smart thinking, your company can be ahead of the game when it comes to turning leads into sales.

About the Author

Chris Harmen is an author for the leading producer of Houston tradeshow booths, Skyline. As a top local company, Skyline has produced table top displays in Houston for virtually all major industries.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Chris-Harmen/89665

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