When following up you want to talk to people while the show is still fresh on their minds. It is important to follow up 1 to 2 days after the show wraps up. You do not want your contacts to fill like they were lost in the shuffle, so timely responses are very important.
How you follow up with contacts is important too. Don’t use the same scripted message time and time again. Customize your message for each show and have a couple different messages you send out. Make sure you include the specific sales representative that they can talk to. Give them direct phone numbers and e-mail addresses. People are more likely to call if they can reach a particular person.
Don’t forget the small details when following up. Attach a photo of your booth to refresh their memory. Potential clients will see hundreds of booths over a couple day show. Include a couple details of the conversation you had with them. You will want to make sure to take notes during the show when you are talking with potential clients. The prospect will know that you listened to them and they weren’t just another face in the crowd for you. To avoid your e-mail getting deleted right away, come up with a catchy subject line and stand out from everyone else.
After your initial follow up, separate leads into hot and cold categories. This will make things a lot easier for the sales representatives when they are contacting people. Don’t lose touch, follow up more than once. If you don’t hear back after a week or 2, then follow up 1 more time. You don’t want to bother someone who’s not interested, so you may have to walk a fine line with this one. This is where your hot and cold categories come in. If someone continues to show interest, but are not ready to commit just yet, keep the lines of communication open with them.
