Trade shows can be an extremely beneficial investment IF done correctly…
After all the planning, sourcing materials, organizing, inviting, training, selling and promoting your business at a trade show, the last thing you want to do is let all this effort, time, and money spent go to waste. But surprisingly enough, that’s what most companies end up doing after their trade shows are over. Whether it’s a lack of organization throughout the show, lack of knowledge or confidence, or just general exhaustion, industry statistics report that seven out of ten exhibitors NEVER follow up on their trade show leads.
Those numbers are ASTONISHING. After all, the main goal for many companies exhibiting at trade shows are leads, sales, and brand awareness. That means that after all the hard work to put on a quality exhibit and generate as many leads as possible, 70% of businesses do not follow up.
So what’s the point of investing your time and money into a trade show if you’re not going to follow up with the leads you worked so hard to generate?! The truth is... There really is no point.
If following up with leads causes you stress, just remember, the hard part is already over. You’ve already ATTRACTED numerous leads who are expecting to hear from you. You’ve broken the ice, gotten your business into their minds, and maybe you’ve already had a conversation about how your product or service could benefit their lives.
If you struggle with follow-ups…
The key is to not get overwhelmed. Break down the list of leads into daily goals. How many people do you want to reach each day until you’ve completed your list? If you have a sales team, break the list of leads up and assign each member of the team a daily goal and follow up with them at the end of each day, ensuring that your company is meeting the goals you set.
In following up with your leads in a timely manner, you automatically elevate yourself to the top 30% of exhibitors in the show. Keep that in mind the next time you don’t feel like making calls or sending emails. Do you want to be like everybody else? Or do you want to take your business to the next level? The result is up to you.
Let us know in the comments if this information was helpful for your business.
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