You planned it out ahead of time with your trade show checklist, you had the dream team trade show staff, and you raked in an outstanding number of leads at your last trade show. The calls for orders should be rolling in and your inbox should be full right? Guess again.
All that hard work and all those leads you generated will go to waste if you don’t successfully follow up with your contacts on a consistent basis.
Look at it from the attendee’s point of view: That person visited hundreds of booths, shook thousands of hands, collected many business cards, stayed out way too late every night, and all they want when they get home is to get a full night’s rest. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to deduce your company and contact info might be forgotten, or at the very least lost in the shuffle, if you don’t remind them who you are.
Implement a plan to touch base with those leads on a regular basis and you’ll go from “who are you?” to “send me the contract.”
CR What?
You should invest in a good Customer Service Management (CRM) if you’re not doing so already. Today, even small businesses have found CRM software a necessity because of its ability to manage all aspects of the sales process. From tracking and scheduling calls, emails, and meetings – to automated reminders – to its simple integration with other marketing tools like email marketing service providers; CRM software makes it easy to communicate with leads and clients on a regular basis and less likely for things to fall through the cracks. There are plenty of providers out there with offerings from basic to robust and for a variety of budgets. Most services are cloud-based these days, which makes it easy for teams to coordinate activities and actions. Not sure where to start or thinking it’s time to upgrade? Check out this list and reviews.
Email This
No, email is not “so 2001.” It’s still one of the most cost-effective ways to develop and foster relationships. Using your CRM software, you can plan a series of targeted emails sent out at scheduled intervals. Also consider offering a discount to prospective clients from time to time. Got a blog? Create an email newsletter with headlines, intros, and links to the full content on your website.
But you must do this on a consistent basis for it to work. If it’s monthly, then it should be sent around the same time every month. Weekly: Then it should be sent on the same day and around the same hour every time. And don’t worry about emailing too frequently. Not that you should email someone every day, but your prospects won’t mind regular emails if you’re providing value in terms content or an offer.
Email marketing service providers makes it easy without much technical skill, and they’re the best way to ensure your emails don’t end up in a prospect’s junk folder. Also, these services provide excellent tracking tools to see how many emails were successfully sent, bounced, opened, and some track actions all the way to the sale.
Here is a list of some of the more popular providers out there.
Be Social with Social Media
Hopefully during the trade show you encouraged your booth’s visitors to follow you on your social media accounts. Plan out a schedule ahead of time and post content in conjunction with your email campaigns. If you received a great review or write-up, be sure to share it. And once again, don’t be afraid to post frequently as long as your posts are of value, or entertaining at the very least.
Go Old School
In the age of constant digital communication, it’s easy to forget about the tried and true methods of traditional communication. Pick out your most qualified leads and reach out to them in a more personal manner. We’re talking about a phone call or even a hand-written note. Don’t hesitate to communicate this way on a regular basis. It could be after the close of a deal to say thank you, around holidays, or to share something special.
In today’s business climate there’s a lot of competition out there. But if you can communicate with your clients and prospects on a consistent basis and offer value, you’ll stand out among your competitors.
