About this episode
Discover the secrets to lead follow up and conversion after trade show, conference, and events. On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Harriet Mellor shares proven strategies for maximizing trade show ROI with personalized outreach, leveraging CRM tools, and building lasting relationships that convert leads into valuable long-term customers. Key Takeaways: - Follow-up Touchpoints: An eight-touchpoint follow-up strategy is recommended, with touchpoints spread over a 12-week period, incorporating multiple communication methods like email, phone, social media, and video. - Importance of Patience: Building relationships and converting leads into customers takes time. Long sales cycles, such as 20 months for some deals, highlight the need for persistence and patience. - Consistent Outreach: Regular and consistent communication helps ensure that leads don’t forget about the company or its offerings. - Tracking Interactions: Meticulous tracking of every touchpoint and interaction provides insight into what strategies work, enabling continuous refinement. - Personalization: Customizing outreach efforts, such as referencing personal details from interactions, enhances engagement and builds rapport. - Variety of Channels: Using diverse communication platforms, such as phone calls, emails, video, and social media, increases the likelihood of connecting with leads. - Value-Driven Engagement: Sharing valuable resources like podcasts, webinars, or helpful information adds value to the relationship and builds trust with leads. - Utilizing CRM Systems: Leveraging CRM tools aids in organizing, tracking, and automating follow-up activities, ensuring efficiency and consistency. - Planning and Strategy: Having a clear plan and a structured system for follow-up ensures effectiveness and prevents a disorganized approach. - Positive and Authentic Interactions: Being genuine and enjoying the process of building relationships can positively influence the success of follow-up efforts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjGI-z-AA3c The Value of Patience With Lead Follow Up Following up with leads requires patience. Many deals do not happen overnight, especially in industries with long sales cycles. For instance, a lead might take 20 months to convert into a customer due to factors like contract timing or budget availability. Despite the wait, these deals can be significant, justifying the costs of attending the event. Patience allows salespeople to build meaningful relationships with prospects over time, which often leads to successful outcomes. The Importance of Outreach Consistency Consistency in follow-ups is crucial for staying on a lead’s radar. Without regular communication, potential customers may forget about your business, especially if they have interacted with multiple vendors at the event. A consistent approach ensures that your company remains top-of-mind when they are ready to make a purchase decision. Sequence Multiple Channels for Lead Follow Up Effective follow-ups involve reaching out through various channels. Email, social media, phone calls, and video messages all offer opportunities to connect with leads. Different people respond to different methods, so using a mix increases the likelihood of engagement. Video, in particular, can add a personal touch and help stand out in a crowded inbox. Track Every Interaction Trade Show Tracking all touchpoints with leads is essential for evaluating what works and refining your approach. This includes keeping detailed notes in your customer relationship management (CRM) system. For instance, noting personal details like a lead’s hobbies or recent activities can make follow-ups more personalized and engaging. These small details can help spark meaningful conversations and demonstrate genuine interest in the lead. Create a Structured Trade Show Lead Follow Up Plan A well-structured follow-up plan ensures that no leads fall through the cracks. This plan should outline the timing and content of touchpoints, spreading them out over a period of weeks or months. For example, an eight-touchpoint strategy over 12 weeks can include emails, phone calls, LinkedIn messages, and sharing relevant resources. A clear plan prevents follow-ups from becoming sporadic or disorganized. Leverage CRM Tools CRM systems are invaluable for managing lead follow-ups. They help track interactions, automate tasks, and organize leads efficiently. By using a CRM, salespeople can ensure that they consistently engage with leads and maintain a record of all communications. This data is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of different follow-up strategies. Personalize Post Trade Show Outreach Personalization is key to successful lead follow-ups. Generic messages often fail to capture attention, while personalized communications show that you value the lead as an individual. Referencing specific details from past conversations, such as a lead’s interest in a conference topic or an upcoming trip, can make interactions more engaging and memorable. Provide Value Salespeople who provide value during follow-ups are more likely to build trust with leads. This could include sharing relevant resources like podcasts, articles, or invitations to webinars. Offering something useful shows that you are invested in the lead’s success, not just closing a deal. Measuring ROI from Trade Shows, Conferences, and Events Measuring ROI from sales events can be challenging but is critical for evaluating their effectiveness. ROI often goes beyond immediate deals. It includes factors like brand awareness, long-term relationships, and leads that convert months or even years after the event. While some deals might justify the cost of attending a conference, others may require additional follow-ups to determine their true value. The Power of Persistence Persistence is a cornerstone of effective follow-ups. Many leads require multiple touchpoints before they respond. Salespeople should not be discouraged by a lack of immediate results. Instead, they should focus on consistent, thoughtful outreach to keep the conversation going. A long-term approach often leads to successful outcomes. Balancing Relationships and Sales Goals While the ultimate goal of follow-ups is to close deals, building strong relationships with leads should be the priority. Genuine, authentic interactions create trust and lay the foundation for future business. This means taking the time to understand a prospect's needs and providing solutions that align with their goals. Following Up With Trade Show Leads: Putting it All Together Following up with leads from trade shows and conferences is both an art and a science. It requires patience, consistency, and a thoughtful approach to outreach. By using multiple channels, tracking interactions, and leveraging CRM tools, salespeople can stay organized and increase their chances of success. Personalization, persistence, and providing value further enhance the effectiveness of follow-ups. Ultimately, the key to turning leads into customers lies in building relationships. When salespeople focus on genuine connections and thoughtful engagement, they create opportunities for lasting success and a strong ROI from their event efforts. Discover practical tips to improving Trade Show ROI in Jessica Stokes popular on-demand course: How to Improve Conference and Tradeshow ROI