Best Practices for Trade Show Follow-Up
“The business of business is relationships; the business of life is human connection.”
Robin S. Sharma
You just wrapped up and packed up your The Trade Show booth, making now an ideal time to follow up with your newest connections. The sooner you reach out to those you met, the more likely they are to remember your conversation. Sending a follow-up email one or two days after a trade show or conference is best. However, if you’re busy traveling and getting back to the office, aim to follow up within a week. This ensures you are still fresh in your leads’ minds.
You know follow-up is key, but how should you approach it? We’re sharing tips from the Indeed Editorial Team on for some best practices that you can apply right away.
Prioritize your leads
Some leads are hotter than others. It helps to categorize each lead so you can reach out appropriately. Reach out to your hottest leads first, followed by warm leads. You can wait a few days to follow up with cold leads.
Reach out via social media
Use your time while you’re waiting at the airport or traveling back home to send a quick message to your leads via LinkedIn or Facebook. The Indeed Editorial Team suggests asking your leads to add you as a connection. Be sure to express how much you enjoyed meeting them.
Send an email
If you worry this kind of follow-up is impersonal, remember that many professionals prefer it over a phone call. In your message, mention where you met the person and what you discussed. The Indeed Editorial Team writes that personalizing your email follow-up shows your genuine interest in getting to know your new contact better.
Call your new contact
While emailing is helpful, you should aim to call your hottest leads as soon as possible after the trade show or event. You can even email these leads that they can expect to get a call from you soon. Once you send that message, call your lead and get started on next steps. The Indeed Editorial Team says that calls should always pull from any and all previous interactions.
Reshare or publish event-related content
Another post-event best practice is keeping the conversation going. Write an article or a series of blog posts recapping your experience at the trade show. You can share this content on your social media pages along with your contact information. This kind of content can provide your new connections with additional insight and your perspective on the event, says the Indeed Editorial Team.
Keep in touch with non-customers
You’ll meet all kinds of people at trade shows. Even those who don’t necessarily fit your ideal customer profile make good connections. These people might connect you to someone they know, or they could simply spread the word about your business. The Indeed Editorial Team recommends adding another segment to your marketing funnel that targets this group.
When you invest the time and resources to attend a trade show or other event, be sure to follow up with your leads. By remembering the tips above, you can begin to turn those leads into new customers.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: The Indeed Editorial Team is a group of writers and researchers who cover trends and insights in the worlds of recruiting, HR and work.
