Aftermarket Insider article #3: At and Post Trade Show Strategy

At the Show and After the Show: Execution is the Key

In the previous two articles in this 3-article series, so far we have focused on strategy and recommendations for a sales and marketing to-do list and timetable, designed to support improved results from exhibiting at a trade show. (See below to get the entire 3-series article as a single white paper.)
 
Now pre-planning is completed and the event is almost here. Since you have appointments set with most of the people you will meet, and you have discussed the agenda for each meeting, you should be prepared to consistently and effectively deliver all the information and messages that you have planned. Planning what your sales team will say will help you appear more professional and organized and have the potential to generate additional revenue.
 
Simple ways to help you be organized:

• Have an input form for each meeting that captures the essential information ...you will find this process to be highly valuable after the event.
• Insist that each sales person at the event be responsible for his or her own note-taking.
• Ensure that all information on prospects be entered into a CRM system (or at least a spreadsheet) within five working days of the event. This should not be daunting, since you likely have used the same system to manage your database during the pre-show lead generation phase.

Timing is Everything
During our many years of working with exhibitors and attendees, the #1 complaint we've heard has been how long it takes to be in touch with the prospect after the event. Exhibitors complain about the difficulty of getting their sales people to input the data, make the calls and send the thank you's. Attendees complain how long it takes to receive information post-event -- and that sometimes they never hear from anyone at all.
 
You can avoid falling into this trap by following a short list of post-show activities. These basic steps, when rigorously followed event after event, will make a significant difference over the years:

• Send a simple thank-you by email or mail. Highlight the key points of the conversation and list the action items or deliverables (from both sides).
• Follow-up with a call to confirm the action items and set a timeline to resolve any open issues.
• Agree on the touch points and continue the qualification process. We recommend a prioritization system such as "Customer," "Top 10", "Nifty 50", "Warm" and "Maintenance." Categorize each prospect in your CRM system and adjust their level depending on how successful your sales efforts are. By using this grading system, you'll be better able to evaluate the success of the event.
• Assign someone to determine the ROI for each event.
• Have a post-show meeting within 2-4 weeks after the event and do a download of what worked and what did not work. Capture these notes, put them into a trade show binder for future reference and refer to them before the next show, so you can refine the process for even better results.

Getting the Most out of the Trade Show Calendar
Follow the instructions outlined in this series, and the next time someone in management asks, "Was that trade show worthwhile?" or, "How much business did we make from this show?" you will have a well-documented assessment at your fingertips. Over time, you will learn which trade shows should be expanded, contracted, or perhaps even dropped. And that will make your trade show dollars even more effective.
 
One more note: while counting new leads and closed sales are powerful indicators of a successful trade show experience, remember that there are additional reasons for making the investment of time and money. Trade shows are often the best networking opportunities. They are a great way to spot industry trends and observe what your competitors are doing to market their products and services. And they offer an invaluable opportunity to spend time with industry media.
 
Besides, they give you an opportunity to spend time out of the office and with customers and business associates for a few days. And what can be wrong with that?