Four out of five trade show attendees have buying authority. According to the same article, ninety-two percent are there to check out new products. Wouldn’t it be great to know which ones are looking for the types of products and services offered by your company?
Qualifying trade show leads can help companies pick leads who are a great fit. For more information, keep reading as we discuss several tips and suggest event giveaway ideas for lead qualification.
Tips for lead qualification
Have a plan
Prior to the show, determine how you will capture leads and what information you’ll collect. Will you use a lead capture system? Or smartphones and tablets? Whatever system you have in place, make sure it’s fast and efficient. A literature and tablet stand is a great trade show promotional product: Visitors can pick up your literature and leave their contact information, even when booth staffers are busy. Be sure to tap the knowledge of your sales team, too. Find out what information they use to effectively qualify leads—think industry, company size, budget—and incorporate those into your lead capture plans.
Staff your booth with sales people
Your salesforce is best equipped not only to talk to leads about your products and services, but to weed out those who may not be a good fit for your business.
Use activities
As you know, not everyone who visits your booth is a potential customer. Sort out potential customers from “tire kickers” by inviting visitors to watch a demo, play a game, sign up for a free trial or join your email list. People who aren’t interested in your business likely won’t take the time to perform an activity. Provide a trade show promotional product, like a branded media stand, to those who complete your activity. For those who don’t qualify, a stylus pen or mini-highlighter makes a nice parting gift. After all, even if passersby aren’t a good fit, they may know someone who is.
Follow-up quickly
At the end of the day, send each lead an automatic email or text message thanking them for their visit. Include a link to a poll asking if they’d like more information. Your quick response goes a long way toward helping people remember you. Follow up with personal phone calls to those who respond. Go the extra mile by sending a handwritten thank you accompanied by a pack of branded adhesive flags.
Qualifying trade show leads can save companies time and money. Use these tips to easily spot leads that are a good fit. And don’t forget to boost your efforts with an event giveaway.