Whether you exhibited or plowed your way through the multiple exhibit hall floors, you’ve had firsthand experience in the value of human interaction. In a world of multiple communication tools it’s more important than ever to place a face with the voice on the other end of the line.
But in reality, it is a combination of your polished soft skills and diligent follow up that’s imperative in turning those handshakes into dollars and cents.
Proactive Preparation: Know Your Audience
• Review and scrub your Rolodex against the exhibitor list.
-There is no better time to revisit contacts whose venture never made it to fruition.
• Assess the speaker list and proactively arrange to meet with individuals/firms.
-The majority of speakers are the decision makers so take advantage of starting a dialogue after sessions.
Qualifying New Leads: Listen Twice as Much as You Speak
• Always initiate an introduction with an open-ended question.
-Passionate individuals enjoy speaking about their business (and themselves). Encourage this and you’ll quickly know whether there is potential for a lucrative partnership.
• Receive a pitch before giving yours.
-You have a window of forty-five seconds to certify if the individual(s) before you are a fit for your business model.
-Time is of the essence, thus give the courtesy of listening to a thirty-second elevator pitch and follow up with a validating question. This will ensure that you’re capitalizing on your time (during the conference), proactively qualifying your prospects (shorten your follow-up time), and it may present innovative business ideas which you may not have otherwise incorporated.
Capitalizing During Primetime: Hustle While You Wait
• Schedule new prospect “meet & greets” during breakout sessions.
-Save longer meetings for individuals that you have an active pipeline of business with.
-New prospects/projects only require two to five minutes (tops) to qualify any potential business and further action steps should be ironed out in the follow up call.
• Spend any downtime in a public gathering area (i.e.: hotel lobby).
-Public spaces receive the highest enter and exit traffic, so there is a 90% probability that you’ll reconnect with an old associate or a potential prospect.
Follow Up: Three Day Window to Close the Sale
• Take notes on all business cards exchanged in real-time.
-This will ensure you can pick up right where you left off and secure the next course of action.
• Swift and immediate follow-up will ensure your correspondence is received first and most likely addressed first.
-You truly have only a two to three day window to effectively follow-up and make certain that your message is conveyed most efficiently.
-While your prospect is being flooded with calls and you’re playing catch-up into the week following the show, a quick follow-up will guarantee that you/your firm are kept top of mind.
Miss White joined the MediaTrust Business Development team in 2008 where she’s responsible for strategic partnership alliances, new business development and portfolio management.
Download the entire FeedFront issue 6 here – http://feedfront.com/feedfront-issue6.pdf
FeedFront issue 6 articles can be found here as well: http://feedfront.com/archives/article00date/2009/06
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree 100% with the points that you make, I think that a follow up plan should be put into effect even before a company walks into the exhibit hall on opening day. Knowing that the potential clients have an interest, it is necessary to keep the conversation fresh. Always finding out a little bit of personal information does wonders when you call to follow up, don't always start with business first.
Chan very good post. i think most dont have a clear strategy for getting the most business wise from shows. this is a good framework for people to follow.
@mediatrustpete