The After Show Party - some things are all about what happens after the event.

Whilst I’m not disputing that your exhibition stands certainly need to make a splash and catch potential customer’s eye, it’s as important to have a follow up plan to maximise your lead generation. Here’s my top tips

· Time is of the essence. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you can leave it a week or 2 until you hit the phones, chances are they’ll have forgotten all about you by then. Yes, we all have a mailbox overflowing after a couple of days out of the office, you’ll need to set aside some time each day and set targets on the number of calls you’ll be able to realistically make.

· What are your objectives from the show? If like most your business is all about making relationships and you’ve qualified the lead, then you’ll possibly be looking to make follow up appointments. It’s a good idea to mention this to people when you chat with them at the event as that will make it easier to get a date in the diary, and they’ll know what to expect.

· The infamous ‘Zapper’ I’ve got mixed feelings about the Zappers you can hire at a show to capture data. Whilst I’m sure that they have their advantages the downside is that after a busy couple of days you won’t be able to remember who you talked to and about what! For this reason, sometimes you can’t beat good old-fashioned pen to paper, a hand written lead sheet that enables you to capture detailed information. Potential clients are going to be a whole lot more interested if you remember specifics about your discussions.

· Last but not least outsource, engage someone who specialises in following up your leads from the show, which is where I come in. I can work on long- or short-term contracts and I will phone the potential new customers you spoke to on your behalf, qualify the leads and set up appointments for your salespeople. As I don’t have the day-to-day distractions of dealing with general enquiries I am totally focused. Please give me a call if there’s a project you’d like to discuss.