Increasing Quality of Leads and Eventual Results at Trade Shows and Events

The following was my response to the question, "What's everyone doing about the POOR lead follow-up problem. Industry statistics indicate that LESS than 20% of leads ever get followed-up. Are YOU in that ball park?" in the Trade Show Help forum on LinkedIn:

This is an important topic! One way to increase quality of leads and eventual results (including the follow-up ratio) is to get participants to commit to a specific "next step" (best defined by sales). Too often, there is no "next step" defined and correspondingly there is no commitment by anyone for a specific follow- up.

An effective next step can be either human contact or automated interaction that moves the participant closer to a sale. For example, consider a qualified visitor at a construction show who completes a "test drive" in a heavy equipment simulator. That experience must ultimately result in a visit to a dealer, as they are the only ones who can actually sell equipment. The immediate "next step" however may be to get the prospect to sign up for the associated "concierge program" for test drive participants. This package (web based) steers the prospect to the dealer with motivating benefits in hand such as a discount, preferred financing and/or free optional equipment, etc. Getting the prospect to enter the program is the next step at the event. Tracking "goal conversions" identified with each step the prospect takes once enrolled provides the results tracking.

Whatever the next step for your business or product is should be a step in your sales cycle. Visitors who are signed up for the next step are much more certain to receive follow-up.

This is one example among many. What I have found is the concept of commitment (agreement) is central to the certainty of follow-up.

What are you thoughts on ways to improve lead quality and ensure effective follow-up? Email me edjones@constellaitoncc.com me if you would like to discuss.


Ed Jones