6 tactics to increase the effectiveness of your lead follow-up
- Regardless of whether you are using an electronic lead management system, have your own lead form for capturing specific information. When you create the form, get your sales organization (who will be using it) to review it prior to giving it to them to use at the show. Get early buy-in.
- Train your staff how to capture information in the interview process. What information should they be seeking that will be beneficial to follow-up?
- Discipline your staff to categorize your leads - "A", "B", "C" as they are generated, and review them each night for completeness.
- Create a system to manage the leads. When the show ends how do they get fulfilled, who is responsible for the transmittal letter, the lead management reporting? When and to whom does the sales force report their results? When and to whom are the results reported?
- Prepare your lead follow/fulfillment before leaving for the show. If you are sending a letter along with literature, prepare and store it so all you have to do is text merge your leads into your word processor. Most exhibitors go to shows to accelerate the sales cycle. In order to accomplish this goal, a well thought out lead management systems needs to be in place
- Make your follow-up timely - time your follow-up so it arrives the week after the show's attendees get back to their offices so that they have time to clear their desks of work that was generated while they were at the show. They will then have time to give your proposal consideration.