Tips to Make Your Trade Show a Success

No one wants a long wordy email as a trade show follow-up. Be succinct and make an unambiguous request. This will increase the chances of getting a response. Do you want to schedule a demo with their customer, invite them to a webinar, or something else? Ask them.

I have found that those who follow up in the first week have the best success. Timeliness shows that you care about their time and are eager to continue the conversation.

This is important to take note of NOW. When you are at the show - TAKE NOTES. Whether you open the Informa App or use the Notes app on your phone, write down key conversation reminders. Maybe it was a customer they mentioned that would be a perfect fit for your product or advice on the best shoes for the show. Whatever it is, mention that in your follow-up email. This shows you took the encounter seriously and shows you remembered them. This will make your message stand out and increase the chances of getting a response.

You always want a catchy subject line, but this doesn't work if you are trying to blast your contact list with spray-and-pray emails. You can really set yourself apart by sending emails that spark a memory of your encounter. This is feeding off number three above. A subject line like, "Let's schedule a demo for XXX customer," or "Here's the link to the best trade show shoes ever," has a better chance of getting opened than "Saw this video and thought of you."

Back to number one - have a clear ask and make it brief. We are all busy, so keep your email brief and to the point. Avoid lengthy emails and get straight to the purpose of your email. This will increase the likelihood of them responding and engaging with you.

We meet hundreds of people at these shows. One dynamic way to help someone remember you is to send a short video. You could individualize these, but often this is something you can shoot once and send to your list. Maybe you highlight three things you liked about the show or share with them something you learned from a session you attended.