There are many benefits to exhibiting at trade shows,
including getting quality face-to-face time with your potential customers, a
desirable advantage in today’s market. Being physically present gives B2B
companies an opportunity to build relationships with clients and prospects. It
also offers the chance to compare how well your business stacks up against
other players on the showroom floor.
Trade shows and events can get expensive though, with booth
and travel costs, per diems, displays and more. Therefore, it’s critical to
make sure the time and resources you're investing generate leads and a real
return on investment (ROI).
So what is the best solution to enhance your efforts? Sales Automation.
Trade Show
Preparation
Part of trade show preparation is letting people know you’ll
be there and where they can come talk to you. Using sales automation software,
you can do this easily and effectively while saving you time to continue your
own preparation.
Targeted and segmented email campaigns can be sent out to a
list of attendees for your trade show. Segment your prospects based on their
interests or location, making sure none of your current customers are on the
list. You can send them to a dedicated landing page with specific trade show
information where they can schedule appointments or demos for the show prior to
arriving at the event.
You can also notify prospects of any promotion that will be
offered at the show (during a conference, some companies offer discounts or
wave set-up fees).
Trade Show Data
Capturing with Sales Automation
At your big event, you want to be making personal connections,
solidifying relationships, and letting your prospects get to know you and your
company. The last thing you want to be concerned with is capturing data via a
sign in sheet that you’ll need to transfer to your computer later, possibly
losing illegible information.
By creating dedicated landing pages and forms that are
easily accessible from a laptop or tablet, you won't need to worry about manual
data entry, lost forms, or stacks of business cards. Some sales automation
systems, like Infusionsoft, also have the ability to scan business cards and input
lead forms directly into your CRM. The information you collect can instantly be
used for segmentation and targeted follow-up.
Follow Up with Sales
Automation
After an event, the real work begins… or does it need to?
With sales automation you can seamlessly follow up with prospects from the event,
thanking them for their visit, or offering them a special gift. This will
nurture your new leads and supply them with relevant information post-event.
You can also segment your leads based on who is a hot lead
and needs personalized follow-ups, and who can be added to a segmented list
that will receive more relevant, quality content. Hot leads can easily be
assigned to your sales team and notifications can be sent to them to contact
their assigned leads.
While trade shows provide a unique opportunity to connect
with potential clients, you still need to be able to justify the time and money
that go into them. Sales automation makes it easier to track, measure, and
report on your event's performance, as well as keep track and communicate with
the leads you’ve gained.
As an Infusionsoft Certified Partner, we can help implement
an automation system perfectly designed for your business and customers. If
you’re ready to find out more about sales automation, contact Sales &
Marketing Technologies at 407.682.2222 or use the contact form below.