7 Simple Steps For Improving Post-Conference Lead Engagement And Follow-Ups

You finish up your weekend at a trade show or conference and you’re feeling great. You’ve had tons of great interactions with potential customers. But then the next work week rolls around. You reach out to your hottest leads – and get nothing.

What gives? Why are you having trouble connecting with leads, and what can you do about it? Let’s take a look at seven simple steps you can implement to improve post-conference lead engagement and your overall follow-up process.

1. Ask Leads How They Prefer To Connect

Once you’ve got a rapport going, you’ll want to collect info like your lead’s name, title, company, work email address, and phone number. And while doing this, it’s also a good idea to make a note of how they’d prefer to connect. This helps you choose the right method for your initial contact – and makes you less likely to get caught in a spam filter.

For example, if a lead says they prefer phone conversations, you can call them first – and by noting that you’ll give them a call, they're more likely to remember that they gave you their phone number and will be more likely to actually pick up the phone. And of course, if they fail to pick up, you can still contact them via other methods such as email.

2. Follow Up Within 24-48 Hours Of Your Meeting

One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is waiting too long to connect with a lead. If you get a lead’s information on Friday afternoon, follow up by Saturday or Sunday at the latest – yes, even if the trade show or conference is not over!

Once a lead leaves your booth, they’ll start to forget about you. It’s nothing personal. There’s a lot going on at trade shows. Booths, meetings, seminars, afterparties, entertainment – it’s enough to overwhelm anyone. So whenever possible, follow up within 24-48 hours of your initial interaction to keep your company fresh in their mind.

This could even be a face-to-face interaction if you’re still at the show and see someone you’ve already talked to! If you bump into them again during a seminar or at the hotel bar, you can remind them of who you are, your company, and what you have to offer.

3. Be Personal And Authentic During Your Interactions

When you call or email a lead, make sure you jog their memory by mentioning who you are, what you talked about, and other details about your meeting. Taking notes about each potential lead during the conference is really helpful here.

By mentioning a few personal details, you can make yourself stand out and remind a lead about who you are and what you have to offer. This is also why we recommend against always using pre-filled email templates, especially for highly qualified leads.

It takes more time to craft a truly personalized message, but being authentic will help you maximize your conversion rates and stand out from spammy “email blasts” that decision-makers often get after conferences.

4. Focus On Relevant Information And Offers

Again, taking notes is key here. If you can remember the specific product or service that you discussed with a lead, you can follow up more effectively once the conference or trade show is over.

If a lead expresses interest in your company’s SaaS solutions, you don’t want to send an email or call them with information about your data recovery products. Keeping things relevant and sending a high-value offer will help increase response rates.

5. Provide Value And Don’t Rush Toward Making A Sale

Just because a lead expresses lots of interest in your products during a trade show doesn't mean they're ready to convert into a customer right away. As we all know, actually moving someone down the sales funnel is a delicate process.

So don’t go for the “hard sell” right away. Instead, offer resources and add value. Sending things like eBooks and whitepapers, invitations to webinars, and links to valuable blog posts is a great way to show the value of your products or services – without directly trying to sell to a customer right away.

6. Don’t Give Up If You Can’t Connect Right Away

Going back to the “real world” the Monday after a conference means that lots of leads may be dealing with emails they ignored over the weekend, time-sensitive tasks for major projects, questions from employees, and more. Your email or phone call may be put on the back burner, and you may be unable to connect with a hot lead immediately.
But don't give up. Try to follow up and connect with a lead multiple times – without being spammy or annoying. Here’s an example:

• 24 hours after contact – Call the lead and leave a voicemail with a quick greeting/reminder of what you talked about, your contact info, and when you’ll be available for further discussion.

• 3 days after contact – Send a follow-up email after 3 days with info about your company, the products/services you discussed, and details about how to get in touch with you. 

• 7 days after contact – Share a valuable resource with the lead, like an eBook or whitepaper addressing a pain point they discussed during your initial meeting.

• 14 days after contact – Send a final check-in email or give the lead a call, expressing your willingness to connect and share more information.

By attempting to connect multiple times and using more than one contact method, you can maximize your chances of success.

7. Track Your Results To Gain Valuable Insights

If you’re not already using a CRM to track your leads, you should be! CRMs help you track each point of contact, keep contact information organized and secure, and streamline the process of reaching out after a conference or trade show. And most of all, CRMs let you collect data like overall conversion rates, time to response, and much more. 

You could even use a CRM to track your conversion rates for each trade show or conference you attend – and see which ones are providing the most ROI. Using this data, you can collect data-driven insights that will help you streamline your sales process and convert more leads in the future.

Need Help Following Up With Leads? Contact Incept Grows Today!

Are you overwhelmed with leads after a conference or trade show, or having trouble moving qualified leads down the sales funnel? Whatever the case may be, we are here for you. We’re a full-service B2B inside sales partner. 

We offer all of the support you need to follow up on leads, turn them into customers, and grow your business. If you’d like to learn more about what we do, feel free to give us a call at 330-994-1349 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.