Being at a trade show is a great way to get into conversations with buyers. But, it is only one step in the process of selling. A ton of exhibitors get so worked up about prepping for a trade show and showing up that they forget about the work that needs to be done afterwards. I cannot stress enough how crucial it is to follow up with a potential buyer in a timely manner.

The process of qualifying potential buyers actually startsin the booth. During your first conversation with them, listen to any mention of timing, openness to buy, customer type and related products they have seen or heard of. Making good notes after they leave your booth will help enormously!  Le's face it. If you walk into your office after a four day, fast paced event without notes about conversations... You might be leaving some of your biggest deals out in the cold.

Categorize leads into three groups. A for hot leads. B for good ones. C for the least urgent. Reach out to each group, in order, by following through on the notes you made.

Invest time into reaching out to these pre-qualified leads. Now is the time to make back all the money you spent on exhibiting at the show. Consider the fees, materials, products, transportation and labor you put in. Things really start to add up!

Be intentional, mindful, professional and speak benefits. Retail buyers are busy! Don't just throw your product and information at them and clog up their inboxes.

Great ways to reach out to your leads:

• Email - One-on-one emails as well as mass email marketing has transformed the way we communicate business today.

• Social Media - Online social media mentions may be less personal, but still helps keep your name on the radar.

• Cards - We use a service calledSend Out Cards that allows us to create custom cards online and ship them out, FAST!

• Calls - Be intentional, know what their needs are, how you can benefit them and what actions you want them to take next.

• Video Testimonial - These assets can be pretty powerful. Having a third party support your product speaks much louder.

Click Here to read another post about setting up for a trade show!

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