During a major show, the content and timing of your communications and calls has to be well-planned ahead of time so that your programs can execute seamlessly and (preferably) without a second thought on your part.
Work with your sales team to identify top priority contacts who you expect to have in attendance and create a mini-communications plan around them to ensure that this opportunity isn’t wasted. If you have company representatives speaking at an event, boost their profile and your company by using them as your spokespeople to invite your target contacts to attend a presentation of connected event. A personalized voicemail message with an email or text message follow up is a great way to deliver this during a show. Since there’s no way your speakers will be able to leave a few hundred voicemails during such a busy time, pre-planned voicemail and email campaigns can deliver their messages to the group(s) of your choosing.
You can also incorporate text messages with voicemail and/or short live messages via attendees’ mobile devices during the show with time sensitive information or announcements. Pre-event promotions are a way to help collect mobile contact information for show attendees. Indicate the phone type on your database, to segment cell phones from office numbers.
The telephone is perfect communications tool during a large event because a trade show or major seminar is one of the few opportunities large groups of like minded people have to actually meet and exchange ideas in person. Personal contact campaigns couldn’t be a better fit. If possible keep your chosen spokespeople available to chat and se sure they’re aware of the messages delivered in their name and who they’re being delivered to.
Don’t wait until after the show to incorporate new contacts into your data base. Download new scanned contacts as you go and even if you’re simply collecting business cards, don’t leave them sitting until the end of the show. Find someone to update your information during the show and don’t miss an opportunity to appropriately message Day One contacts with Day Two or Three updates and invitations.
After a major show, while your marketing team is still in the process of sorting and beginning to qualify the potential leads, you can make an immediate follow up call particularly to thank people for attending one of your events or presentations, while you’re still fresh in their minds. Again, third party help can be secured quickly and very affordably to help put lists into a workable state, although using scanning systems make list creation easier.
You can take advantage of an early relationship building opportunity to have the follow up or thank you messages delivered on behalf of the most appropriately matched contacts within your company. Have one of your own executives leave message for C Level contacts, have technical people reach out to other techies and mirror seniority levels. These campaigns are easy to structure in advance. The contacts can be adjusted as you move raw leads into your early lead management/sales funnel.
Don’t forget to differentiate your company from a host of faceless and voiceless competitors by developing a personal contact with voicemail, voicemail + email and live calling.