Many of us in business attend our industry’s own trade shows. Often we chat with industry friends as we walk the aisles. We may be an exhibitor and have brief meetings with clients, prospects and suppliers. Or we may be a speaker during an industry workshop session.
No matter what, there are always opportunities to expand our network or develop new business from these industry events.
The big question is: How soon should you follow up on a conversation after the event ends?
Some people think it’s preferable to let your contacts settle back into their office routine and then follow up with them a week or two after the event. You know, don’t be too pushy.
Others use a technique that is my personal favorite and that is to send an IMMEDIATE email or text to the contact, moments after you met. That means if you are an exhibitor at a trade show, as the prospect or supplier leaves your booth, you, or someone on your team, sends an immediate message to them to set the stage for follow-up. Talk about a WOW-effect!
The practice that is most sustainable and produces great results is to send follow-up emails a few days after the show ends and you are back in your office. If a trade show ends on a Friday or Saturday, then you send follow-up emails on Monday.
And how do you make sure you are set up for success with follow-through?
- Always carry business cards. I was shocked at an event I attended last week at how often people “forgot to bring cards”. Or they said, “I don’t use cards – I use LinkedIn.” Really? How will I ever find you or remember you after we have connected on LinkedIn?
- Organize yourself so that you keep all the business cards you collected together, so when you return home, you have a stack of them, all together, so you can easily follow up.
- Block time on your calendar on the workday after the event so you have allocated time to send out emails, samples or texts.
- Have a template for follow-up drafted in advance, which gives you the ability to personalize your message to your potential prospect or supplier.
- After a written follow-up, include an invitation to connect via phone or Zoom, to move things along. Sending a follow-up email alone will not get you the results you are looking for.
- And if you were a speaker at the conference, then have your team send out a press release to your industry publications the week following your presentation. This is the way to leverage your visibility. And be sure to post something on LinkedIn highlighting your presentation. After all, nothing screams credibility more than being asked to present at an industry event.
You’re leaving money on the table if you only send a single follow-up email. Or a single post on LinkedIn. How many different ways can you amplify your message within your industry?
Remember, all of us are deluged with media messages. It’s the digital version of “junk mail”. How can you stand out? You stand out by personalizing your message and making sure you have impeccable follow-up. They say that a prospect doesn’t recognize that you even exist until you have “touched them” nine times.
So when is the right time to follow up? Now! Let’s go!
Onward and Upward,
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