Expo stand design, graphics and preparation

1. Your expo stand should make it obvious what your business does and who your business is for, at a glance, you’ll organically attract the right prospects to your stand.
2. Set your exact targets in advance and craft an action plan accordingly.
3. Recent research has shown that 83% of most successful companies (in term of business-generated leads collected), at a range of exhibitions, were ones that took the trouble to e-mail their prospects and customers before the show

Before the exhibition, prepare a lead capturing plan

1. What information will you need to obtain for each prospect? Build an efficient lead capture form, use multiple choice questions and take notes.
2. Set targets for each of your exhibition stand staff and track their performance.
3. Make sure your staff is clearly briefed as to the process and what’s expected from them on show days.
4. Prepare templates with relevant information that can be e-mailed to hot prospects.

During the exhibition, seamlessly collect data

1. Try not to get stuck in small talk; rather ask specific questions to qualify the prospect.
2. Capture detailed information from qualified prospects.
3. Avoid the “business card in a fishbowl, win a prize” approach; all the unqualified prospects will pollute your data.
4. Find out which prospects are the decision-makers and make special note of these prospects.
5. E-mail hot leads with your pre-prepared e-mails which include specific information.

After the exhibition and follow-up

1. Deadlines need to be set up for hot, intermediate, and general leads to be followed up on.
2. Your follow-up quality hit rate will be as good as the prospect information captured at your stand. If you have collected the right information, you can follow up with quality information to the prospect.
3. Whatever you do, you must follow up timeously and properly measure your ROI.
4. Measure the number of leads and which leads have converted into sales.
5. If all data and figures are captured correctly and you have worked out your ROI, you will have tools and a process for the next time you exhibit, thereby improving on each exhibition.