Many firms rely on event attendance, whether it is as an exhibitor or a speaker of some kind. Going to events is becoming more costly over time as travel, event fees, and staffing costs all keep rising. So, if you are going to invest in going to an event, you want to make sure you get the most out of it in the long run. Remember, B2B sales always take 6 to 18 months (or longer in some cases) from start to finish, so you need to keep that in mind from a planning and ultimately sales conversion perspective.
There are a few key things to do to help in maximizing your event attendance and increasing the ROI of an event. They include:
Do Pre-Event Emails And Calls – Book Meetings At The Event
We have one client that does approximately 6 to 8 events per year, and at many, they have displays and are speaking. They run a pre-event marketing campaign letting folks know they are going to be there and then, based on those results, we run a secondary email and call campaign specifically targeting those with higher open and click rates, inviting them to meet at the event. This has proven successful, with one of those leads leading to a $400,000 project.
Track Attendees That Visit Your Booth
Keeping track of who stops by is important. This can be done a number of ways: a simple sheet where you keep names and notes, or utilizing a scanner provided by some events. For others, and for one client, we would start a WhatsApp Group at the event, scan business cards, and add notes. That way, at the end of the event, a summarized list of all engaged contacts with a brief description of their interest was ready for follow-up.
Invite Attendees To The Booth
If you are going to invest in an event, don’t be passive if you have a booth or display. We recommend you engage with passersby, invite them into the booth, and ask them a few questions. At some events, having a draw or coupons of some sort can help, but I often find that is not really needed. If you are going to do it, have it related to using your product or service. For example, provide 25% off the first invoice.
Follow Ups Post Event
This is huge, obviously. Now the chase is on. For these leads, we would recommend 5 to 8 follow-ups—calls and emails over a few months. Then pause and start again. Until they tell you specifically to stop calling, don’t stop. Keep them in the funnel and keep them warm and slightly engaged. Sometimes timing is everything; these people are qualified and they have expressed an interest.
Marketing Campaign Post Event
We have a number of clients that will run post-event marketing email campaigns, usually with a thank you or a “how did you enjoy the event?” note. These, too, can be followed up on by actioning calls and emails to those who are highly engaged (higher clicks and opens).
If you’d like support in maximizing your event attendance to keep building a stronger B2B sales funnel, feel free to contact me through VA Partners.
Contact us now and start turning more prospects into customers!
