As you walk from the car to your office, your feet already hurt. You’re exhausted, have a brain full of names and faces you can’t match up, and a briefcase full of brochures, pamphlets, and business cards. Welcome home from your latest tradeshow!
Although you just spent 72 hours in a strange city, running around a convention center for 12 hours each day, your real job is only just beginning. Remember all of the badges you scanned, handshakes, and promises you made to follow up? Unless you make the effort to contact them now, your time spent at the show is really just time wasted.
While it is important to follow up, it’s equally critical to sit down with your team and evaluate what exactly just happened.
Top 5 Things To Consider
Everyone from your company who attended the show should complete an evaluation form, and should be honest and up front in doing so. Include the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. While there are many questions to ask when evaluating the show, here are the top five things to consider:
1) Things That Went Well
Have everyone list the five things that went well for you and your clients. Chances are that people have different views on overall success, but when you break it down to individual “positives” you will get some commonalities.
2) Things To Improve On
Just like the first category, have everyone list what fell flat or just plain didn’t work. Was the booth layout cluttered and uninviting? Did you not have enough meeting space? Be honest.
3) How Many New Leads Were Captured?
This one is simple. Calculate all of the new leads and compare it to previous years and shows. It will come in handy when deciding whether or not your ROI was worth it.
4) How Many Updates Were Made To Existing Clients’ Data?
Are there new executives, sales staff, PR contacts? Updating existing clients’ data is a valuable side effect of a trade show.
5) Should You Attend Next Year?
Plain and simple, should you go back in 2024? There are a lot of factors to include here, but above all was the show worth the time, effort, and investment?
Need marketing support for your building products? We can help. Fill out an inquiry or contact Dana Gulick: dgulick@stonerbunting.com.