b'BUSINESS STRATEGYContinued from page 37a quiz, says Heiman. Or engage the audience byan age of email these can be especially effective repeatedly asking for ideas on how what has beenbecause no one does them anymore. Say things learned from the show can be applied to currentlike It was nice to meet you. I had so much fun operations. discussing how the industry has changed over the If the show has been particularly extensive, avoidyears. I look forward to continuing our relationship overwhelming the audience with too much material.and discussing business trends. And include your Consider having each attendee pick two or three vitalbusiness card.insights discovered at the show, then do a deep diveSocial media can also personalize your feedback. into each oneperhaps doing additional researchAre some vendors active on LinkedIn? If so, connect on the topic before the presentation, says Heiman. with them, says Heiman. And dont just connect. Bonus tip: Schedule the follow-up meeting withinInteract by liking or sharing posts they have made 48 hours of the time people return from the show,that would be interesting to people who follow you.while memories are still fresh. In some cases, says Heiman, it is appropriate to Tip #4: Review performance schedule a phone call: Maybe the person has special knowledge, and you want to know if he or she will Good trade show follow-through includes reflectionspresent virtually to your company.on how well the attendees utilized their time, andBonus tip: Never rely on vendors to follow through. how they might improve their technique the nextWe have found that exhibitors fail to follow-up with time around. 80 percent of their leads, says Wilson. Always There should be a post-show discussion about howtake the initiative.participants performed, including what worked andTip #6: Share with customerswhat didnt, says Orvel Ray Wilson, a speaker and coach on trade shows (GuerrillaGroup.com). WhichMaybe coworkers and vendors are the most obvious steps were effective, and which were not? people for follow-up. But dont overlook customers Consider what you were looking to achieve andwho could not attend the show and who will appreciate assess whether you were successful. If somethingyour thoughtfulness and expertise if you inform them worked, point it out and plan to repeat it in the future,of what you learned.says Drapeau. If something did not work, discussCommunicatingyourshowexperiencewith the reason. Was the problem with the show or withcustomerscanbeoneofyourbestmarketing your teams performance? tools, says Powell. You want to stay visible to Answer the tough questions such as: How couldyour customers, and you want them to see that attendees have improved their use of time? Shouldyou are staying knowledgeable about the industry. the business send more or fewer people to the nextConsider sharing the top three things you took away show? Or perhaps not attend the show at all, becausefrom the show and explain how they will benefit your there are not enough potential contacts?customers.Bonus tip: Have each attendee prepare a short reportBonus tip: Updating your customers in person is on three ways the business can improve its returnalways preferable but consider including some select on investment in attending the next show. information in your social media posts and your newsletter. Or cover the topic in a webinar or video Tip #5: Follow up with vendorsyou email to your customers.Once youve briefed your colleagues on the show,The big picturefollow-up with the important vendors. Trying to reachAs the comments in this article suggest, getting the out to everyone will seem overwhelming since youbiggest bang from the buck invested in attending have your regular duties to attend to at the samea trade show depends on how you sweep up after time. So, start with a few who have the most potential. the dust has settled and the glitter has faded. Smart Aboveall,saytheexperts:Makeitpersonal.trade show follow-through begins before you even Remember that the most important reason to go toleave for the show and continues long after you a show is to build relationships, not to get information. have returned to your workplace and debriefed your Write hand-written notes, suggests Heiman. Incoworkers. Continued on page 3938 www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer'