A trade fair, a conference or a local business evening can produce thirty or fifty contacts in two days. Then the team returns to normal work. The business cards stay in a jacket, the notes stay in a notebook, and two weeks later nobody is sure who was interested and who only wanted a free pen.
The cost of the event has already been paid. The follow-up is the cheap part, and it is the part that decides whether the event was worth it. This article describes a routine that fits one week and one responsible person.
Before the event: agree three things
Most of the work is easier if it is prepared before anyone stands at the stand.
- One owner. Name a single person who is responsible for the follow-up, and a deputy. Everyone else on the stand passes contacts to the owner.
- A minimum note. For every contact the person who spoke to them writes three things: what the visitor needs, how urgent it is, and what was promised (a quote, a call, a brochure). A card without a note is almost useless a week later.
- One list. Decide where contacts go: a shared spreadsheet or your existing customer list. If you do not have one yet, see why a CRM that is only a spreadsheet can still work. The point is that there is one place, not five.
Day 1: get everything into one list
On the first working day back, the owner collects cards, notebook pages and phone photos and enters every contact into the list. Use the same columns for everyone:
- name, company, role, email and phone
- event name and date
- the note from the conversation
- the group (see below)
- the next step and the date
Do this on the first day. Handwriting becomes harder to read and memories fade quickly.
Day 1–2: sort into three groups
Do not treat every contact the same way. Three groups are enough:
- Warm. The visitor described a real need or asked for something: a quote, a call, a demonstration. These get a personal message and a phone call.
- Maybe. A friendly conversation, but no concrete need. These get one personal message and a place on a list for occasional news.
- Cold. Competitors, students, suppliers offering their own services, people who only collected material. Record them, but do not chase them.
If you are unsure, put the contact in the higher group. It is cheaper to send one extra message than to lose a real enquiry.
Within three working days: the first message
Send the first message to the warm group first, then to the maybe group. Keep it short and specific:
- one line that reminds them where you met
- one thing you talked about or promised
- one clear next step, such as a proposed call time
A simple example: "Hello Anna, we spoke at the Tuesday evening session about your warehouse labels. As promised, I attach the one-page overview. Would a 15-minute call on Thursday or Friday suit you?"
A generic "thank you for visiting our stand" tells the reader nothing. A specific reference shows that you listened. If you promised a document, send it with this first message, not later.
Check the rules for contacting people. Many countries limit unsolicited marketing email, and the GDPR requires a lawful basis for using personal data. A personal reply to a conversation the person started is different from adding everyone to a newsletter. Read the regulator's guidance, for example the ICO guide to direct marketing and Article 6 of the GDPR on lawful bases, and add people to a newsletter only when they agree.
Day 5: the second touch
If a warm contact has not replied by the fifth working day, make one phone call or send one short message with a different angle, for example a useful link or a question. The detailed timing for repeated contact is described in a three-touch routine for following up on a sales lead. The same rule applies here: decide in advance when you stop.
When a warm contact answers and wants to continue, treat them as an ordinary lead. The handover to whoever sells or delivers should follow the same rules as any other lead, as in handing leads from marketing to sales.
Day 7: review and stop
At the end of the week the owner looks at the list for ten minutes and answers four questions:
- How many contacts were warm, maybe and cold?
- How many of the warm ones have replied or had a call?
- What is the next step for each of them, and who owns it?
- Which contacts are closed, and which go on the occasional-news list?
Mark closed contacts as closed. A list with a clear status is useful next year when you decide whether to attend the same event again. Write down the cost of the event and the number of real conversations; that is more honest than counting business cards.
Common mistakes
- No owner. Everyone assumes someone else will write.
- Waiting for a perfect message. A short message sent on day two beats a polished one sent in week three.
- Adding everyone to a newsletter. It annoys people and may break the rules.
- Keeping contacts in several places. Duplicates and forgotten promises follow.
- Chasing without end. Two or three attempts are enough; after that, close the contact politely.
A first step
Before your next event, write the three agreements (owner, minimum note, one list) on a single page and give it to everyone who will be at the stand. After the event, block one hour on the first working day for entering the contacts. That one hour usually decides whether the rest of the week happens.
Sources
- ICO, Direct marketing and privacy and electronic communications
- GDPR Article 6, Lawfulness of processing
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), official text
- This article is a planning aid and not legal advice. Rules on marketing contact differ by country, so check the linked pages for your situation. No client results are claimed.
