8 Best Practices for Lead Capture (3)
In this three part transcribed video series, Ryan Schefke, CEO at Captello unpackages 8 best practices to help you make every event a success. Follow the full experience on video including associated presentation slides, free downloadable materials, and interactive activations.
BEST PRACTICE #6: Follow Up
When you get to an event, take a picture of your team and your booth.
This way, when you send your event follow-up email, you can include that picture. As an attendee, I will remember meeting these people. I might not know their names, but I see their faces. I remember that booth. It leaves an impression with me. So, do the follow-up email and make sure you also provide personal follow-up, but think through what that process is going to be. It doesn’t just stop at, “I captured the lead. My job is done.” You’ve got to go further.
Question: What percentage of exhibitors are at a trade show to get new leads?
It’s actually 72%.
72% of exhibitors are there to get new leads. Believe it or not, some don’t really care about the leads, they care about other things. And I’m saying that for a reason.
So pandemic was tough, right? It sucked. But it did teach us some things in the events industry. What did we see? Virtual event platforms, hybrid. I think it teaches us in an industry that maybe feels a little antiquated, does the same thing, in our groove, but embracing digital technology. It’s not going away. It’s just going to keep being in our face. So, it taught us to be creative, to innovate, which is a really good thing.
There are solutions that do all these things with built-in lead capture, that are user customizable and can be easily branded and that include rewards, gift cards, prizes, things like that. Those opportunities are here for you.
BEST PRACTICE #7: Expand Ways to Capture Leads
Some of these things have actually spawned from what happened with the pandemic, so I want to encourage everyone to expand the ways you capture leads. Again, universal, a strategy, a mindset, universal lead capture.
1: Digital Activations
Those were used in virtual event platforms throughout the pandemic. You’ve probably seen the physical spin the wheel games, the big whack-a-mole tables, the Plinko boards; all those things that some companies bring in as a physical activation. Those can be good, but you’ve got to buy that. You have to ship it, right? Gas prices are pretty expensive… You might have to get rid of it. Is that friendly for the environment? Do we want to be environmentally friendly?
Now days, we have digital activations. Taking all those physical things, turning them into activations.
An activation is something that you can use to engage and pull people in.
This is something you should be considering when it comes to lead capture. How will you get people to engage with your exhibit, products and solutions? You capture their information because you’re giving them an experience, an engagement, something fun, and now you’ve increased your number of qualified leads.
2: Touchless
Some people don’t want to touch things, so provide a QR code. Have a QR code that attendees can scan and then they can just fill out the info on their own device. It doesn’t have include all the qualifiers. But they can scan it, indicate that they want more information, and that’s great because they don’t have to touch anything. No shaking hands, no intrusive badge scanning.
3: Kiosks
Have a kiosk. Many times your staff might be tied up with other conversations, which is a really good thing… You’re popular. And you’re having discussions with all the attendees. It would be a bummer if people came by and they’re like, “Oh, they’re too busy, I’m passing, I’m moving on.” So have a kiosk where it can be self-service.
People can walk up, scan their own badge on your kiosk. Oftentimes now it’s just an iPad and you set it up in a stand and now you’re capturing leads. Then again, make sure every staff member, from the person that set up your booth to the CEO, has lead capture in their pocket.
Question: What percentage of attendees believe engaging with exhibitors makes them more likely to buy their products or services?
The percentage of attendees are more likely to buy from you when you’re engaging them?
It’s 74%. The point is that you need to look for ways to engage your attendees because that’s going to create memorable experiences. They’re going to have fun, and they’re more likely to buy.
BEST PRACTICE #8: Engage Your Attendees
Question: A trade show attendee will tell how many people about their experience at the event?
10.
You want to be memorable, right? Because when they go tell other people, these other people might work at other companies that need your products and solutions. That’s going to turn into additional Lead capture. They’re going to tell six other people. Now, they’re doing the selling for you.
Consider engaging attendees with your own activation that has a lead capture form in front of it.
You could have a QR code that people scan and fill out the form prior to game play. If you’re collecting business cards, you’re taking a picture of the card and transcribing and not putting it in your pocket. You could take a picture of the badge with a name and then manually fill in the email. There are lots of ways to do it. Whether you get it from them or they give it to you. But that’s all part of the universal mindset. Don’t just stop there and say, “Okay. I’m stuck. What do I do? I can’t capture leads.”
Question: What percentage of businesses participate in a trade show to raise brand awareness?
88% of companies actually participate in a trade show to raise brand awareness.
How could you raise brand awareness?
Maybe you want to promote your company name, your brand… You want to get a message out. Use methods that reinforce your message. I’m going to encourage you to use activations that you can launch with software and communicate a message so it becomes memorable.
This example is trivia with integrated lead capture. You’re in your booth, reinforcing the message. People scan with their device, then leave. They’re taking you in their pocket. That’s cool.
And here is an example of a leaderboard that builds excitement and inspires competition. Make it fun. Get them in there. Help people relax.
All right, I’m giving you for free, a 21-page guide on lead capture. It touches on all of the eight points we’ve covered today:
Establish a process, align your priorities, take control, expand the scope of your lead capture, qualify leads, follow up, and engage attendees. So, that guide is yours for free.
Also, I welcome you to beef up your resume, add this to your LinkedIn, put it in your signature:
Free Universal Lead Capture Certification Course
Key takeaways:
1: Lead capture is universal.
Not just software; it’s a mindset. It’s a strategy. It’s all the ways you’re going to capture leads before, during, after, and throughout, within your exhibition.
2: Process prevents piss poor performance.
So, make sure you have a process going to all your exhibitions, rinse and repeat. Have predictability. Don’t just go with the flow. And don’t just say, “I’m going to use what the show provides.” Because, remember, I’m puking when you guys do that. So, don’t do that.
3: prioritize leads
It’s important for your job. You guys want to look like superstars when you’re exhibiting. I’m missing ROI from this presentation. Probably been talked about before. But you got to make sure you’re measuring ROI. You are proving to the CEO, to the CMO, whoever, that you are generating revenue, you’re generating leads. But make these things a priority. Put lead capture first as a best practice. Don’t make it last on your list behind everything else.
Thank you so much for your time.
Captello is a multifunctional event platform that provides: Universal Lead Capture, User Customizable Gamification, Marketing Automation, CRM, Lead Management, Sales Enablement, Leader Boards, Point Rewards & e-Gift Cards, Waypoints for Sessions & Scavenger Hunts, Player Profiles, and more with over 3,000 integrations for all common CRM and Marketing Automation platforms.
To see how Captello’s growing library of digital activations (games), universal lead capture, and reward-based solutions can help your company generate more leads at your trade shows, contact us today!
