Why send a Post Trade Show Email

Sending a Trade Show Follow-Up Email

Many organizations recognize the value of utilizing a trade show to generate leads for potential clients, vendors, and partners. Yet, acting on those leads after the show is equally as important. Let’s look at the significance of the trade show follow-up email and how to master this next step in building long-term professional relationships.

Why is it Important to Follow Up After a Trade Show?

While your trade show booth display and sales pitch may be impressive, those can only take you so far. Following up demonstrates the authenticity of the initial interest and serves to:

1. Secure potential leads

Once you have a promising lead, you need to convert them into a confirmed customer. An email serves as a means of helping them remember you, strengthen the initial connection, and initiate the conversion process.

2. Make a good impression

An email presents another opportunity to leave a favorable impression to the people you met at the trade show. Whether it’s talking specifically about a presentation or expressing enthusiasm for future conversations, you get to positively represent your organization.


Post-Trade Show Email Strategies

Of course, while a well-crafted email can be the foundation of a fruitful partnership, an ill-conceived email or approach can cause it to crumble. Here are a few strategies to enhance the efficiency of your trade show follow-up email.

Prioritize leads

Your communication approach should depend on the classification of the lead whether it’s a hot, warm, or cold lead. With a hot lead – i.e., one that has serious potential – your focus should center at the latter stages of your marketing or sales funnel, and possibly even going through the sales team directly. For warm leads, consider asking about setting up time for a meeting to talk more about how your product or service aligns with their needs. As for cold leads, it’s effective to use “pain points” referencing common problem(s) within their industry and how your organization can provide solutions to them.

Create an email campaign

A series of emails is often the best approach to converting a lead. The key is maintaining a persistent presence without coming off as overbearing. Consider this three-step follow-up email campaign:

  • Email 1:

    For the initial message, include all your information (name, organization, title, etc.) and possibly a photo from the show to help the lead recognize you. It’s essential to thank them for their time and perhaps include a special offer. Send this email within 1-2 days after the trade show. (Although it’s tempting to email them immediately, bear in mind that they’re receiving a lot of other emails at the same time, and yours is likely to get lost in the shuffle.)

  • Email 2:

    The second message should have a crystal-clear call-to-action (CTA). Examples include signing up for a workshop, participating in a survey, watching a video, or offering to meet them at an upcoming event. This email should be sent within 1-2 days after the first email.

  • Email 3:

    This email should feature another distinct CTA. It could mirror the previous CTA or offer something else, such as completing a product demo or visiting your website. Schedule this email to go out 3-4 days after the second email.