Conference and trade show leads can be very effective and deliver a significant revenue to your business. However, you have to ensure that you follow-up on those leads correctly, or you might lose out on the opportunity to convert them into customers.
Most companies will only use email to follow-up on leads. But this doesn’t differentiate them from those who also send a follow-up direct mail piece.
Another error made by following up with leads is that the same generic message is sent to everyone. Savvy marketers know that personalization and segmentation make the messaging much more compelling and effective.
Here are a few strategies you can use when sending direct mail to follow up with your conference leads:
1. Segment and Personalize
The first thing you need to do is plan how you are going to segment and personalize leads you acquire. Segmentation can be done on their readiness to buy, what services they need, or on particular demographics that are interested in your business.
You’ll also need to know how to mark your signup sheet or business cards what segment the prospect should be placed in, without causing offence to the potential client. A simple use of colored pens could be one solution or a letter in the corner.
It is more important than people realize as the contacts you collect at a show will make it hard for you to remember everyone and what they potentially wanted.
2. Put Aside Some Follow-up Time
One of the most important considerations is that you cannot just send out random messages throughout your regular daily schedule. It takes a lot of time to organize your follow-ups. Put aside at least half a day, if not a whole day to concentrate your efforts on writing and sending out your direct mail follow-ups.
You should make sure you do this as soon after the event as possible since it will take time for the campaign to reach the intended recipients. You don’t want them to forget you.
3. Write General but Editable Copy
Before the event, you’ll also want to have editable, direct mail copy ready that you can send out. You won’t use it unedited, but by having key points listed and by knowing what you are going to say to each segment, you can speed up sending out the campaign once you’ve returned from the conference or trade show.
Also, ensure that you mention the following:
- The conference/trade show by name at least three times
- The contact’s name and company
- Any details they gave about their needs, or what they were interested in
- Any details you specifically mentioned to them
These four elements help personalize the direct mail to the prospect and increase the chance that they will take action.
4. Create a Call-to-Action
The best direct mail pieces need a call-to-action that is straight-forward and not too intrusive to the reader. For instance, asking them to make a purchase immediately might be too aggressive. Instead, consider asking them to subscribe to your mailing list, follow you on social media, or schedule a time that you could speak to them.
Conclusion
Direct mail is still very effective as a sales nurturing tactic; especially after a conference or trade show since most companies just send an email. The challenge is that it still has to be designed well, so your prospect takes action and moves further down your sales funnel.
Give us your feedback:
Do you use direct mail for lead follow up?
What kind of success have you had?