8 Best Practices for Lead Capture (2)
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 #3: Take Control
I get upset when I get to a show and feel like I don’t have control. I have to pay drayage, I can’t do this, can’t do that. The last thing that I want is to relinquish control of my leads; what I’m here to do… Capture leads, generate revenue. So take control. Go ahead.
Now for modern way: Universal Lead Capture
You’re going to hear this phrase a lot: Universal Lead Capture. What does it mean?
Well, it means having the ability to capture leads on any device, any time, any method, any user, any data you want, at any event, all the time: offline, online, you have control.
But I want to tell you, it’s not a solution. You should walk away knowing that Universal Lead Capture is a strategy and a mindset. When we go to an event, when we exhibit, how can I make that lead capture experience universal? Different ways, different methods, multiple people.
Again, it’s a strategy. It’s a mindset.
BEST PRACTICE #4: Expand the Scope of Lead Capture
When you’re going to a trade show, don’t just think, “I’m exhibiting 11:30 to 3:00. I can capture leads.”
No. Lead capture happens when you’re going to get pizza in the lobby to get your lunch. You meet people all the time. You have to be training your team. You’ve got to be ready, always ready. Social events that we’ve been to… capturing leads… You’ve got to have the ability to take advantage of that.
I’m hearing, “Hey, I got to scan business cards.” That’s wonderful! You’ve got to have a consistent strategy though. Lead capture is not just when you’re exhibiting; it’s from before the event begins till after the event closes.
Imagine for a second that you were hosting your company’s own event, wherever it is. Would you just set up the event and go to the event and hope that people show up? No, right? If it was your event, you would be doing pre-event marketing.
Most of the companies that do a great job exhibiting here today, they know most of the people that are going to be there. Or they know who you are because you are reaching out to them. You’re communicating before the event happens.
Have a social gathering, invite people, use your marketing system to reach out to them, then they’re going to know who you are.
Your company’s most valuable asset is the people, of course, because I’m a people person. But data, your database, that is an incredibly valuable asset. You might say, “Well, how do I do that? Who do I reach out to?”
When I asked my Marketing Director, “Hey, we’re going to this trade show again… Exhibitor Live.” He comes back and says, “We’ve been going five years straight now. This is my five year database.” And he will reach out to them before the event.
That’s your database, like-minded people, people you’ve already met. It’s not just, “I’m capturing a lead there and I’m done. I hope to see you next year.” You’ve got to keep communicating with them.
BEST PRACTICE #5: Qualify Leads
1: Objective Qualification
Okay, you probably have heard of this in sales: BANT; Budget, Authorization, Need, Timeline.
Then there’s something the ICP. Who is my Ideal Client Profile? Again, remember, you’re going to talk to your sales team. You’re going to say, “Hey John, hey Michelle, what is your ideal client? If you could make a lot of money because you know they’re going to buy, what does that ideal client look like?”
Those are the kinds of qualifiers you need. You collect that data so that when you pull it into a HubSpot or Salesforce, you can run reports, and you can look at your ICPs. You can’t pull metrics into analysis if you don’t have the data. So you have to collect the data so that you can objectively qualify people, and then prioritize, help your sales team.
2: Subjective Qualification
This is just, “Oh, I had this amazing conversation,” because we’re going to have conversations, we’re not going to survey people. And you’re going to feel it, you’re going to know it, people are going to give you those reactions. “Oh my gosh, this is awesome, we need to meet. How do I get started?”
We were exhibiting across from Make It So, and they sell light boxes. I saw somebody come up and say, “I need two of these. I want to buy two of them.” She was ready to buy right then. I need to be able to indicate that urgent lead in my lead capture app. She’s not like everybody else. All leads don’t look alike. You’ve got to differentiate them.
I’m going to tell you a couple of ways that we differentiate leads…
We might be in our own world as exhibitors, capturing these leads, and we think, great, we did our job. And then what happens? You hand off the business card, you hand off the lead on a spreadsheet, you put them in your Salesforce system, but they all look alike. If you are not the person doing the follow up on the leads and somebody else is, how can you possibly create that consistency? I mean, it would sort of be like someone came over to my house and I spent time with them, and I had them over at dinner and I talked to them a little bit. And then, they come back the next day and I’m not home. And my wife is like, “Who are you? No, you can’t come into my house.” I have to talk to my wife and tell her that somebody came over, and we had this conversation.
So how do we differentiate leads?
1: We use audio notes.
When you’re in your booth, you have this great discussion, you’ve got to capture that. Somebody walks away or you go back, you can edit it, you’re recording it, and people can hear the inflection in your tone, the excitement, things that are important. “Oh, they mentioned they have two kids, 16 and 13. We’re humans, connect. When you transfer that information over, if I get a lead and I give it to Michelle, Michelle can listen to my audio clip, she can click a link that’s now in my CRM or my marketing automation system. Event person or marketing person, to the salesperson, that handoff becomes consistent.
And that’s not just important for you, it’s important for the lead, the attendee. Make them feel like you actually listened, and not that they look like everybody else. And the salesperson, “Oh, I heard you stopped by our booth. Can I help you?” That sucks. You can’t convert your leads. Convert more leads through better quality information so you can drive revenue for your CEO and your CMO.
2: Book a Meeting.
The last thing here, when you’re subjectively qualifying and you know something’s urgent, why wait to book a meeting? Do it right there. Schedule a meeting, book it. It’s now on their calendar, it’s on yours. Or book it on behalf of your best account executive. There’s a great company out there called Jifflenow that can help. They have a meeting scheduling solution, and we partner with them. But have the ability for people to book meetings and get more information built into your lead capture process. Don’t let those urgent leads, those hot leads, fall through the cracks.
Okay, question: How many hours do attendees spend visiting all booths and displays at a trade show?
8.3 hours! Yeah, really.
So why am I putting that out there? 8.3 hours. When somebody goes to a trade show and visits multiple booths and has dozens of conversations, how can we expect them to remember who they talked to?
>>> CONTINUE TO PART III OF BEST PRACTICES FOR LEAD CAPTURE >>>
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!
