What’s in a Follow-Up?

Now that Ad:Tech New York is over, the fun begins. We’re now one week past the show, and if you attended, it’s well past time for all of those dreadful follow-ups. It’s time to kick it in gear (especially if you haven’t yet) and really explore the opportunities that await you in this great industry of ours.

I used to dread the follow-ups. They’re so tedious, time consuming, and to put it bluntly – boring.  I have a few secrets though that keep follow-ups from getting boring, and makes sure the business get’s done. Are you ready? The big secret is to follow up with a PHONE CALL. Everyone, especially in this business, is used to just sitting at their desk, hour after hour pounding away at the keyboard and crossing their fingers hoping for a response. Any good salesperson can tell you that picking up the phone is 100%+ more effective and entertaining as well. If you think about it, a majority of business is transacted because of good relationships, so why not start by picking up the phone and developing one with each new contact?

Here’s a brief example of what I do to organize my follow-ups after a tradeshow:

After getting back I do a lot of organizing. I organize my cards into many sections: those I’d like to directly follow up with and do some business with immediately, those that I would like to make inquiries to, and those that I’ll get around to sooner or later, but index anyhow. I then take these contacts and email everyone. After that, my next order of business is to start with the phone calls. I call every person to either organize business with them directly, get to know the person and their company, and even to try to find business for another department of my company.

Of course another critical component for the follow-up is the collection and filing of your new contacts’ information for future use.

Following up with your new contacts in this manner can be very effective and very profitable for your company. Going to the show, talking up your company, and even scheduling future transactions can be rewarding, but mastering the follow-up after obtaining all of those great contacts is the real secret to your success after a trade show.