It may sound too simple to be true, but prompt and thorough follow-up may be one of the best ways to stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately, many booth exhibitors haven’t yet learned that important lesson.  Here are some scary examples of what NOT to do (names have been omitted to protect the guilty):

• After visiting a travel booth at a local show, I received their information in a timely manner, but what exactly did I receive? The letter was addressed to someone else, congratulating her on an upcoming honeymoon in Bermuda (I was planning a vacation in Las Vegas), while the travel brochures they sent were all for Vegas. Needless to say, I never called them. If they can’t even stuff an envelope, would I trust them with my travel plans? Definitely not!
• At one booth, I specifically asked not to be contacted for a couple of months. They followed up with a phone call the Monday following the show, then later that week with an e-mail and an information packet … complete with a contract! Another phone call and e-mail came within two weeks. Was my name the only one they got from that show? It certainly felt like it!
• One exhibitor left a voicemail message saying, “I’ve been trying to do all these calls and get them out of the way …”
• Another time, I received a follow-up e-mail thanking me for my “recent interest.” Nothing wrong with that, right? The problem was that the e-mail was sent in August regarding a show held the previous November! (And you thought e-mail was fast!)
• When one exhibitor I was especially interested in didn’t send anything, I actually called them several weeks after the show to remind them I was looking forward to receiving their materials. They never did respond!
• Probably the most remarkable “don’t” came from a company thanking me for stopping by their booth at a show I never even attended!

There’s no shortage of ways to follow up with attendees after a show, from e-mails to information packets, phone calls to appointments with sales staff. But it’s all wasted if it’s not done in a timely, strategic manner. Closing a sale with a trade show lead can come much faster and at less expense than a traditional lead, according to studies done by the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR). But that sale won’t come at all if the follow-up is rude, inappropriate, or contrary to what the attendee requested. The key is to have your plan in place before the show ever begins so that the follow-up steps can be completed the right way.

Guest Blogger: Marlys Arnold

With experiences as both an exhibitor and a show organizer, Marlys Arnold has a unique perspective on trade show exhibiting. She travels the country consulting and training both exhibitors and show managers. She's the author of Build a Better Trade Show Image, host of the Trade Show Insights blog-cast and creator of the ExhibitorEd Success System, the Exhibitor Education Manifesto and the Exhibit Marketers Café.