“HEY. Tired of going back to your office with only 400 leads from your last trade show? Are you looking to REALLY impress your Sales Team. How about 4,000? How about 40,000?! That’s right, the SCAN-EM-ALL 685 is the answer to your prayers!
Just find the center of the trade show floor. Hold the Scan-Em-All over your head. And press the blue button. In thirty seconds you’ll have captured every badge on the trade show floor. That’s right. EVERY SINGLE ONE. And then? Well, you can just pack up and go home …. your work here is done!!
The SCAN-EM-ALL 685. If it has a pulse, we’ll capture it!”
Believe it or not, by some companies’ current metrics, the Scan-Em-All 685 would guarantee you the most successful trade show ever: 45,245 attendees? Relax. YOU’LL come home with 45,245 leads.
Many exhibitors are already doing whatever they can to leave the show with thousands of leads. We’ve all seen the army of booth staffers offering a chance to win an iPad while scanning as many people as possible. Sure it’s an effective way to rack up numbers, but are these “leads?” And what will happen when they’re distributed to your sales team?
“Hi. WHO is this? Oh RIGHT!! That trade show …. Yeah. Sorry, I just stopped by to get one of those screaming flying monkeys you were giving away.”
I can assure you, THIS kind of response is not going to endear you to any sales reps.
So the question then becomes: What really DOES define a lead? And the larger question; Do more leads mean a more successful trade show?
So, I’m asking you, the Exhibitor Community: What is your metric for a successful trade show? Do you try to accumulate as many badge scans as possible? Do you use a system to categorize your leads as “hot,” “warm” and “cold”? Should your booth staff have a tiered system and be directing traffic based on perceived quality of the lead? What are some of your ‘best practices’ when it comes to lead acquisition?
Unless we come together on a clear definition of a successful trade show, before too long, we may ALL be waving SCAN-EM-ALL 685s.
I’m pleased to report that I am once again guest blogging for