Maximize Your ROI as an Exhibitor at IRCE
(Internet Retailer Conference and Expo)
4 Part Blog Series
Part 3 of 4: "Follow Up Immediately"
Disclaimer(s): If you haven’t
read my IRCE General Thoughts, here
they are. The gist: a) don’t violate the rules and b) I’m not an expert,
you are, please share your expertise in the comments.
Their Shoes
Imagine for a minute, that YOU aren’t an exhibitor. Instead, you are the VP eCommerce for a major
eCommerce e-retailer such as Zappos. You
lobby hard to attend IRCE, and include several members of your eTail
staff. What are some of the reasons you
would use to obtain approval and budget to attend IRCE?One of those reasons:
I will learn some “New Ideas” to increase online revenue and/or increase
efficiencies for Zappos. Stay with me. Then,
after IRCE, as you board your flight to head home to Zappos HQ… what is on your mind? You have to prove the show was worth it. You need at least “5 New Ideas.” Open up your iPad, get on GoGo Wireless, and
begin compiling that list of ideas. And
then you notice the first email to hit your inbox is from a Vendor at the expo,
with a subject line “Driving Revenue for Zappos,” with one quick pain, followed
by solution… a NEW IDEA.Question: Are you mad
this person had the audacity to email you already? No, I didn’t think so. You are thankful to this person, and this email
becomes one of your ‘New Ideas.’Now back to real life, and ponder this. So many average salespeople make the mistake
of thinking ‘I don’t want to bug him,’ or ‘She’s got a long flight, and I’ll
give her a few days before reaching out.’
Those average salespeople don’t get on the list of top 5 new ideas, they
miss their quota, and start improving their LinkedIn profile.Follow Up Immediately
By immediate, I literally mean before sundown that same day. Don’t send a mass email to everyone who
stopped by your booth every day.
Actually send a personalized email to each of your top prospects. Use Industry Intelligence, identify a pain, and
position a solution. And tell them to
stop by the ABC Lounge later tonight where you are hosting an event (see
Partner Marketing Events in IRCE Post 2 of 4).Also, connect with them on LinkedIn. That same day.The Right Person
It’s critical you make a connection with the right person,
and not only the person you met. Try a
LinkedIn connection, replace the canned ‘I want to connect’ with a note: ‘I met
Sally today and hope you both can make our event tonight.’ Boom.
That isn’t ‘getting around the gatekeeper’ it’s simply being a nice
person.Using a solution like the etailinsights quick search and using an extra
10 seconds to find the right person can be crucial. Also 'Watch eTailer' for changes and updates over time. This
is HUGE, but many people miss here.Clean Your List, Now
Some prefer to wait on individual follow up until after they
are home. Maybe because they need to ‘scan’
all of the business cards, then bounce it off their Marketo or Salesforce.com
database, and make sure everything is neat and tidy. This is a huge mistake. If this is so important, then have someone on-site at IRCE
who can do this at the end of each day.
Use software to get this done quickly.
etailinsights has a Clean Your List feature designed to make this quick and
easy, but you can use one from Data.com or anywhere. Point being – do it immediately. Don’t wait.
They will forget you and your booth, the clock is ticking, someone else
will steal your spot.IRCE Secret Weapon
#3 (3 of 4): Room Service:
Ok again, make sure you aren’t violating any rules.
Second, let me just say up front that I understand this is
a bit “out there.” But it takes some unique
strategies to stand above the other 600 vendors in the IRCE Exhibit Hall.
So, take advantage of the fact that most of the attendees
are staying at the same hotel (Hyatt Regency McCormick Place). Pick a
conservative item from the menu (i.e. NOT Champagne and Strawberries), and send
it to the room of your top 3 prospects from the day. I like fruit and Gatorade. Include a note that says something like:
‘Thanks for stopping by our IRCE booth today, and I hope this
helps you recharge for tomorrow. –The
Exhibitor A Team.” Sign it from the
team, not you personally.
Some IRCE Sponsors spend lots of $$ to have the room keys
branded. Or to slide the exact same
flyer under every door. Not bad, but
this IRCE Secret Weapon is a) much cheaper and b) will generate a much higher
return. Couple this with your immediate
follow up email, and you’ll make their list of Top 5 New Ideas.
Is this too far out there?
Earlier Posts in the IRCE ROI Series:Part 1 of 4: Define Your IRCE Booth GoalPart 2 of 4: Leverage Other IRCE BoothsPart 3 of 4: Follow Up Immediately with IRCE LeadsPart 4 of 4: Segment and Remail your IRCE Leads[mc4wp_form id="7900"]