written by Eric Burg, CEO
Take away all the noise behind lead generation and boil it down to what is most important to the everyday company, it all comes down to sales. Regardless of the media you use whether it be digital, broadcast, print, billboards, etc. the main question to ask yourself is “Does the spend match the sales return within a given period?”.
Lead generation requires your company to agree on three items,
- The measurement of success.
- The time frame in which to measure.
- How long an event should be exhibited before the test period is over.
To break this all down, let’s first talk about the measurement of success. A qualified lead is a lead that your sales force can engage right after the event and sell in the next 18 months. A qualified lead is also a current customer for which you have generated incremental interest in other products or services as well as a new business prospect who is willing to make an appointment with your sales force within a 30 day period after the show.
Next, the shortest recommended period after the show to measure leads to sales is one year; the year you are in and the following full year.
Lastly, Eric Burg, CEO of Apple Rock suggests “a company should exhibit at the right event for three years minimum. This allows the organization to get a feel for the show, a chance to evaluate and adapt; and to earn seniority points providing you a better location.”
Eric Burg also advises organizations to capture all of the interested prospects and customers you met at the show and enter them into your CRM to stay in touch with them throughout the year with offers, discounts, open houses and anything you can do to get another face to face with them and your sales department.
There are many techniques that can focus your organization to achieve better results. Follow Apple Rock’s blog to find out more about best practices that generate more qualified leads and how to size the opportunity of the show.