You’ve invested time, money and energy into planning and hosting a successful B2B event. You’ve attracted qualified leads, engaged them with valuable content and experiences, and collected their contact information. So what now? How do you follow up with B2B event leads and nurture them until they’re ready to buy from you? In this article, we’ll share some tips and best practices to help you maximize your event ROI and build lasting relationships with prospects. Segment your potential customers
The first step to effective tracking is to segment leads based on their interest, needs, preferences, and behavior. Not all leads are equal, and you don’t want to treat them that way. By segmenting your leads, you can tailor your messages, offers, and content to their specific problems, goals, and challenges. You can also prioritize your outreach based on their buying readiness and avoid wasting time and resources on unqualified or unresponsive leads.
Send personalized thank you emails
The second step to effective follow-up is to send a personalized thank you email to each prospect within 24 hours of the event. This email will acknowledge their presence, express your appreciation, and remind them of the value and benefits of your solution. You should also include a clear and relevant call to action, such as downloading a white paper, signing up for a demo, or participating in a webinar. The goal of this email is to continue the conversation, provide more information, and move them further along their buyer’s journey.
Follow up with a phone call
The third step to effective follow-up is to follow up with a phone call within a week of the event. This phone call is more than just a general check-in. It should be a consultative conversation that seeks to understand their needs, challenges, goals and budget. You should also take this opportunity to evaluate their quality further, address any objections or concerns, and recommend next steps. The purpose of this phone call is to build rapport, trust and credibility, and bring it closer to a sales meeting.
Nurture with valuable content
The fourth step to effective follow-up is to nurture your leads with valuable content that educates, informs, and entertains them. You need to create a content strategy that matches your prospect’s stage in the buying journey and distribute it through the channels and formats they prefer. You should also track and measure their engagement and responses, and adjust your content accordingly. The goal of this content is to position you as an authority, problem solver, and partner, and lead them to a purchasing decision.
Automate your tracking process
The fifth step to effective tracking is to automate your tracking process as much as possible without losing human involvement. You can use tools and platforms that help you schedule, send, and track your emails, calls, and content. You can also use triggers and workflows to automate your actions based on lead behavior and feedback. Automation can help you save time, increase efficiency and consistency, and optimize your results. However, you also need to make sure you personalize your messaging, add value and relevance, and maintain that human connection.
Ask for references and testimonials
The sixth and final step of effective follow-up is to ask for references and testimonials from your satisfied customers. Referrals and testimonials are powerful ways to generate more leads, build your credibility and reputation, and shorten your sales cycle. You should ask your customers to refer you to their networks or share their positive reviews and experiences on social media, review sites or case studies. You should also reward them for their referrals and testimonials, and thank them for their loyalty and support.
