Using a CRM to Make the Most of Your Show

29-Aug-2021 | By Charles Pacheco

In all likelihood you are exhibiting or attending a tradeshow to collect leads. The hope is that eventually those leads will turn into actual customers, but it won’t happen overnight.

In all likelihood you are exhibiting or attending a tradeshow to collect leads. The hope is that eventually those leads will turn into actual customers, but it won’t happen overnight.

Every prospect, lead, or person with a pulse that you interact with at a tradeshow should be stored in your CRM. If you don't already use a CRM, not to worry, there are many great options out there (keep reading for a list) and the financial investment starts at free...so hop on it. And no, an Excel spreadsheet doesn’t count. Important CRM Guidelines to Follow: 1. Record all vital information, which will include information that nearly every business card in the world will contain: a. Name b. Email c. Phone d. Company e. Title When you collect a business card, make some quick notes on the card that you can store later (details of conversation, rapport notes). 2. Make sure that the leads are identified as being collected from the tradeshow. This will not only help to track return-on-investment (ROI), but also help with lead nurturing and follow up. 3. Record any specific notes that are unique to a contact. You should store this and associate it with the contact, not a company. You should store the context of your conversation so that you can reference it in your follow up. a. If you want to be really good, store any rapport building items you may have collected: i. Hometown ii. College iii. Kids or family info iv. Favorite sports teams v. Pain points you discussed vi. Etc. 4. Record information in the CRM as quickly as possible. It’s not likely that you will do it on the spot, but if you have downtime in the evening or on your return travel, that is best. At the very latest, enter your fresh new contacts into the CRM the first day you return to the office. The sooner you enter this information, the more you’ll remember about the conversation. Also, there’s less of a chance the information you collected will get lost in the shuffle of your life. 5. Everyone in your business should be using the same CRM. A CRM is only as good as the data that’s in it. If one sales person decides they just want to use Excel, there’s potential for overlapping communication an inaccurate information. CRM Systems for Manufacturers If there's one word we stress to manufacturers that are diving into their first CRM, it's SIMPLICITY. At some point you might need all the bells and whistles and customizations of huge CRM platforms. Right now, you need an intuitive platform that everyone can learn to use, out of the box. When your team is proficient and needs a higher level of tools, go more advanced. • HubSpot CRM + Sales Pro (our favorite) • HubSpot CRM Free • Capsule • SugarCRM • Insightly • Zoho • Nimble • SalesForce