Planned, coordinated and consistent work after the fair ensures that the collected contacts are realized for sale. For this goal, it is important to use a contact sheet collected on uniform basis, which the exhibitor fills in for every visitor who shows any notable interest or collects filled forms during various interactive activities. The important thing is that the collected information is clear and understood and the main functioning means of contact are correct.

Minimum contact information collected during the fair:

• company name;
• address, telephone, e-mail;
• name and job title of the visitor;
• extent of authority;
• desired time of next contact;
• product, article, service for which there is interest;
• the intended area of use;
• existence of the necessary budget or financial coverage or the time of getting the means;
• likely time of making a purchase;
• special requests, additional information;
• follow-up activities and their time.

It is very important to work through the contacts received at a fair properly. Each client may become a useful partner in the future! You need to keep in mind that a fair is not a goal in itself, but a focal point in time and space where sellers and buyers meet. All the work necessary for sales is done before and after the fair!

In order to realize contacts collected at a fair in a direction beneficial for the company, it is important to fulfil all promises made at the fair as quickly as possible. You need to fulfil all specific promises made to visitors: additional product information, responses to specific questions, information on products which weren’t at the fair, formalizing price offers, etc.

Right after the fair, emotions are fresh and the desire to start fulfilling all promises made at the fair is huge. However, you get to work on Monday and there are a lot of messages and incomplete tasks from regular clients who all want feedback. You would prefer to start follow-up activities for the fair right away but you need to take routine calls first. Days go by without noticing and a few weeks later, you notice the file of contacts collected at the fair. You decide to finally sit down and act now. But you give up soon, because too much time has passed since the fair and many clients have forgotten what they experienced at the fair.

TRY TO AVOID THIS SITUATION!

It is also recommended to remember the invited clients who did not attend the fair and send them follow-up information about news, product developments etc. offered at the fair.

A thank you letter for visitors of the stand

A thank you letter sent right after the fair increases the reputation of the company for the clients. Old clients or new potential contacts who can be considered at all important should get an electronic thank you letter for visiting the fair and showing interest.

It is recommended to formalize the e-mail as a screenshot of the fair stand so as to remind the recipient who is writing. As fairs which took place in an online environment are not removed before the next fair, the thank you letters will also be useful in the future – potential clients can check fair offers later and contact you.

After sending additional information or thank you letter, you need to keep working with the contacts made – the potential clients. “First come, first served” applies, because many exhibitors will now contact visitors of the fair. Quick feedback, responses to questions asked at the fair and sales offers also confirm interest in the client.

Result assessment takes us back to the start of the topic. Goals set for taking part in the fair get assessments.

The best way to measure measurable goals and tasks set:

• actual number of invited visitors who came to the stand – number;
• client contacts made (filled client sheets, questionnaire forms etc.) – number;
• orders from clients - number;
• hints of a visitor regarding desire to buy - number;
• direct sales or contracts – €;
• follow-up meetings agreed upon at the fair – number.

The above can be viewed separately by old and new clients.

The following can be measured when assessing information goals:

• brochures, presentation materials, product samples sent at the fair – number;
• company gifts distributed or sent - number;
• visitors who watched videos of product presentation or sampling – number;
• participants in a webinar, training – number;
• media coverage – number.

Assessments of the activities which took place in your stand:

• visitor questionnaires, lotteries, feedback – number
• summaries of product assessment, testing in workshops.

Information collected at the fair:

• new ideas in product development, advertising, marketing, price development;
• observations of competitors;
• taking part in webinars, virtual conferences and workshops during the fair.

When assessing and analysing results, different proportions can be highlighted: number of contacts per hour or employee; price of contacts (by dividing expenses by number of contacts) etc. Ratio of interest taken in various products to purchase contracts etc.

The summaries should also include assessments of team members: important results, mistakes, suggestions for changing the work procedure etc.

A relevant report finalizes a completed fair. A report should contain the following:

• consolidates the statistics of the organizer (number of visitors, structure, assessments);
• provides an overview of visitors of the stand by the exhibitor: invited vs new clients; new potential clients – their profiles;
• objects of interest of potential clients, details and feedback;
• arrival or non-arrival of invited guests;
• press feedback for the fair as a whole and for the exhibitor;
• summary of actual expenses;
• criticism and mistakes in stand design, functions, impact, work of the staff;
• suggestions and notes for future fairs.

When taking part in fairs, consistency of participation is the key. In a new market or when starting with a new product section, it is recommended to attend the same fair for several consecutive years or times. This generally creates trust in visitors, shows sustainability, development, provides an image of the ambitions, people and culture of the company.

There is a common phrase “After the fair is before the fair”, referring to preserving the experience gained and learning from them in order to be even better and more successful at the next fair.

We wish you success and wisdom for taking part in online fairs!

We look forward to your questions and comments: iinfo@onlineexpo.com