In a post at the Lunch Pail blog, bride-to-be Casey Barto recounts a visit to a bridal expo. "On the day of the show with pen in hand, I scribbled my email address and name on the contact lists of vendors who interested me most," she says. What happened next taught her a few best-practices about following up with prospects met at tradeshows.

Here are four key tips based on her experience:

Follow up promptly. "After the show was over, I was ready to receive at least a few welcome emails," she says. "I checked my email throughout the first week after the show-nothing. Didn't they want my business?" Then, nearly two weeks later, they flooded her inbox en masse. By the time she got all the messages, she had a hard time remembering who was who (Contact hot prospects right after the show before the general leads are sent).

Explain why you're making contact. Jog a recipient's memory with a quick reminder of how you met or why you're touching base. "I can't tell you how many emails I've received ... that have gone in the junk folder because I didn't remember talking to someone or signing up for something," she notes.

Avoid industry clichés. In Barto's case, the sentence "You're getting married!" dominated subject lines and introductions. "Of course I'm getting married," she says. "That's why I signed up for your emails. Tell me something I don't know, like why I should do business with you, or what features may interest me."

Beware the opt-in faux pas. A vendor who was unavailable on Barto's wedding day continued to send promotional email. "Not only have you made it obvious that you don't know me as an individual," she says, "but now you've annoyed me."

The Point: Take notes. Don't alienate tradeshow leads with an email campaign that treats them like they're still just a face in the crowd. Personalize your follow-ups.

Source: Lunch Pail.

Announcing our Fall Bridal Shows! 

Sunday, September 18

Embassy Suites RDU | Brier Creek 

Raleigh, NC 

 

Sunday, November 6

The Empire Ballrooms

Greensboro, NC

Contracts for the Fall 2011 Shows were emailed to advertisers 4/7 will be to all other vendors on 4/17

Don't forget about our Spring & Summer Bridal Shows!

 

Sunday, May 15

Benton Convention Center

Winston-Salem, NC

4/15 early bird discount expires for Winston show

 

Sunday, July 17

NC A&T Alumni Event Center

Greensboro, NC

 

Jerry Dillard Photography

 

Have you always wondered how much you should be charging?

 

Click here for some helpful information...

 

 

A Sneak Peek at WinMock at Kinderton - historic barn turned special events center.
You are cordially invited to an exclusive sneak peek inside the newly renovated WinMock at Kinderton in Bermuda Run, NC on Thursday, May 24th.  Visit at your leisure anytime between 3:00pm - 8:00pm for their floating Champagne Celebration and raise a glass to help celebrate a beautiful, new life for this historic icon.  Become a part of history as one of the first to explore the barn's two levels of distinctive event spaces.  For more information, contact Tabatha Renegar at 336.397.2012 or tabatha@winmock.com.  

 

 

If you have something exciting going on and you want the wedding industry to know about it here and on http://www.pwgnc.com/accolades.html, email jaime@pwg.com.     

4/1
Nancy Geller
Nancy's Candles      

4/4
Renee Schroeder
Sweet Basil's         

4/7
Andy Dakoria
Quality Inn & Suites Hanes Mall

4/8
Tonya Krout
Indigo Envelope

4/9
Keisha Scott
Infinite Bliss Events

4/11
Kirsten Berlin
Durham Arts Council               

4/12
Brettany Brown
Belmont Estates

4/16
Joselyn Rankin
Clarion Hotel           

4/20
Julie Lee
Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley Hotel              

4/29
Gail Kolischak
Quality Inn & Suites Hanes Mall