Instead of saving the business cards from every lead received at the trade show, where the likelihood of misplacing one before leaving the show floor is high, simplify your lead retrieval strategy through the use of technology. Especially if you are going to a large event and plan on speaking with hundreds or thousands of people, collecting and safely storing their contact information can seem like a daunting task, which is where the use of having time-saving tools and gadgets will come in handy. These ideas will make it much easier on you when it is time to contact these potential clients.

Handheld Scanners

One of the great things about these gadgets are the fact that they will travel with you around your trade show booth and, by a simple scan of the barcode on the attendees’ badges, will capture all of their contact information.

Strategically Place Tablets Throughout Booth

Even if you and your staff aren’t able to speak with every attendee at the event, don’t let a prospect slip through your fingers. Place tablets or iPads throughout your trade show booth in order to allow those who are interested in your products or business the opportunity to leave their contact information instead of having to wait until you had a chance to talk. Make sure there is a place for them to leave a comment or question, giving you an idea of what they will want to discuss when you contact them. Tablets can also be used for surveys and presentations.

QR Codes

Since most people will have some type of smart phone on them at the trade show, give them the opportunity to put it to use at your show display. There are free apps available to scan the QR code with, allowing attendees to simply scan the code with their phone, taking them to a landing page or website. This can be extremely helpful in capturing their information by displaying a form for them to fill out that will give you all of the information needed.

Mobile Apps

Similarly to the free QR code scanning apps, there are numerous apps available for business owners and their employees to download that will also effortlessly obtain all of the information needed. Do your research to find the app that would work best for you and your company’s needs.

These four ideas should give you some ideas on how to more effectively capture the leads’ information without the need to keep track of hundreds of business cards. Although these ideas are all technological, still make sure to keep notes on every prospect in order to remember a little bit about each person. This could mean jotting down bits and pieces of a conversation that took place or taking notes on a specific problem they need a solution for. Also, don’t forget to put the information obtained at your booth to good use by following up with them one or two weeks after the trade show has ended.

What lead generation tools have you used?