In our previous blog post, we explored a step-by-step process to increase the return on your event investment by leveraging post-event personalized outreach. A key to pre and post-event teleprospecting efforts is to right-size your dedicated team based on list volume. Hiring a reputable SDR-as-a-service partner who can train and scale a dedicated team (providing the best coverage based on audience size) will seamlessly fill any internal gaps.
This blog will focus on real-world examples illustrating the impact of incorporating tele into your event strategy. We’ll also highlight the value of including event outreach in your lead-generation activities. Here are specific strategies you can employ both pre and post-event to maximize your event ROI
Increase Target Audience
If you have a pre-registration list available, consider leveraging that as part of your teleprospecting outreach. Because the event audience is often made up of good candidates for your messaging, this is a very economical way to supplement your existing lists. In 2022 one of our healthcare clients utilized a pre-registration list from an important event as part of their telequalification audience. This list comprised eighteen percent of the total target universe for the year but generated almost half (49%) of their sales-ready leads.
Pre-Event Audience Acquisition/Appointment Setting
Already have an internal team that focuses on pre-event invites? Adding dedicated outsourced agents will drive up appointments thanks to their focused approach. Recently, a senior account executive at one of our IT clients reached out to TeleNet asking for tips on achieving a higher volume of appointments as he was so impressed with our results. Here are some tips we shared:
- Understand if the contact is attending the event, then begin a discussion of their priorities and plans. Offer to schedule a meeting based on the topics they are interested in.
- Make multiple attempts to reach contacts. Make attempts on different days and at varying times of the day.
- Focus on volume. Make a minimum of 100-120 dials per day.
- Send personalized emails to admins and gatekeepers when the contact is away. They often forward the email, encouraging the invitee to respond.
Post-Event Follow-Up Telequalification
A comprehensive post-event strategy gives your team access to the full potential of your event. Plan for prompt communication to ensure your brand remains fresh in the mind. Post-event telequalification often drives higher benchmarks than other tele-outreach campaigns, making it an important part of your marketing mix. Here is an example from one of our Fortune 500 technology partners:
Post-event tele outreach generated a high percentage of both conversations and qualified leads per calling day. The rate at which conversations converted into leads for this client’s post-event campaign was triple the standard lead rate across all 2023 campaigns.
Post-Event Human Touch Nurturing
Not all leads will convert immediately, and having a long-term plan with a multi-touch approach allows your team to build relationships and qualify leads over time. Keep your brand top-of-mind by integrating ongoing teleprospecting with other channels such as email, personalized content, and social media engagement. One of our technology clients diligently utilizes events as a reason to engage with their nurture funnel. This strategy has paid off, as nearly one-third of their net-new appointments have been nurtured for six or more months.
Post-Event Survey
Post-event surveys allow you to gather insights, measure success, refine strategies, and enhance attendee satisfaction. By leveraging the feedback received, you can make data-driven decisions, improve future events, and ultimately achieve your business goals. You can incorporate capture fields into your follow-up telequalification efforts that will allow you to collect feedback or conduct a stand-alone campaign focused exclusively on gathering intelligence. With a stand-alone campaign, have a routing plan in advance for any sales inquiries that may arise during the conversations.
A critical feature of every event outreach strategy is timeliness. Ensure that your campaign achieves the best results by employing a dedicated team. This eliminates distractions from competing priorities, ensuring the list is worked thoroughly and within the optimal time limits. You can achieve this by leveraging an experienced outsourcing provider, like TeleNet, that supplies the scalability needed and the reporting and analysis to measure success. Contact us to plan your next post-event strategy.