Trade shows provide several business opportunities, such as allowing you to:
- extend your brand awareness;
- participate in networking with industry peers, customers and prospects;
- make a bigger splash when launching new products;
- capture leads and, in some cases, close sales.

Every company utilizes trade shows in different ways depending on the strategies and objectives of their particular business. For the vast majority of businesses, however, the goal of exhibiting at a trade show (at least in part) is to capture qualified sales leads. There are various methods for capturing leads. Here are a few popular methods, including the pros and cons of each.

1) Badge Scanners

For trade shows that utilize bar codes on badges, renting a badge scanner and scanning the individual badges of each booth guest is perhaps one of the most common lead capture methods.

Pros

• A fast/efficient way to capture contact information, and any other information that the conference planners gather at registration

Cons

• Lead qualification question and answer sets are limited to the capabilities of the scanner hardware and software
• Email addresses may not be included with the data captured
• There is generally a high cost for renting the scanner and obtaining the data in a format that works for your company
• There may be a delay in transferring lead data into your customer resource management system, making lead distribution slow
  
  

2) Business Cards

Collecting business cards from exhibit booth guests, when they stop to ask questions or enter a contest, is a fairly common method to gather names at trade shows.

Pros

• A fast and easy way to capture all contact information
• Fewer errors (business cards are usually legible) or fraudulent information
• A large number of names can be collected
  
  

Cons

• Doesn’t provide a way to ask qualifying questions, per business requirements
• Time-consuming to enter data into a CRM system, making lead distribution to your sales team slow
• People cannot legally be contacted via email because they did not opt-in
• Despite the large quantity of names that can be collected, the quality is usually low (i.e. business cards may be collected from everyone without pre-qualifying people for their level of interest in your product/service)
  
  

3) Paper Forms

Asking prospects to complete a paper form is another way to gather names at trade shows.

Pros

• You can tailor your lead qualification questions in a way that meets your business needs
• Using short questions and check boxes, this can be a somewhat effective way to gather data
• Can include an option to opt-in to receiving email marketing communications
  
  

Cons

• Illegible handwriting can negate any useful information that may have been provided
• Time-consuming to enter data into a CRM system, making lead distribution slow
• There is almost no way to enforce getting answers to mandatory questions
  
  

4) Landing Page

Develop a trade show specific landing page to capture names and lead qualification information at trade shows.

Pros

• Legible, efficient data entry - because it’s done by or with the prospect
• Mandatory qualifying question and answer sets can be included, and enforced
• Can also include an option to opt-in to receiving email communications
• Leads can be automatically loaded into your CRM system and distributed to your sales team appropriately
• A low cost option that provides for higher lead quality
  
  

Cons

• An investment in Web development time may be required
• You must be prepared for the fact that the lead quantity may decrease, but the lead quality will likely increase significantly (so, depending on your business model, this may be a pro)
• Booth staff and sales representatives conducting lead follow-up will need training on how to use this type of lead capture and handle any objections
  
  

As mentioned, these are just a few of the most popular ways to capture leads at trade shows. What works for one company may not work for another. Analyze your business requirements, and select a trade show lead capture method that best meets your needs. Keep in mind that utilizing standard qualification questions will allow you to segment your leads by specific needs and interest levels. Other benefits include the ability to provide accurate marketing metrics, rationalize future participation level in trade shows, and give your sales team a running start by providing them with qualified leads.

What are the pros and cons of other trade show lead capture methods you've tried? Share your experiences in the "Comments" section below.

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