Tag Archive for: Event Leads

Lead Liaison

Lead Liaison, LLC Celebrates a Decade of Innovation in Sales and Marketing

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Lead Liaison, LLC Celebrates a Decade of Innovation in Sales and Marketing

Lead Liaison, LLC proudly commemorates its 10-year anniversary, reflecting on a remarkable journey that has established the company as a global leader in sales enablement, marketing automation, and event management solutions.

Since its inception in 2013, Lead Liaison, LLC has consistently pioneered innovations that cater to the diverse needs of SMBs and enterprise businesses alike. The company’s suite of offerings, including the acclaimed OneFocus™ CRM, Website Visitor Tracking, and Lead Management Automation (LMA), underlines its commitment to enhancing sales and marketing processes.

Founder and CEO, Ryan Schefke, commented, “A decade in this dynamic industry has been an exhilarating journey. From the launch of our LMA platform in 2014 to the recent introduction of EventGen, our event management platform in 2022, our primary focus has always been to offer scalable, integrative, and innovative solutions. It’s deeply gratifying to see our vision transform businesses worldwide.”

One of Lead Liaison’s most notable achievements is the introduction of Captello, a trailblazing lead capture and engagement platform optimized for large enterprises. Captello’s award winning universal lead capture app, event engagement offerings, and integration with over 5,000 marketing automation and CRM platforms have set new industry standards, validating its six-season streak as a G2 Lead Retrieval category high performer.

Brad Froese, Director of Marketing, remarked, “Captello embodies our philosophy of continuous innovation. Its integration capabilities, paired with an unwavering commitment to data security, showcases our dedication to providing clients with a seamless, trustworthy experience. We’re proud to be at the forefront of driving transformative changes in the event industry as well as sales and marketing domains.”

The company’s recent 64% year-over-year growth rate, the introduction of industry-first end-to-end event lead capture system, and the unveiling of a truly unique integrated sales and marketing suite are further testaments to its prowess and vision.

Schefke further added, “Reflecting on the past 10 years, it’s our relentless pursuit of excellence, dedication to client success, and the hard work of our talented team that have brought us here. We’re deeply grateful to our clients for their trust and partnership.”

As Lead Liaison, LLC marks this significant milestone, the company looks forward to the future with renewed passion and commitment, setting its sights on many more decades of innovation, growth, and unparalleled service.


Lead Liaison, LLC is a global leader in sales enablement and marketing automation solutions. With a focus on innovation and customer-centricity, the company offers a comprehensive suite of tools that empower businesses to streamline their sales and marketing processes, driving growth, engagement, and success.’

Lead liaison is a multifunctional event platform that provides: Universal Lead Capture, User Customizable Gamification, Marketing Automation, CRM, Lead Management, Sales Enablement, Leader Boards, Point Rewards & e-Gift Cards, Waypoints for Sessions & Scavenger Hunts, Player Profiles, and more with over 5,000 integrations for all common CRM and Marketing Automation platforms.

To see how Lead liaison’s growing library of digital activations (games), universal lead capture, and reward-based solutions can help your company generate more leads at your trade shows, contact us today!

Lead Liaison

Modern Day Lead Capture for High Performing Exhibitors and ROI Calculator

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Modern Day Lead Capture for High Performing Exhibitors and ROI Calculator

Events are a great opportunity for businesses to connect with potential customers. However, traditional methods of collecting leads at events can be time-consuming, inefficient, and prone to errors. In this article, we’ll examine some older, more generic event lead capture methods typically offered by event organizers, and contrast them with newer, more efficient methods like Lead liaison’s Universal Lead Capture app.

Older event lead capture methods include renting apps and scanners from the organizer, collecting business cards, manually completing online forms, and taking notes on paper. Let’s take a closer look at each of these methods:

Old Method: Disparate Systems

Renting Apps and Scanners from the Organizer

Often times, event organizers rent out expensive apps and scanners to help exhibitors capture leads. However, these apps and scanners are often difficult to use, restrict the number of users who can capture leads, host generic forms that may not collect the data exhibitors need to qualify leads, and require team training at every event. These generic forms of lead capture typically only capture a limited amount of data, making it challenging to get a complete picture of each lead.

Waiting for lead data, whether just a few days or longer, also creates delays in the vital follow up process, and usually results in a spreadsheet that has to be painstakingly culled, edited, and curated before it can be imported (manually) into your CRM or Marketing Automation platform. This process demands countless work hours that should be spent accomplishing other tasks.

Collecting Business Cards
Many exhibitors still rely on collecting business cards as a primary method of lead capture. However, this method is time-consuming and may lead to errors when manually entering the data into a CRM or marketing automation platform.

Manually Completing Online Forms
Some exhibitors require attendees to fill out online forms as a method of lead capture. This method can be tedious and time-consuming, leading to lower engagement rates.

Taking Notes on Paper
Exhibitors that still rely on taking notes by pen and paper to capture leads are disengaging with the prospect during conversations, and sending a signal that their business has antiquated processes. This method is also prone to human error and may lead to incomplete or inaccurate data.

New Method: Dedicated Universal Lead Capture

In contrast, a Universal Lead Capture app like Lead liaison offers a myriad of more efficient and effective ways to capture leads. The app enables teams to capture leads by scanning badges and business cards, using self-service kiosks, gamification, QR codes and more for capturing critical lead data and conversation detail from voice notes that are automatically transcribed and sent to your CRM or Marketing Automation platform.

With Lead liaison, exhibitors have full control over customization of their forms, allowing them to capture more data points including attendee preferences and interests, allowing for better lead qualification and follow-up.

Lead liaison’s Universal Lead Capture app integrates with over 5,000 3rd party platforms including all major CRM and Marketing Automation systems, making lead distribution and follow-up easy. By automating the lead capture process, teams can save time and focus on engaging with attendees, increasing the likelihood of converting leads into customers.

To help businesses understand the benefits of using a Universal Lead Capture solution like Lead liaison, we have created a free ROI Analysis tool.

Discover Your Event ROI Potential with the free ROI Analysis Tool

This tool compares generic methods of lead capture with the performance that could be achieved by using a Universal Lead Capture solution. The ROI Analysis tool uses the data you enter to produce hard comparisons that will help your businesses understand the difference Universal Lead Capture can make to your event ROI.

In conclusion, while older event lead capture methods may have been effective in the past, they are no longer the most efficient or effective way to capture leads. Lead liaison offers a more efficient and data-driven approach to lead capture, helping businesses to better engage with attendees and convert leads into customers.

Lead liaison is a multifunctional event platform that provides: Universal Lead Capture, User Customizable Gamification, Marketing Automation, CRM, Lead Management, Sales Enablement, Leader Boards, Point Rewards & e-Gift Cards, Waypoints for Sessions & Scavenger Hunts, Player Profiles, and more with over 5,000 integrations for all common CRM and Marketing Automation platforms.

To see how Lead liaison’s growing library of digital activations (games), universal lead capture, and reward-based solutions can help your company generate more leads at your trade shows, contact us today!

Lead Liaison

17 Opportunity Costs of Not Having a Universal Lead Capture Strategy

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17 Opportunity Costs of Not Having a Universal Lead Capture Strategy

It’s easy to look at the price of something and consider it a “cost”. But, is it really an additional cost or should it be considered an investment? Is making an investment something that will either save you money or make you more money? What if the investment could do both? Would it be worthwhile to make the investment? 

Universal Lead Capture is a Strategy, not Software

Universal lead capture is often confused as being a software solution; instead, it’s a business strategy. Strategic decisions should be made based on true return on investment along with the overall benefits that any investment would give your company. Universal lead capture puts your business in control of your data and gives you the opportunity to execute your business process in a repeatable fashion, from one trade show to another. 

Although, when using a universal lead capture strategy you cannot scan the barcode on a badge without purchasing a developer kit, sometimes referred to as an API or API key. Should this be a deal killer? Should this deter you from implementing a strategy? Is this a cost or an investment? 

This shouldn’t affect your strategy at all. The price of a developer kit usually equals the cost of equipping 2-3 team members with the show’s default lead capture. This results in a wash between buying the show’s default lead capture and the developer kit. Of course you’ll save money when attending events that have more than 2-3 staff members vs. purchasing the show’s lead capture for each of them; although, that’s not the right mindset. 

A universal lead capture strategy requires a paradigm shift in thinking. We need to shift the conversation from looking at things like the “cost” of a developer kit to an “investment” in doing business strategically. To help you with this shift, consider the opportunity cost of not having a universal lead capture strategy; in other words, the cost of not buying the developer kit. Without a universal lead capture strategy you risk:

17 Opportunity Costs of Not Having a Universal Lead Capture Strategy

  1. Missing leads without a kiosk capture when booth staff is busy
  2. Missing leads without a QR code capture option
  3. Missing leads you connect with outside show floor hours
  4. Missing leads from manually exporting/importing from the show’s default lead retrieval solution (human error, it can happen)
  5. Missing leads from not having everyone on your team equipped with lead capture on their phones.
  6. Missing leads from business cards not finding their way back into your system.
  7. Missing leads from not being able to create competitions and incentives amongst your booth staff (Lead liaison goals)
  8. Additional time spent learning a new system every time you exhibit
  9. Additional time spent training staff every time you exhibit
  10. Additional time it takes to set up, configure, and digest a different lead capture system every time. How much are you paid per hour, do you work for free? What if the setup could go from hours to minutes and become second hand to you? What’s the price of peace of mind?
  11. Losing leads because of incomplete follow up information? Using the show’s default lead retrieval is like passing a business card to other people for follow up. It lacks notes, meaning, and quality information.
  12. Not being able to segment and communicate with your leads as you’re not able to ingest data that’s meaningful to your business on a consistent basis to feed your marketing engine with comprehensive lead qualification information.
  13. Wasting your sales teams time as they cannot differentiate leads using subjective and objective lead qualification resulting in every lead looking the same. 
  14. Not being able to show your management team a centralized dashboard of trade show leads and make comparisons from event to event?
  15. Not having the opportunity to scale your lead capture strategy and pull more people into your booth (Lead liaison digital activations)
  16. Not being able to book meetings right there on the show floor and resort to traditional approaches of chasing leads
  17. Not being the first responder to new leads while your competition beats you to the punch.

What if you could take control over your lead capture? What if you could own the process? What if you could establish your own process? Wouldn’t that save you time and money? Wouldn’t it make your job easier?

Do you want to be the rockstar or the person setting up the stage for the rockstar?

Assuming your company’s total spend every time you exhibit is $8,000 to $50,000, is it really worth not investing another .8% to 5% of your total exhibit spend to invest in a universal lead capture strategy? Consider the difference you’ll make in your company by having:

  • More leads
  • Shortened sales cycles
  • Closing bigger deals
  • Better, more responsive follow up

Your investment will pay for itself.

Lead liaison is a multifunctional event platform that provides: Universal Lead Capture, User Customizable Gamification, Marketing Automation, CRM, Lead Management, Sales Enablement, Leader Boards, Point Rewards & e-Gift Cards, Waypoints for Sessions & Scavenger Hunts, Player Profiles, and more with over 3,000 integrations for all common CRM and Marketing Automation platforms.

To see how Lead liaison’s growing library of digital activations (games), universal lead capture, and reward-based solutions can help your company generate more leads at your trade shows, contact us today!

How to Integrate Independent Lead Capture Solution
Lead Liaison

Questions to Ask Trade Show Organizers When Using An Independent Lead Capture Solution

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Trade show exhibitors often hesitate when integrating an independent lead capture solution with show-appointed lead retrieval. Will it be simple or complicated? How do I find out if I can connect my system? Am I asking the right questions?

We’re breaking down that barrier with this phone script that exhibitors can use when coordinating with the show organizer.  By connecting with the show’s lead retrieval provider, you will get the contact information that the show collects upon registration (name, email, company, job title).  Regardless of the outcome of the below conversation, you will still be able to (and are encouraged to) include other qualifying questions in your lead capture form.

Who is the lead retrieval provider?

First, ask the show’s management who is providing lead retrieval. It’s very straightforward, but be prepared for event organizers to drag this out. Some event organizers won’t lock this down until a few weeks before the event.  

You’ll also want to make sure you are asking the right person. Don’t ask an event sales rep, who might not have access to this information until closer to the event. Ask whoever you are speaking with to point you in the direction of the person managing lead retrieval; that will be the person you should ask.  

If they don’t understand what they mean by the person managing lead retrieval, ask them who is providing the barcodes for their name badges. This rarely fails to get you to the right person.

Who should I contact at the lead retrieval provider?

It’s good to know the name of the company, but it’s even better to have a direct contact. Asking this question will eliminate any bouncing around that might happen if you call the lead retrieval provider cold. 

Pivot: What if the show isn’t providing lead retrieval at all?

In that case, you’ll still be able to capture leads with a business card transcription method, manual entry, or a kiosk mode – where the booth visitor will just type their information in. 

If using GoExhibit!™’s business card transcription method for one-by-one scans or bulk scanning using the “Rapid Scan” feature, you’ll benefit from the industry’s fastest and most accurate turnaround times. The faster you get the leads in the system, the sooner you can follow-up. And it’s important to remember that 35-50% of sales go to the vendor that responds to an event lead first (source). 

Questions to Ask Lead Retrieval Provider When Using an Independent Lead Capture Solution

What is the lead retrieval method?

Once you have the correct person on the phone at the lead retrieval provider, the first thing you’ll want to ask them about is the lead retrieval method. Are they providing badge scanners to be used with event badges? Or, are they asking exhibitors to download an app on their mobile device? Knowing this will help you determine how you’ll want to set up your lead capture software for this event. 

What is the cost to use the show-appointed method? (overall and per user)

If you have already committed to using an independent lead capture solution, this will be moot. However, it’s always good to keep a pulse on these prices to ensure that you are making the right decision for your company. 

Using an independent lead capture provider is typically less expensive in the long run, especially if you plan on having multiple booth representatives. Each one will need a method of scanning, and that can add up quick. If you’re looking to compare, you’d want to:

  • Consider the overall cost, in addition to the cost per user, of using the show-appointed lead retrieval provider. 
  • Consider how many users (booth representatives) you’ll have.
  • Consider the resources you’d need to use on the backend to process leads. For example, if the show lead retrieval provider can’t provide a list of leads captured until after the event has concluded, you’ll miss a crucial window of time that you could have been following up. Your competitors will likely follow up sooner, thus seizing the opportunity faster. How much will these missed opportunities cost your business?
  • Consider the time you’d spend pulling together event-specific ROI data; something independent lead capture solutions often calculate automatically.

You can use this Trade Show ROI Calculator to get a better idea of how independent lead capture will save your company money. 

Additional Good-to-Know Prompts

If you have already chosen an independent lead capture provider, you should be able to answer “Yes!” to the following questions. Unfortunately, many show-appointed solutions cannot do these things. Ask them and see the difference between a holistic independent lead capture provider and a show-appointed lead retrieval provider. 

  • Does your solution enrich records?
  • Does your solution integrate with my CRM? 
  • Does your solution integrate with my marketing automation platform?

Do you offer an API or Developer’s Kit?

You will need to connect your independent lead capture solution with the show’s lead retrieval. You will do that by utilizing their API or Developer’s Kit. An API and a Developer’s Kit are essentially the same thing in this circumstance. Think of an API or Developer’s Kit as the link between your lead capture solution and their data. It’s how the two communicate. Your lead capture solution provider will need this information to ensure a successful transfer of lead information.

What is the cost of the API/Developer’s Kit?

This is the only additional cost your company will incur when using an independent lead capture solution, so it is important to ask this up front. 

If no API/Developer’s Kit, ask if they have a post-show merge option.

Some events do not offer an API or Developer’s Kit. In those instances, they will hopefully support post-show merge (sometimes referred to as post-show reconciliation). To use this method, your booth representatives would scan badges as normal throughout the event, but those leads will not be instantly synced. After the event has completed, your team (or your lead capture provider) will submit all bar scans to the show’s lead retrieval provider. They will match the scans with their system and return an .xlsx or .csv file with all the available lead data, which you can then import into your independent lead capture solution/CRM/marketing automation platform. At that point, any post-show workflows will be triggered.  

Additional Post-Show Merge Questions

How long will it be before we can access our leads?

If using post-show merge, this is an important question because it will determine how you structure your post-show follow-up. It can be anywhere from a few hours to a few days. 

How are those leads accessed (through a portal, post-show reconciliation, etc.)?

If a show does not offer a Developer’s Kit, you’ll have to access the leads post-show. They may have their own portal (either in-house or through 3rd party lead retrieval hired for the show). If they offer a portal, you will be able to log in and view leads instantly. However, post-show merge without a portal often can take 3-5 days before you’ll have access to your leads. 

Conclusion

The benefits of using an independent lead capture solution far outweigh using the show-appointed lead retrieval provider, even considering the conversation required above. Consistency across all of your events, lower overall cost per event, and the ability to communicate to leads with highly personalized content tip the scale. 

Given the amount of money that your company invests into trade shows and events, it only makes sense to give your sales team as much high-quality information as possible. Features like audio notes, voice-to-text transcription, conditional questions, real-time content sharing, and more make independent lead capture, like GoExhibit!™, the best choice for B2B companies.

Lead Liaison Press Release
Lead Liaison

Lead Liaison Announces Attendance at EXHIBITORLIVE 2019

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Dallas, Texas – Sales and marketing solutions provider Lead Liaison will be exhibiting at the 2019 EXHIBITORLIVE conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The global leader in event lead management will be showcasing their solution, GoExhibit!, and how it manages event leads from capture to close. This three-day event will be held on February 25-27, 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Conference Center.

Lead Liaison will present exciting new capabilities such as NFC badge scanning, voice recording, branding capabilities, registration and badge printing, and more. They will demonstrate GoExhibit!’s ability to be a holistic solution, from form customization and lead capture, to distributing and following up with the lead while interest is still at its peak, to sending the lead on to CRMs and marketing automation platforms. They’ll also be announcing the industries first lead capture app that runs on Microsoft Windows, allowing companies to capture leads on any Windows device, such as Windows mobile devices or Surface tablets.

EXHIBITORLIVE is The Professional Development Conference for Trade Show and Corporate Event Marketing. This five-day educational event features 170+ sessions and workshops with the industry’s largest exhibit hall, including nearly 300 exhibitors. This is where you will find the latest products and resources shaping the future of exhibiting and corporate event programs.

“Our attendance at EXHIBITORLIVE underscores our dedication to businesses looking for a superior lead capture and management solution,” says Jen Worsham, Director of Marketing at Lead Liaison. “We look forward to sharing our solution and connecting with attendees in a meaningful way.”

Get your free pass to EXHIBITORLIVE 2019 by clicking here. If you would like to schedule time with the Lead Liaison team, click here or come by booth 1056 during the show. More information on all of the exhibitors, sessions, and speakers can be found here.

About Lead Liaison
Lead Liaison provides cloud-based sales and marketing automation solutions that helps businesses accelerate revenue by attracting, converting, closing and retaining more prospects. Filling a void in the small pool of marketing automation providers that focus on marketing-centric functionality, Lead Liaison gives equal focus to sales providing sophisticated visitor tracking and additional website engagement tools to boost sales effectiveness. Lead Liaison blends ease-of-use, a flexible business model, deep external integration, marketing across social, web, mobile, email and offline channels and powerful functionality, all specifically tailored for mid-sized businesses, into a single platform, called Revenue Generation Software®. Lead Liaison is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit http://www.leadliaison.com or call 1-800-89-LEADS (895-3237).

Lead Liaison Press Release
Lead Liaison

Lead Liaison Announces Next Iteration of Event Lead Management, GoExhibit!™

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Dallas, Texas – Lead Liaison first launched their event lead capture solution, GoCapture!™, in October of 2017. They have rapidly become the global leader in event lead management. Today, they announce the next iteration of their solution, GoExhibit!™, which includes advances in customization, event creation workflow, enterprise-level ROI reporting, registration, check-in, upcoming Windows support, and more.

The company, known worldwide for their marketing and sales automation solutions, has been hyper-focused on supporting live marketing events over the last year. They started by answering the need for a better, more efficient way to capture leads. Antiquated badge scanners and arbitrary lead collection apps weren’t giving enterprise businesses everything they needed.

Lead Liaison designed a single solution that manages pre-event communication and preparation, onsite event lead capture, and intelligent post-event follow-up. The updates announced this week further distance GoExhibit!™ from competing solutions.

The enhancements allow companies to customize the lead capture experience with brand colors, logos, other custom content such as explainer videos or maps. Furthermore, GoExhibit!™ now provides enterprise-level reporting. The Events Dashboard allows users to track their events and measure ROI. Example data points include average cost per lead (CPL), revenue generated, return on investment, post-event engagement activity, and more.

GoExhibit!™ isn’t just for exhibitors. The solution also supports companies running their own events with a customizable check-in and registration system. An integration with Avery, announced last month, allows companies to customize and print badges in real-time, or prior to an event.

The GoCapture!™ app is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones and tablets with Windows support right around the corner. GoExhibit!™ integrates with all major CRMs (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, etc.), marketing automation platforms (HubSpot, Eloqua, Salesforce.com Marketing Cloud, etc.), analytics solutions (Domo, Revelation™, etc), and lead retrieval providers (Cvent, Experient, etc.).

To commemorate the release, Lead Liaison collected a host of resources for businesses interested in implementing this show-stopping solution. The Event Lead Management Kit contains many educational resources, including a detailed presentation of the features GoExhibit!™ has to offer.

To learn more about Lead Liaison’s event lead management solution, GoExhibit!™, click here.

About Lead Liaison
Lead Liaison provides cloud-based sales and marketing automation solutions that helps businesses accelerate revenue by attracting, converting, closing and retaining more prospects. Filling a void in the small pool of marketing automation providers that focus on marketing-centric functionality, Lead Liaison gives equal focus to sales providing sophisticated visitor tracking and additional website engagement tools to boost sales effectiveness. Lead Liaison blends ease-of-use, a flexible business model, deep external integration, marketing across social, web, mobile, email and offline channels and powerful functionality, all specifically tailored for mid-sized businesses, into a single platform, called Revenue Generation Software®. Lead Liaison is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit http://www.leadliaison.com or call 1-800-89-LEADS (895-3237).

Lead Liaison

21 Questions to Ask Your Event Lead Management Vendor Before Making a Purchase

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To download the PDF of this resource, click here. 

To access our Event Lead Management Kit, which includes this resource, click here. 

According to Forrester, marketing events such as trade shows and conferences occupy the largest share of B2B marketing budgets at 14%. Choosing the right event lead management solution for lead capture will be the most important decision you make. Before signing a contract, here are 21 important questions to ask your vendor.

1. Does your solution integrate with my CRM, marketing automation platform, and/or analytics platform?

What good is capturing lead information if you don’t accurately save the information and prepare it for follow up? Ensure that your event lead capture/management solution integrates with the technology stack you already have in place. If you don’t have the proper solutions in place, like a CRM or a marketing automation platform, ask your Event Lead Management (ELM) vendor if they offer solutions for that need, as well. Communicating with the registered list of attendees prior to the event, and with the qualified leads after the event, is essential to converting your marketing event efforts into closed business.

2. Does your solution allow for immediate follow-up?

Insidesales.com conducted a study that found 35-50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first. The amount of time that goes by before you take action on your leads is important. Many event lead management solutions require additional, manual steps to follow up with a lead. Some, however, allow companies to instantly sync leads to your system of record so that you can communicate with the Prospect before they’ve even left the conference.

3. Does your solution allow me to respond to new leads via email, text, postcards, letters, and other types of communications?

Make sure you don’t limit the touch points you can send to new leads. According to MarketingProfs.com, 98% of all text messages are opened. Being able to instantly (or even introduce intentional delay) send a text message to new event leads could be vital to your strategy. You might also benefit from sending different types of touchpoints to nurture prospects through their journey.

4. How will you support me?

Some vendors in the ELM industry are headquartered in Europe, while some are in North America. Think about where your events will occur and make sure your vendor can support you. What if you have a problem on a Sunday while you’re setting up for your event on Monday? Will your vendor be there to support you? Are they truly a vendor or a partner?

5. Can I import and merge leads into your event object as if I captured them on the lead capture app?

You might attend some events where you’re collecting leads at your booth, and at the same time you get a CSV file with leads from a speaking session that occurs in parallel. Make sure your vendor can import your CSV file from the speaking session, and most importantly, merge the data with data you might have already collected at the event to avoid duplicates and keep your data clean.

6. Do you have an API for your event data?

Whether now or in the future, you might have a need to pull event data into your custom/third party software. If your vendor provides an API then you’ll be all set for your current/future needs.

7. How accurate are your transcriptions?

Why you should ask it: If the event lead management solution you are considering offers “business card transcription” as an option for lead capture, make sure you investigate a little further. You’ll want to double-check how accurate those transcriptions are.

8. How fast is the turnaround time for transcriptions?

The faster the transcription can happen, the sooner you can respond to your lead. Quick responses are vital. Your provider should be able to turn your transcriptions around quickly, within minutes, without sacrificing accuracy.

9. Do you offer true ROI metrics and allow me to see how much revenue we generated from an event?? Do you connect with the opportunities in my CRM?

Events occupy the largest share of B2B marketing budgets (14%), tracking accurate return on investment is critical. You’ll also need a lot of other key event data to be able to improve your process. Talk to your prospective ELM vendor about the data their solution can report back. Can you track cost per lead? Can you track which sales reps collected the most leads? Can you track post-event engagement? Can you track true ROI percentage, connect to my opportunities in my CRM, and show me revenue figures from my events?

10. Can I customize my lead capture forms? If so, how much? What about creating conditional questions?

Being able to customize your lead capture forms is important because the information a business wants to collect on a lead varies from company to company. You should look for an event lead management solution that allows you to customize the information you collect on the lead capture form.

To take it a step further, talk to your ELM vendor about customizing the look and feel of the form. A truly enterprise-ready solution will enable you to use your specific company colors, logo, explainer videos, etc.

11. Can I customize the invitations sent out to reps? Can I send an email and text message invitation?

Enterprises and large companies have large sales/marketing teams and get lots of email. If invitation emails are standardized, and not clear, you could risk inefficiencies by having your invitation emails deleted or marked as spam by recipients. Your vendor should help you custom your invitations. Also make sure you can send email, text, or both at once, so your invites are successfully received.

12. Do my reps have to log out and log back in to see changes?

Attending an event is stressful. The last thing reps need to deal with is logging out, tracking passwords, etc. to see changes/updates that might be pushed out to the mobile device. Make sure your vendor can push out updates in real-time without requiring people to log out and then back in again.

13. What if my team onsite at the event calls me at the office, explaining that they need to make a change to the event form? Can I make last-minute changes?

No matter how much you prepare for your event, there is a good chance you’ll need to make some last-minute adjustments as the team onsite adjusts to the environment and the audience. Look for an event lead management solution that supports instant updates. You want to be able to make changes to your event form in real time to best support your event staff.

14. Do you have offline mode?

Internet at trade shows and conferences can be spotty and expensive. You want to make sure that the solution you choose will support offline lead capture so you don’t lose a single opportunity.

15. Can I run my own events with the same platform?

If your company hosts its own marketing events, or even if you think it might be a possibility one day, ask your ELM vendor about running your own events. The solution you commit to should offer the option to run event check-in and registration. Bonus points if it supports the ability to print badges based on your registered attendee list.

16. Can you scan NFC badges?

Over time barcodes and QR codes on badges will be obsolete. The code consumes real estate on the badge. The modern way to create a badge is to embed a NFC chip into the badge (think Apple Pay) and hold a NFC-enabled device up to the badge to collect lead info. If your vendor doesn’t support NFC badge scanning then they’re not ready for the future and might not be ready to support you down the road.

17. What does your solution offer, on the back end, to enrich lead data and ensure that everything is up-to-date post event?

Let’s say that your team has a great conversation with an interested buyer. Your team collects their business card to follow up. But, wait! This person’s business cards was printed over a year ago and their phone number has since changed. Look for an ELM service that will enrich data. A superior solution will add key lead data such as gender, age, social presence, affinities/interests, social profile URLs, and much more.

18. Can you help me qualify my leads? Do you provide lead scoring and grading?

Lead qualification will help you differentiate look-alike leads and keep your sales team focused on important leads. Scoring helps measure how engaged a lead is, and grading measures how well they match your ideal buyer criteria.

19. Can you help me distribute my leads and report back to me on which reps are missing any response time requirements we put in place?

You might need to distribute leads based on various criteria, such as geography, names accounts, job titles, and more. You might also be interested in adding SLAs and report back to management for any reps that don’t follow up with your leads in time. Make sure your vendor can support your lead distribution and SLA needs, whether you have them now or are planning for them in the future.

20. If I have a list of registrants, can you help me market to them and/or load them into the app to search for them at my event?

Some providers have communication platforms that can help you reach out to a list of registrants prior to the show and build rich profiles at the same time. If you have registrants, you might also want to search for them on the lead capture app, select them, and pre-fill the form with their information. Make sure your vendor can help you make the most out of your registration lists.

21. Can you track the entire lifecycle of a lead, before and after an event?

Your engagement with a prospect may not start, and hopefully doesn’t stop, at your event. Look for an event lead management solution that can keep all engagement (inbound/outbound) in a timeline in addition to what info was collected when the lead was captured at an event. Examples of that activity are website visits, email link clicks or content downloads.

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