Consider a secondary follow-up mailer that contains a strong, but personal, call to action. Nurture any personal contacts your booth team made at the shows by sending a personal letter in an envelope with an accompanying informational brochure. A personal letter will help maintain the rapport you have already built and can increase the comfort level of the prospect. Again, include a convenient way for the prospect to get in touch with you for more information.
Encourage your sales team to immediately make a personal contact. If your booth was staffed by someone other than your salespeople, make sure all the information gathered at the booth is shared with your sales staff. Time is of the essence. Make a personal contact while you are fresh in a prospect’s mind. As time passes, prospects will feel less comfortable revisiting the relationship you may have developed at the show.
Push hot leads toward a tour. "Request more information" aside, now is a perfect time to plan a mailing event to encourage serious visitors. Besides pushing an attractive visitation package, this piece can capitalize on the upcoming spring season. Since it is usually one of the most pleasant seasons visually and climatically for most communities, you can showcase "Springtime at Your Community." Be ready onsite to greet guests with a special springtime welcome info kit or even a small, low budget "Springtime Special."
Most importantly, remember frequency. Alone, no single marketing effort will consistently and reliably produce sales. Simply following up with a brochure and letter is not sufficient. The sale may not be immediate, but don’t let the lead fall through the cracks. A sustained effort is required to build the prospect's trust and build your reputability and value in their minds.
So plan to get the most return from your tradeshows this year by cultivating every lead and nurturing those that show promise. A marketing program combining many of the above elements in frequent doses can dramatically increase response rate, tours and, ultimately, sales. Amy Tharrington is president of Maximum Design & Advertising, Inc., an award-winning, advertising and design agency that specializes in real estate marketing. Headquartered in Wilmington, NC, Maximum provides successful sales and marketing solutions for projects nationally. Tharrington can be reached at 800-609-0930. | 
After months of planning, designing your tradeshow materials and making personal contact with thousands of prospects, the end of tradeshow season may be a welcome sight. But while the globetrotting and handshaking has ended, the "season" and the work have not. 