I’ve been thinking about publishing a lead / demand generation case study in one form or another for a few months now. I mean, I had great success in a recent trip from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and I think the lessons I learned might be applicable to others.

If you don’t want to read the intro,
feel free to jump ahead and download the Free Case Study.

After talking with a bunch of people over the past few weeks, it’s become apparent to me that this might be a good time to do something about it.

Plus, with the emergence and acceptance of using social media for business, it seems that there’s less and less reasons to hop on a plane for a meeting. Consider:

• Engines blowing up over the Pacific: Who needs the anxiety when departing?
• Economy: A slowed economy makes for tighter scrutiny on expense requests/reports
• Exploding tires on touchdown: Who needs the anxiety when landing?
• Google Call: The start of bringing unified communications to the masses!

But, sometimes we have to put our tray tables up, store our belongings in the overhead compartment, and ensure our seats are in the upright position. Opting out of shaking someone’s hand and looking them in the eye when doing business can be a deal breaker. So how do you make the most out of your next trip?

Here’s an overview of how I turned a coast-to-coast visit to a vendor’s conference into an opportunity to build long-term relationships, expand brand (product and corporate) awareness, close sales, and even had time to relax with colleagues and friends.

I’m including this in a free, downloadable case study as well, which focuses on lead/demand generation but also includes different outcomes that resulted from this exercise.

You can find the details on the case study a bit further down the page, but here’s a quick overview on the things you’ll need:

• Patience & Time: There’s no tiptoeing around it – You will need patience and time. This is not something that’s easy and quick. If it’s better to tune things out on a weekend or spread it out during a few weekday evenings/mornings, then go for it. You will need patience. You will need time.
• Schedule: You’ll need to set up a scheduling process. Whether that’s using Google Calendar, Outlook, or something else, figure it out early on. Make sure it’s accessible no matter your location. This schedule will become your new best friend before, during, and after your trip.
• CRM: Find a good, reliable customer relationship management (CRM) system. If you have one already, you’re in great shape. If you don’t, think about getting one. I’ll plug SugarCRM Community Edition – it’s free, modular, and works wonderfully. There are many for-pay options but even a spreadsheet will work fine. Just find something that you are comfortable with, and make sure it’s reliable.
• Notes: This is a more general item – it can be included in the scheduling or CRM system, or a piece of paper and pen, just as long as it’s accessible for both input and reviewing. You’ll be taking lots of notes. I mean, copious amounts of notes.

Ok, now that we’ve got the requirements down, let’s take a further look into what I did, and how I did it, that made my trip one of the most rewarding travels I’ve ever taken.

Download the Free Case Study here!

Have any questions about the Free Case Study? Feel free to contact me at your convenience.

 
 

No related posts.