The last day of the show was DEAD.....

Even at good conventions, many exhibitors find the final day to be slower and less productive. We'll discuss some reasons why that happens (and who's fault it is,) a little later. First, let's talk solutions. In no particular order, here's the first batch of best practices for making the last day of every trade show as productive as can be:

#1 Reel 'em back in

Remember to ask booth visitors if they are there for just one day, or the whole convention. On the final day, reach out to the "whole convention" people and invite them to come visit you again. It's a great chance to get that initial "nice to see you at the show" follow-up conversation out of the way so you are ready to talk business right out the gate when you get back to the office (or couch). Helps to have an incentive to bring them back - food, giveaway, show discount, etc.

#2 Release the hounds

Categorize the rest of the leads and distribute them to your team during the last day of the show. This lets you work through any ownership issues, talk strategy, etc. while you still have your sales team together. You can also double check lead data, and check if you have leads from every other relevant exhibitor. Again, the idea here is letting everyone hit the ground running after the show. And since you handed out all the leads...

#3 Encourage immediate follow ups

If there's an excess of staff on that final day, designate a space in the booth (or elsewhere if need be) for people to take turns sending out their follow up emails. Make it a treat (of sorts), by having food/drinks available, or give out a prize based on a metric in your CRM system

#4 Just rope 'n tie 'n brand em - Rawhide!

We all know the line between a welcoming sales rep and a starving dog can become blurry, but as attendance gets lighter, skilled "aisle wranglers" become even more important! Remember, be engaging, not imposing, and no means no. Everyone has treats and giveaways on opening day but lots of people run out - beat the competition by saving the best aisle lures and giveaways for the final day, when you really need them.

#5 Visit - and bring a buddy!

Attendees aren't coming to you? Go get them. If the final day is slow for you, chances are it is for your potential customers who are exhibiting as well. Save your booth visits for the final day, and make it a double team. Bringing a product expert, company influencer, or another person that plays a role in the buying cycle can be a huge help.

Wait - it's past my bedtime and five is my favorite number, so I'm going to stop here for now. Next list coming soon!