5 Trade Show Follow-Up Email Templates to Nurture Your Leads

You attend trade shows to obtain valuable leads for your company. But do you have a plan in place for what to do once you’re back in the office from the trade show so you can move those leads closer to a purchase?

We already know that manufacturing marketing emails are still a great way to connect with current clients and prospects. Why not apply them to trade show leads, and in other industries too?

We’ve compiled five trade show follow-up email templates for quick and effective B2B warm-lead follow-up. Connecting with your new leads will be a breeze!

Related Resources You May Also Want to Try:

• 6 Pre-Trade Show Email Marketing Examples for B2Bs
• 3 Account-Based Marketing Email Sequence Examples
• 6 Lead-Nurturing Templates for Healthcare/Tech Marketing
  
  

Trade Show Lead Follow-Up Best Practices: 

Whether you're new to this or looking to refresh your old tactics, we recommend using at least these five trade show follow-up email examples:

1. The "Nice to Meet You"
2. The Follow-Up Chat Request, or ...
3. ... The Educational Resource
4. The Pain Point Soother
5. The Bigger, Last-Ditch Offer

Before crafting your emails, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure they're effectively connecting with your leads.

Make sure your B2B email marketing strategy template is:

• Timely (consider automated email follow-up for some sends, but don't sound like a robot!)
• Just the right amount (enough to be on your leads' minds, but not enough to annoy them)
  
• Customized
• Not sales-y -- just friendly

These concepts translate to all trade show best practices. Consult the Ultimate Guide to Trade Show Marketing if you need help with more than just email:

The Best Trade Show Follow-Up Email Templates: 5 Examples  

If you don’t want to spend all day managing trade show leads, keep it simple. Emulate these email marketing follow-up sequences (also called workflows). They come complete with tried-and-true trade show follow-up email subject lines!

1. 'Was Nice to Meet You'

Suggested Subject Line: It was nice to meet you at <trade show name>!

Hi < lead name>,

It was nice meeting you at <trade show name> the other day. It was fun chatting with you about <fun personal element you learned about the lead.>

I’m sure you're busy after being gone for the show, so I’ll reach out next week after you’re able to get caught up and we can take it from there.

Thank you,

<your name>

This conference follow-up email template allows both parties time to recharge, while gently reminding the lead of your conversation. That way, once you are available for a call, it won’t be like starting at Step One again.

2. Request a Follow-Up Chat

Suggested Subject Line: Let's catch up on <pain point>!

Hi <lead name>,

Thanks for stopping by my booth for a chat at <trade show name>, it was so nice to meet you.

<Give them a reminder of what your company does or any offers / promotions that are going on for your company that they can take part in.>

 I would love to set up a quick call with you to answer any questions and chat about the next steps.

 Do you have any free time within the next week for a 15-minute call?

 Thank you,

<Your Name>

Depending on how serious your initial conversation got, you may instead want to send a follow-up email like #3 first. Otherwise, you may come across as a bit pushy.

After a networking event, Email #2 is a great time to use the HubSpot meetings tool to connect. It makes scheduling a breeze and eliminates extra back-and-forth over email.

3. Send Educational Resources

Suggested Subject Line: Resources to help with <pain point>

Hi <lead name>,

I hope you enjoyed  <trade show name>, it was nice to meet you! Thanks for stopping by our booth and your interest in <your company name.>

It was nice to discuss <reference conversation/ services that you may have discussed> with you, and I thought it might be helpful to send along some digital resources to answer any further questions <links to relevant resources on your company’s website.>

 I would love to set up a quick call with you to chat about this further! Do you have any free time within the next week for a 15-minute call?

Thank you,

<Your Name>

In this post-event follow-up email template, you're using content marketing to educate and delight. If you know a particular solution your company could offer theirs, now's a great time to share links to educational resources on your website. This should be helpful, trust-building content that displays your expertise and furthers their knowledge of what you offer.

This could be a blog post, FAQ page, or any other resource that you think is relevant. Resources act as a "safety net" call-to-action -- even if the lead isn't ready to speak with Sales, they can still engage with and be educated by your site's content.

4. Soothe Their Pain Points

Suggested Subject Line: How can I help <company name>?

Hi <lead name>, 

It was great chatting with you at <trade show name>, I hope you enjoyed the rest of the show!

I’m sure fixing <their company’s pain point> is something that is important to you, so I wanted to reach out to further talk about how <your company’s service> can help you out with this as soon as possible!

I would love to set up a quick call with you to answer any questions and chat about the next steps.

Do you have any free time within the next week for a 15-minute call?

Thank you,

<Your Name>

If you were able to ask lead-qualifying questions at the trade show, you may already know how your company can specifically help this person. Remind them that you’re willing and able to help them!

This can be another great place to include any relevant digital resources, so they can reference what service you’re talking about before the call.

5. The Bigger, More Urgent Offer

Suggested Subject Line: Don't forget <offer promotion>!

Hi <lead name>,

It was nice to meet you at  <trade show name> last week!

Just wanted to remind you that you signed up for <insert promotion details>, and I don’t want you to miss out on the chance to take advantage of this offer!

If you have any questions about the <promotional offer> or <your company’s name> services in general, I'm happy to chat further!

Feel free to schedule a call with me over the next week right on my calendar!

Thank you,

<Your Name>

If you extended an exclusive trade show discount, promotion, or offer for your leads, this sales follow-up email template is a great way to keep the conversation going. If you didn't have a promotion, simply share one of your most valuable, relevant resources (i.e. a whitepaper or checklist).

This doesn't necessarily have to be your breakup email. But if you're struggling to get a response, this email adds more urgency (and value) than your previous ones. Remember, the B2B sales cycle is often several months to years, so stay patient (and don't oversend).

(p80 Resource: TEMPLATES for Breakup Emails & Other Follow-Up Situations)

Trade Show Leads Just Not Cutting it?

Companies used to be able to exclusively attend trade shows to generate leads, but those days are long gone. Not only are fewer people attending these events, but it's getting increasingly more difficult to continue the conversation, virtually, when you get back home.

For modern B2B lead generation, companies are finding much more success by leveraging their digital presence and optimizing their site to attract well-fit prospects. To learn more about the mechanics of lead generation online and how you can entice web visitors to engage with you, check out the resource below:

(Editor's Note: This article was originally published in May 2018 and was recently updated with new insights & examples.)