In this Episode, Liz Ward and Fabienne discussed ways to optimise follow-up efforts and lead generation at trade shows, such as ATE. Liz emphasised the importance of a CRM system and a dedicated trade page on the operator’s website, while Fabie suggested using automation and personalisation techniques to keep leads engaged. They agreed that technology can greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of these efforts, but also acknowledged the need for a human touch to build meaningful relationships with potential customers.
Key Takeaways
- Create a hidden “trade page” on your website with all trade-facing assets like logos and brochures.
- Set up your CRM to automate follow ups with segmented emails and use it to schedule follow up tasks.
- Take photos with leads at ATE to include in personalised follow up emails.
- Consider attending ATE in the future by exhibiting on your tourism organisation’s booth
Transcript
Welcome to episode two of Untangling Tourism Tech, live from ATE
ATE is Australia’s biggest tourism trade show where hundreds of buyers like wholesalers and specialist retailers, online travel agencies from all around the world, all of Australia’s tourism markets come in and meet with hundreds, like 800 Plus tourism operators who’ve got a stand here that’s really nicely branded. And they’re in their state collections and regional collection site, lots of tour operators like amazing bespoke cycle tours, and incredible tailored Northern Territory adventure tours and resorts and dive boat operators from Queensland and wineries. You name it, they’re all here. And they do really short sharp meetings with these trade buyers, because what they’re looking for is beautiful products and experience so that they can sell them in their market. So sometimes these businesses, these tourism operators are already distributing to international and it could be an uptake meeting they’re having, or they’re here for the first time. And this is really their really exciting milestone of being able to aim to enter the international market through trade distributors, so not just selling directly to consumers. So and it’s a really fun high energy environment, from about 830 in the morning till 545 At night, 15 minute meetings with a three minute break, to run to your next appointment. And then it starts all again, with a bit of alcohol at five o’clock at night. And people just relax, mingle and do all the ever so important networking events, as well. So operators love coming. They do they do. It’s about four days. And it’s, you know, it’s an investment, you know, they pay to be here, the sellers do the operators and like us to be here, we’re in what would be called a solutions hub. So we’re accompanied by reservation systems and smart technology providers, like chat, online chat providers, those sorts of things. And we pay to be here, and you’ve got a big investment and time. So one of the things that’s really important, as we’ve been meeting with people is understanding what they do in terms of follow up after these really valuable meetings, because
You can see a lot of them are still taking manual notes, a few people want a bit of change, actually, there’s quite a few of them that have moved on to CRM, so they can automatically take notes and follow up with a pre written templated email with links to a web page. But if you don’t have that system in place, it will really take you a lot of time to do that, at a follow up blog, talk to any old school operator after at the exhausted but then they’ve got another one week of ever so important follow up to do so how can we use tech to to help operators improve that CRM we’ve seen? Yes.
So so that database, that customer relationship management system, if you’re thinking, you know, when you get inquiries from potential collaborators, or you know, different kind of niche collection, travel agencies that are wanting to distribute,
So if you are getting so if you’re getting enquiries from potential travel agents who could sell you it’s really important, this is your sort of first stage of having a balanced distribution strategies to do that. So really, it’s a having a CRM, and having the tools ready to go to be able to respond. So having a trade page, that’s another really
important thing, we’ve been working with operators that know that this follow up is going to be so important that they feel like you know, every 15 minutes they’re repeating the same thing. And in their follow up, they would have to send a description photos, etc. So they had loose, what do we do and like with free to trade page. So you create a page on your website that’s hidden, so not indexed in search engine, let’s put all the information that is trade facing so you’ve got the right logos for them to downloads the right images in the right size, so you don’t have to rely on them. Putting a massive image in the newsletter that takes a long time to download. What did I say logo brochure a really, really good one in your trade pages a lot has to do a brochure. So it’s very simple to do a trade page, but you got to get that ready before it and then you use your CRM to automate the follow up Do that trade page, or what I’ve seen as well, a few clever operators actually have a QR code right there on their stand where it takes people straight to the trade page. So he had bit fair bit clever with technology just to save yourself double data entry, I guess. Yeah,
yeah, it’s good. And it’s about efficiency to and really efficient, quick follow up when that interest is there, the worst thing you should do is make an investment like coming to a tee and then be slow with your follow ups, there’s a there’s a perfect timing. It’s not on the day that you’ve met them. It’s like on the Monday or Tuesday next week, when people are starting to their finish their post A to E tours that they’re doing, they’re heading home, they’re at the airport, they’re catching up on their emails. So there’s sort of a sweet point. And if you didn’t have a CRM, to be able to generate those segmented emails about what people were interested in, that you’re following up on. So you were really interested in our brand new sustainability to for example, that segmented then you’re sending them that precise information ready to go. Absolutely.
And the other thing the other good tip I’ve seen people do and we’ve certainly been doing that is taking a photo of you and the person at your booth booth so that he can use that photo to email them back and say remember that was us you know, with a nice background, or would the beach or whatever immediately goes out here, you know, this one’s going above and beyond live there got a photo, that’s the one I’m going to call back and then you can also create automation. So instead of just sending your one to one email with your CRM, you can actually call it dump it in an 80 automation and that automatically tasks you to follow up again if they haven’t responded to you at a certain time. So use high tech to be high touch this is what we’re all about. Hopefully that’s a few good tips to get you started and if you haven’t been to a tee before contact your tourism organisation there might be ways for you to go on their stall for example for a day, which is dip your toes for next year.
That’s a great idea. All right. See you everybody Catch you soon bye.
