How to generate leads during the 2019 Web Summit?

Watch out, this is going to be full of superlatives.

So just imagine this… the best technology conference in the world according to Forbes, where the future is created according to The Atlantic, and the biggest gathering of tech giants according to the New York Times. All of these rave reviews are referring to the Web Summit. A giant event, that is practically mandatory for digital professionals, and ushers in thousands of visitors, renowned CEOs and celebrities talking about the future, the challenges of our society, new technology, and the internet in general. The Web Summit has been held in Lisbon for several years now and is an event not to be missed. But in addition to sharing advice, expertise and best practices, it is also the place where the business of tomorrow takes place. And to optimise your on-site presence, it is better to be prepared in advance.

Target visitors based on your objectives

You can come up with a list of Web Summit attendees via the list of registered users, as well as via social networks, and filter it to find the most interesting profiles for your business activity. Once you have combined your social selling and business intelligence capabilities to cross-reference useful data, it is easy to create a list of the most interesting prospects. Example: decision-makers, buyers, entrepreneurs related to your business, etc.

Then, all that is left to do is to create a targeted marketing campaign in advance to schedule appointments. Or either encourage your “theoretical” prospects to visit you at your stand and turn into “real” prospects. With a little automated marketing, you can also run a few relaunch cycles and schedule meetings based on an optimised schedule.

Create your presentation and stand with care

Not everybody can indulge in the luxury of having a stand at the Web Summit. But the return on investment can be quite significant. Because the clientele for this show is handpicked. This is a unique opportunity to meet decision-makers from very large companies and people who can put you in touch with others.

As this is the ultimate international show, you must perfect your English and communication tools and fine-tune your pitching. Are you ready to present your solution in less than 30 seconds, in impeccable English, to a potential prospect? If this is not the case, practise and adapt your pitch according to your targets’ business sectors.

Your stand must also reflect clear positioning. Not who you are. Unless you have a world-famous brand, it’s through your added value and your solutions that you will stand out and attract attention.

Come together as a team.

An event like the Web Summit requires a lot of time and energy, both in the preparation phase and in the field. To ensure you’re successful there, you have to play the teamwork card. One person can organise the appointments, another should be responsible for welcoming and talking with visitors, and another can communicate on social networks, etc. Because combining talents is essential, you need a strong and experienced team. They need to split the roles up among them in order to work effectively, based on their skills and personal leanings. Because in the end, you will be judged on the return on investment you got from the show.

Talk, connect and network…

Three days go by very fast. Do not take a day to warm up and a second day to ramp up. You have to become effective very swiftly. To achieve this, you shouldn’t hesitate to talk to visitors, and to people going to the conferences, and you should arrive the day before (even two days before if needed), etc. You also have to participate in networking events and know how to talk about your business activity without overdoing it.

Last but not least, harvesting leads should be direct and easy. Do not ask people to fill out a form with multiple fields. Get straight to the basics: first name, last name and email address. All the rest can be viewed online.

Thank the visitors on LinkedIn and Twitter and don’t wait until you get back to the office to follow up wherever necessary. Everything must be done directly in a discreet corner of the stand or somewhere separate. So you can score your leads directly and trigger your automated scenarios to send the right content at the right time.

If you use it properly, the Web Summit can be an incredible business lever. Not only do you learn new things, you meet high-quality professionals, and you can also sell your solutions to qualified prospects. And even find solutions that can help you in your business. All the more reason to get yourself over there asap!

Speaking of which, Richard Torres, Portugal’s Sales Director at Kwanko, will be there at the Web Summit and you can meet him at the show. See you very soon!

If you want to know more about lead generation, contact us !