How to Follow Up After a Trade Show: A Day 1

How to follow up after a trade show: grade every lead A, B or C, then follow a simple Day 1 to Day 90 plan, with emails you can copy.

You came home with a stack of business cards and a phone full of badge scans. A week later you can't remember who wanted samples, who was just collecting catalogs, and who asked about private label.

That's where most show leads are lost. Not at the booth, but the Monday after.

Here's a plan you can run alone or with a small team:

Grade every lead A, B or C before you leave the show.
Write one line about each conversation while you still remember it.
Follow a fixed schedule from Day 1 to Day 90, with fewer touches for weaker leads.
Check one list every morning: who is due today.

No CRM needed. A spreadsheet is enough.

Step 1: Grade every lead before you leave

Do it on the show floor or in the hotel that night. It takes about 20 seconds per card.

A: clear project, quantity or date. "We're restocking two shops before Christmas." Gets all 7 follow-ups.
B: interested but early. Good questions, no timeline. Gets 6.
C: picked up a catalog, scanned a badge, chatted briefly. Gets 4 light touches.

If every lead gets the same treatment, your A leads get the same slow, generic email as people who only wanted a free pen.

Step 2: Write one line about the conversation

Business cards don't hold context. Your follow-up needs it.

On the back of the card or in your notes app, write one line that starts with "you":

"you are restocking two shops before Christmas"
"you asked whether we can do private label"
"you need the price list for 4 designs"

That line goes straight into your first email. It's the difference between "Great to meet you at the show", which every exhibitor sends, and a message the buyer recognizes as being about them.

Also note anything you promised to send: a price list, a lookbook, a video. A forgotten promise is the fastest way to lose a warm lead.

Step 3: Follow a fixed schedule, Day 1 to Day 90

With a schedule you stop deciding. You just do what's due.

Day 1 (A, B, C): first touch. Mention what you talked about and send what you promised.
Day 3 (A only): show what they couldn't see at the booth: close-up photos or a short video.
Day 7 (A, B, C): make comparing easy. Order minimum, delivery time and samples in one place.
Day 15 (A, B): re-open with one piece of real news, like a new color, new stock or a certification.
Day 30 (A, B, C): lower the barrier with three easy yeses.
Day 60 (A, B): give a genuine reason to talk now, such as the season or a production slot.
Day 90 (A, B, C): close the loop politely and leave the door open.

That's 7 touches for A, 6 for B and 4 for C. Adjust the steps and days to fit your business. A small gift brand might drop C leads after Day 30.

Two rules matter more than the exact days:

Every message adds something new. Nothing new? Skip that step. Never send "Just checking in" or "Any update?". Answering them gives the buyer nothing.
Stop when they reply. Once someone answers, you're in a conversation, not a sequence.

Email lines you can copy

Keep each one short. Change the words in brackets.

Day 1: first touch

Subject: Great meeting you at [Show]: [Product]

Hi [Name],

Thanks for stopping by our booth at [Show]. You mentioned [one line about your conversation], so I've attached [what you promised].

Would it help if I put together [a sample quote / a short video of the item]?

[Your name]

Day 7: make comparing easy

Subject: Key details for the [Product], all in one place

Hi [Name], in case you're comparing suppliers, here are the basics:

Starting order: [e.g. 48 units]
Delivery time: [e.g. ships in 2–3 weeks]
Samples: [e.g. free samples for qualified orders]

Day 30: three easy yeses

Hi [Name], would any of these help?

A sample, ready in [X] days

A 15-minute video call

A small trial order

Just reply 1, 2 or 3.

Day 90: close the loop

Hi [Name], I don't want to fill your inbox. Could you reply with the number that fits best?

Still interested, check back in a few months

Found a supplier for now

Only send me new products

A "2" is a good answer. Your list gets cleaner and you stop guessing.

WhatsApp? Many buyers outside the US prefer it. Use the same structure, shorter: one line of context, one useful thing, one easy question. Ask at the booth which they prefer.

The spreadsheet columns that matter

You don't need 40 columns. Start with these:

Grade (A/B/C): decides how many follow-ups they get
First name, Company, Country: the basics
Email, Phone / WhatsApp: how to reach them
Prefers: email or WhatsApp, so you use the right one
Interested in: the product they looked at
What you talked about: your one line starting with "you"
Promised to send: so you never forget
Met on: the date everything counts from
Status: Following up / Replied / Won / Not pursuing
Next follow-up: the column that stops leads going cold

The last column is the one people skip. Without it, a spreadsheet is a list of names. With it, you can see exactly who is due each morning.

If you like formulas, calculate it: "Met on" plus the next day in the schedule for that grade. Then add conditional formatting: yellow for due today, light red for overdue.

The 10-minute morning routine

Open the sheet and pull up everyone due today or overdue.
Overdue first, then today. A leads before B, B before C.
Send, mark the step done, and set Status to Replied if they answered.
Close the sheet.

Ten minutes a day for three months beats a day of panic three weeks after the show.

Common mistakes

Waiting until you've caught up at work. Send Day 1 from the show or the next morning.
The same email to everyone. Buyers who visited ten booths get ten identical emails. Your one line is what makes yours different.
Five questions in one message. Ask one.
Sending AI drafts unread. AI is fine for a first draft from your booth notes, but check every name and number, and read the buyer's reply yourself. "We already have a supplier" or "this is urgent" changes what you say next.
No end point. A Day 90 message with an easy way out tells you who's still worth your time.

Want it already built? Start free

The Free Lead Follow-Up Tracker (Lite) has room for 5 leads and the Day 1 and Day 7 steps, so you can see how the Today list and pre-written email and WhatsApp messages work before your next show. It opens on a computer in Excel or Google Sheets.

Get the free tracker

Need the whole plan? The full version ($12) holds 300 leads with all 7 steps from Day 1 to Day 90, A/B/C grades and 7 editable templates.

Neither version sends anything for you. You check each draft and send it yourself.

FAQ

How soon should I follow up after a trade show?

Within a day or two: from the show floor, that evening or the next morning.

How many times should I follow up?

In this plan, 7 times over 90 days for A leads, 6 for B and 4 for C. Stop as soon as someone replies.

Email or WhatsApp?

Whichever the buyer prefers. Ask at the booth and note it.

What if they never reply?

Send the Day 90 message, mark them Not pursuing, and move on.

Questions? Email keptrow@proton.me. We usually reply within 2 business days.

Also published on the Keptrow Gumroad store.