| A lead card is the essential piece of Trade Show | | | | characteristics that will help you later score or |
| gear, its value should never be underestimated. A | | | | rank-order the lead for your sales department. It |
| good lead card will have an incredibly positive | | | | will also guide your conversation during the Art of |
| impact on your success at the show. | | | | Interrogation. This part is made up of primarily |
| | | | checkboxes. The less actual writing you do on the |
| There are three main parts to a good lead card | | | | show floor the better. If you can check, check, |
| labeled 1, 2 and 3 in the image. The first part | | | | check the boxes you can move fast, like a |
| captures contact information. This is fairly | | | | gazelle. |
| standard, but can vary a little from industry to | | | | The third part of the lead card is for capturing a |
| industry. For instance, you may be at a customer | | | | few of your own sentiments. It consists mainly of |
| show and want to capture the names of a | | | | a notes section and a few check boxes to |
| spouse or kids. I like to have a stapler handy so I | | | | indicate your overall vibe. I call the vibe check |
| can staple it to the card and not have to fill | | | | boxes Hank, Will and Carl. They are fictional |
| everything out. I still write down their name and | | | | salespeople that mean Hot, Warm and Cold. If |
| number in case the business card falls off. | | | | someone is looking over your shoulder and sees |
| The second part is critical and marks the | | | | you check “Cold” you may find yourself |
| difference between a great lead card and a | | | | doing some uncomfortable and time-wasting |
| crappy lead card. This is where most lead cards | | | | explaining. |
| fail. Most lead cards that I've seen (besides my | | | | Good lead cards capture just enough information |
| own) have something about budgets and interest | | | | to be useful and nothing else. They evolve after |
| level and perhaps timing. Things like this are | | | | numerous conversations and debates with your |
| deceiving and difficult to value—the details as | | | | team. Discussion, debate and rehearsal will perfect |
| to why are more than I want to cover here… | | | | your lead card. Never overlook this step. |
| The second part of the lead card captures the | | | | |