In our last blog we introduced the concept of identifiers (i.e. data collection tools) and using them to convert event and trade show attendees to leads.
Today we’ll focus on a very common identifier: the lead capture survey. We’ll discuss some ways to optimize what you’re doing for both your attendees and your event staff who will be using them, so you can convert more leads faster and painlessly!
How much time do people want to spend filling out a survey?
The answer varies depending on each person’s buyer readiness and interest in your brand. Some attendees may be okay to spend 5 minutes filling out a survey with your event staff, while others might feel annoyed or frustrated if it takes more than 30 seconds. The problem is that both types of attendees may be standing beside each other filling out the same survey, and you won’t be able to tell the difference.
If you’ve done a good job attracting qualified leads to your event, both types of attendees are probably valuable leads – they’re just leads at different stages of your buying cycle.
That’s why the best way to optimize your lead survey is to scrap the one-size fits all model. Instead, try an alternative method – something we’ve started calling dynamic lead capture.
What is dynamic lead capture?
Dynamic lead capture is driven by the goal of giving your attendees a unique experience that’s best suited for them, based on who they are, what they’re interested in and how they answer your questions. Its goal is to be able to segment and qualify leads as they move through the survey, so that their experience is reflective of what they’re interested in.
Dynamic lead capture is made possible with two basic survey functions which most survey companies offer: skip logic and question and answer piping (we’ll explain these functions in a moment). Combined, these tools adapt your lead capture surveys specifically to each event attendee. This makes their experience more personal and provides you with better information regarding where they are in the buyer funnel.
Skip logic is when a survey changes what question or page comes up next based on the respondent’s answers. This means the survey path each person takes will vary depending on how they’ve answered a question.
Question and answer piping incorporates a person’s answer into the question that follows. For example, if someone selects “blue” as their favorite color, the next question will be “why is your favorite color blue?” versus “why is that your favorite color?”
Four reasons you should aim for dynamic lead capture
- Improve lead collection
- Improve customer experience
- More productive
- Keeps your data clean
Improve lead collection
A 10-step product survey can be intimidating and scare people off. Because your leads are more likely to complete a basic survey, make sure your questions count. Dynamic lead capture will allow you to collect the most important information from leads more efficiently.
How to ask great qualifying questions
Getting your event attendees to answer a qualifying question off the bat is an essential factor of dynamic lead capture. Here are some things to keep in mind when creating your questions:
- Does your attendee have any budgetary restrictions?
- Are they in a position to make the decision to purchase your product?
- What is their ideal timeline to make a purchase?
- How much experience do they have using similar products?
Improve customer experience
Boost attendees’ positive experience by avoiding lengthy product surveys for people who are not ready to buy yet. Using dynamic lead capture, your surveys automatically adjust time, length, and questions asked when a lead indicates they are not interested. This can quickly bring them to the unqualified page of your survey, and they can move on to enjoy other areas of your booth.
More productive
Watch out for non-qualified attendees taking up valuable time at your conversion points. Since the average lead survey takes 2-5 minutes to complete, an average of 12-30 leads per hour should be collected on one device (if used consecutively).
You want your survey to be able to identify uninterested people who may only be there to receive a giveaway. Dynamic lead capture instantly identifies this, moving the person to the end of the survey and through the conversion point, opening up the device for a new more qualified lead to complete the survey.
Keeps your data clean
Don’t waste your time or create clutter by filling your CRM system with information about non-qualified event attendees. Dynamic lead capture collects only the most important information from each attendee until they move lower into the buying funnel.
Conclusion
Who wouldn’t want to collect cleaner, insightful data more efficiently? Following these tips ensures you’re amassing valuable information, which maximizes the ROI you’re getting on time and money spent on your events. Identifiers are designed to help give you an understanding of your customers. The key to using data collection tools correctly is catering your questions to the different needs or buyer stage of each attendee.
Up Next: Seven Tips for Optimizing Event Lead Capture and Converting Trade Show Leads.
