Touch Screens for On-the-Spot Contact Capture

They come like thieves in the night, although all they're likely to take is a brochure and maybe a sales sheet or two. And all they leave is a lost opportunity.

Who are these stealthy people? They're the "gliders" — people who visit a trade show booth and express some level of interest, but don't engage with your staff. Can technology save the day? One company thinks it’s found the solution to these missed opportunities.

Enter Zone Marketing and its interactive touch-screen technology for administering surveys and collecting visitor data. Using touch screens gives exhibitors an extra chance to engage these "gliders" and collect their contact info, perhaps in exchange for the chance to win a nifty or meaningful prize. That can be a real boon at a busy booth where staffers can't get to all visitors at once.

Survey says...
Besides allowing trade show participants to enter contact information in exchange for product information or a chance at a prize, touch screens are also able to conduct dynamic surveys. That gives the exhibitor three advantages:

Conducting a survey about what the participant likes or dislikes about your products, and their level of usage, helps you do a little on-the-spot market research.

Making that survey dynamic — meaning the software tailors the questions to the type of participant — gives you more informative survey results. For example, is the person a decision-maker or an end-user? Are they already your customer and looking to buy more, or are they trying to choose between you and your competitor? The answers from these tailored survey questions can help you better design future exhibits and marketing materials.

And finally, the follow-up: Knowing participants' level of interest and involvement with your products allows you to follow up with them after the show, in a much more meaningful way. That can give you a head start on developing a relationship with qualified leads who are ready to buy.

There's one last benefit of using this type of technology: You'll have real metrics about your trade show exhibit's success, beyond the "gut feelings" of your booth staffers. And that can help you plan an even more effective display and materials for your next event.

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