Getting lead generation right with trade shows

I admit it. I am not a big fan of trade shows and the like, especially those whose topics are broad - eg CeBIT (for IT).

My experience is that trade shows yield little in the way of quality leads. Most people, no matter how excited they are at the event tend to turn into 'tyre kickers' post event - or that's what the sales team says. So what is happening?

According to Brian Carroll only 5-15% of leads taken at trade shows are sales funnel ready. The rest need to be nurtured. More over at Brian B2B lead generation blog: 'Generating real sales leads from tradeshows/conferences'

The problem with loyalty... or lack there of

Simon Caulkin in yesterday's Observer business ection looks at the loyalty problem affecting mobile phone companies. But this problem is not unique to mobile phone companies.

Customer Loyalty is important for all businesses. But mobile phone companies seem to be getting on top of the problem.

Trouble with mobile phone users is, they get around

Gates & Murdoch on the future of the media

I think anyone in marketing also has some interest in the media. Afterall, so much of our content is published in media in one form or another. We go hand in hand.

So it was with great interest that I read the following articles published last Monday in the UK's Independent newspaper. Firstly, Bill Gates talks about his vision for the media 'gadget' of the future. And then excerpts from Rupert Murdoch's recent speech to the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers in which Murdoch says that good journalism will mean that the news media will not die.