Post INTA Follow Up Tips

The conference in San Diego ended, but you still have work to do.

May 2015
This year’s INTA conference drew more attendees than any other INTA conference, and may have left you feeling overwhelmed with how to achieve the strongest ROI of your involvement at the event in San Diego.
 
All you need is a strong system in place to ensure that you see positive results from your interactions and get the most out of the time and money you invested. 

We’ve compiled 10 of our favorite follow up tips to get you in the mood.
  1. Follow up quickly: Timely follow up emails establish your interest in a potential client and also increase the likelihood that they will remember your interaction.
    • Keep it personal: Make sure to include details about your meeting so they are likely to remember you.
    • Refresh their memory: Engage them by recounting elements of your conversation and remind them of direct ways that your firm can help them. Include substance in your follow up that will engage them.
    • Keep the conversation going: Don’t finish your email with “if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me”. This tactic rarely if ever keeps the conversation going towards a client relationship and is likely to end the conversation. So try to finish with a relevant question about how they think you can help them further.
    • If appropriate, attach an informational brochure about the firm:Ideally, this book should be personalized to address specific issues that you discussed during INTA.
  2. Be Persistent: Allow for a follow up with a phone call and make the phone call within a few days of sending an email.
  3. Establish a definitive goal or “call to action” for the follow up: The first step in gaining a new client is setting up a meeting, but any form of engagement gets the process in motion. As above, asking questions draws people into conversation, by giving info with no need to talk further will end the potential pitch. So set a goal for the follow up, e.g. ask them if there is any other type of peripheral IP work needed in your jurisdiction; or, to agree to meet at INTA Leadership meeting face to face.
  4. Focus on details: Take time to jot down details of your meetings on the business cards that you collect. Then make your emails come alive by adding those snippets of info.
  5. Update your mailing lists: Send your business cards to your marketing department or secretary and update your CRM system with as much detail as possible.
  6. Identify missed opportunities:
    • You can follow up with people that spoke at conferences even if you did not meet them. Flattery is often a great way into the hearts of a potential client and showing admiration for someone’s presentation can open the door for a strong lead generating conversation.
    • Reach out to your fellow committee members that you have not developed a relationship with and tell them you’re sorry you never get a chance to sit down with them, and that perhaps you could find time at the INTA Leadership meeting.
  7. Communicate internally: Set up an internal meeting to discuss all potential leads immediately after returning from INTA. As you discuss the details of your meetings with your Partners, you will likely gain the motivation to follow up.
  8. LinkedIn: Connect with all new contacts on LinkedIn with a personal note inviting them to connect. Never use the generic LinkedIn invitation.
  9. Follow up and communicate with active clients: Maintaining strong relationships with current clients should always be a main priority for all firms.
  10. Follow up with all opportunities association involvement.
Global Law Marketing is a specialized marketing agency primarily focused on intellectual property law firms who are based all around the world. We’ve built up specialized knowledge, contacts and resources applicable only to the IP market and offer a truly unique marketing perspective.