Paper or Electronic Lead-Capture?

Posted by Bill Barrett in Planning, Tips, Trends

When the question of paper vs. electronic lead collection was submitted to Exhibitor Q&A, it earned the exhibit manager a “Bravo!” for being brave enough to bring it up. In his response to the question, Ken Mortara, president of ShowValue Event Management in Tucson, Arizona, says most people have gone high-tech without questioning whether electronic lead capture supports their marketing goals any better than paper lead management.

Mortara gives us a breakdown of the pros and cons of paper lead collection vs. electronic lead capture, and shows that paper may be a better fit for some exhibit marketers. Here are the facts to consider:

Electronic Lead Capture Pros and Cons

Electronic lead-capture systems have obvious advantages over paper:

• Faster data capture
• Data is easy to manipulate
• Minimal post-event processing
• Data can be formatted to fit your CRM system
• Considered greener than paper – no printing

The disadvantages of e-lead management include:

• Compatibility issues with a myriad of badge types
• Systems that require staff to ask questions in a certain order disrupt normal conversational flow
• Require one-on-one interactions
• Depersonalizing to look at a screen vs. jotting notes quickly

Paper Lead Collection Advantages and Disadvantages

Paper has its pluses. It’s easy and affordable to hand every booth visitor a lead card and let them take their time filling it out. This frees staff and attendees to experience your booth during lead collection. Other pros:

• Use lead cards as “passports” to drive traffic through your booth
• Capture from numerous attendees at the same time
• Staffers can take lead cards off-site with them
• More authentic staff-attendee interaction
• Conversations blend with question-asking

But paper has its problems, too.

• Printing and shipping to and from shows
• Not as eco-friendly as electronic devices
• Ongoing expense; paper may be lost in transit
• Bulkier than a USB or using online access
• Post-event data management can be costly and time-consuming

Mortara concludes by saying that paper still deserves a spot on the exhibit floor, and may be a more cost-effective choice for lead collection.

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