Leads Left Behind: Why Sellers Must Loop Marketing Into Event Data

Picture this: your company invests in a high-profile industry event. Sellers are busy engaging with prospects, gathering interest, and building relationships. The event concludes with promising conversations and potential deals on the horizon. But as the dust settles, the marketing team is left scratching their heads. Why? They don’t have the details of who the sellers spoke to or what was discussed.

This disconnect creates a ripple effect. Without access to event leads, marketing can’t measure the success of the event or craft follow-up campaigns. To them, it feels like the event flopped. Meanwhile, the warm leads from the event sit idle, waiting for the next touchpoint—or worse, they’re scooped up by competitors.

Events are a critical piece of a company’s revenue strategy, but their success depends on one thing: collaboration between sellers and marketing. Without it, valuable leads get left behind, and the true ROI of the event remains hidden.

The Real Cost of Not Sharing Event Data

Failing to share leads doesn’t just inconvenience the marketing team—it impacts the entire organization. Here’s how:

1. Missed Opportunities: Warm leads that aren’t followed up on quickly often turn cold. Buyers expect immediate engagement, and delays can cost you deals.

2. Misaligned Follow-Ups: Marketing, unaware of the prospects’ interest, can’t create personalized campaigns to nurture those leads effectively.

3. Perceived Event Failure: Without hard data to show results, marketing struggles to justify the expense of events, leading to future budget cuts.

4. Sales Without Support: Sellers lose out on marketing’s ability to provide tailored content, insights, or nurture campaigns that can help close deals faster.

   
   

Why This Happens

The issue often boils down to:

• Time Pressures: Events are fast-paced, and sellers focus on conversations over documentation.

• No Defined Process: Without a streamlined way to share data, important details can slip through the cracks.

• Silos Between Teams: Sales and marketing sometimes operate as two separate entities, with different goals and priorities.

  
  

Fixing the Disconnect: Loop Marketing Into Event Data

To ensure event success, sellers and marketing need to work together. Here’s how to bridge the gap:

1. Align Before the Event

• Joint Planning: Start with a shared plan. Define clear goals for the event, such as the number of leads to capture, the types of prospects to prioritize, and follow-up strategies.

• Lead Capture Tools: Equip sellers with tools like mobile apps, QR code scanners, or CRM-integrated forms for easy data collection during the event.

2. Capture Data in Real Time

• Centralized Platform: Use a shared platform where sellers can log prospect details on the spot. This reduces the risk of losing information.

• Assign a Lead Manager: Designate someone responsible for collecting and consolidating all prospect data during the event.

3. Debrief After the Event

• Structured Review: Host a debrief session where sellers share insights about key prospects, potential deals, and any pain points they observed.

• Collaborative Follow-Up Plan: With input from sellers, marketing can craft personalized follow-ups that speak directly to the prospects’ needs and interests.

  
  

4. Foster a Culture of Collaboration

• Incentivize Sharing: Recognize and reward sellers who consistently share lead data. Highlight the positive outcomes of collaboration in team meetings.

• Set Shared Metrics: Establish joint KPIs, such as the number of leads converted into opportunities, to align sales and marketing efforts.

  
  

The Bigger Picture

Events are not just about closing deals on the spot—they’re about building relationships, creating opportunities, and feeding the sales pipeline for the future. Sellers and marketing are two sides of the same coin, and success lies in their ability to collaborate.

When sellers loop marketing into event data:

• Marketing can demonstrate event ROI and secure future budgets.

• Sellers receive tailored support to close deals faster.

• The organization benefits from a streamlined process and stronger outcomes.

Your Role in Making It Happen

Sellers: Remember, your job doesn’t end when the conversation does. Sharing what you’ve learned with marketing ensures that your efforts continue to yield results long after the event.

Marketing: Create systems and tools that make it easy for sellers to share data. Show them how their input drives meaningful follow-ups and ultimately boosts revenue.

Together, you can turn events into a winning strategy.

What’s Your Strategy?

How does your team ensure collaboration between sales and marketing after events? Share your tips and insights below—let’s learn from each other!