This article was originally published at Trade Show Tips.

The most tried and true method of gathering leads at your trade show or special event is business-card-in-the-fish-bowl method. Place a container such as a box or "fish bowl" somewhere near entrance or exit point of your trade show display area. Clearly mark it "Add your Business Card for More Information on our Products", or something like that, and you're in business.

All most commonly used lead generating systems are variations of business-card-in-the-fish-bowl method. Your specific "system of choice" for generating trade show leads will depend on these two factors:

1. How do you filter out "garbage leads"?

2. How do you encourage your "most wanted leads" — people most likely to buy your product — to register?

"Garbage Leads"

So-called "garbage leads" are always a concern in any lead generating effort. You don't want to waste time and money contacting people who have no real interest in your product/service.

The negative value of garbage leads will depend on your follow up strategy. If you plan to enter each contact name in a database and then pursue a systematic follow up strategy that includes telephone, email, and snail mail, then cost of garbage leads gets magnified. On other hand, if your plan doesn't go beyond a one-step follow up (email, snail mail, or phone call), then negative value of garbage leads is not a major concern.

The easiest way to filter garbage leads is to ask people to fill out a simple "Yes I am interested" form. So instead of them throwing a business card in your fish bowl, you're asking them to stop, fill out a form, and place it in a kind of "registration box". You can make your form as brief or as complicated as you like. Obviously briefest form will get highest response.

Just act of having to write something down will be a deterrent to many show surfers. If it seems like it would be too negative (resulting in you filtering out leads you really want), then you could simplify system by attaching a stapler to a chain(!) and asking interested people to just staple a copy of their business card to registration form. This has several important advantages:

1. You get contact information you want. 2. You filter out those with absolutely no interest. 3. You catch maximum number of prospects by reducing hassle of registering. 4. You get people without business cards

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