If you’re using paper at the booth, optimize for two things:
- Speed to fill out
- Clarity for follow-up
The best lead sheet is not the most detailed. It’s the one that gets filled out consistently and gives you enough context to send a personal follow-up.
Recommended fields (simple + effective)
Use one line per lead:
- Name
- Phone (optional if email is captured)
- Company (optional)
- “What do you need?” (checkboxes or 1–2 words)
- Timeline (Now / 30 days / 90+ days)
- Notes (short)
The one field most people forget (and should add)
Add a Next step checkbox or a short note:
- Quote
- Demo
- Call
- Send pricing
- Send brochure
This is what makes follow-up easy and personalized.
Why each field matters (quick explanation)
- Email/phone: without one, you can’t follow up.
- Need: lets you send the right follow-up (pricing vs demo vs quote).
- Timeline: tells you who to contact first.
- Notes: one detail makes your message feel personal.
- Next step: prevents “generic follow-up” that gets ignored.
Quick printable layout (copy/paste)
| Name | Phone | Need | Timeline | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Version 2 — High-volume booth sheet (faster)
If your booth is busy and you need speed, use checkboxes:
| Name | Phone | Need (check) | Timeline | Next step | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ Quote ☐ Demo ☐ Info | ☐ Now ☐ 30d ☐ 90d+ | ☐ Call ☐ Email |
Version 3 — Appointment-based businesses (reduce friction)
If your goal is booking, add preferred windows:
| Name | Email/Phone | Service | Timeline | Best time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☐ Now ☐ 30d ☐ Later | ☐ Weekday ☐ Evenings ☐ Weekend |
“Need” checkbox ideas (steal these)
If you’re unsure what to put in the “Need” column, keep it to 3–6 options.
Examples:
- Service businesses: ☐ Quote ☐ Estimate ☐ Repair ☐ Replacement ☐ Info
- B2B booths: ☐ Demo ☐ Pricing ☐ Case study ☐ Partner ☐ Support
- Events/expos: ☐ Availability ☐ Packages ☐ Pricing ☐ Consult ☐ Follow-up
Fewer options makes the sheet faster to fill out—and easier to follow up from.
Timeline options that work well
Avoid free-form timelines like “soon” or “maybe.” Use checkboxes:
- ☐ Now (this week)
- ☐ 30 days
- ☐ 90+ days
If you sell higher-consideration products, add:
- ☐ Researching
- ☐ Budgeting
The “notes” rule (so notes don’t become novels)
Notes should be 3–8 words. That’s it.
Good notes:
- “Wants pricing; next month”
- “Asked about demo; team of 5”
- “Interested in X; prefers text”
Bad notes:
- A paragraph you won’t read later
Raffle bowl vs real leads (don’t treat them the same)
Raffle entries tend to be lower intent than booth conversations. If you run a raffle:
- Add a checkbox: “Talked to us at the booth” vs “Raffle only”
- Follow up with a softer message for raffle-only entries
- Prioritize the people you actually spoke to
This helps you avoid burning time on low-quality leads.
Add a QR code (simple backup)
Paper is great, but sometimes pens disappear. If you can, add a QR code to a short form that captures:
- name
- email/phone
- need
- timeline
Then you can still use paper as a backup while capturing some clean entries.
After the show: don’t lose the sheet
The moment you leave the venue is the moment leads start cooling off. Do this every time:
- Photograph the sheets (flat + bright)
- Upload (same day / next morning)
- Send follow-ups with one question + one next step
That’s the whole game.
If you also use badge scans
If the show offers badge scanning, you can still keep a paper sheet:
- Use the paper sheet for notes + timeline + next step
- Use badge scans for clean contact info
This combo is powerful: clean data plus human context.
Quick compliance note (keep it simple)
If you’re collecting emails/phones at the booth, it helps to be explicit:
- “If you share your email, we’ll follow up about your request.”
- If you do text outreach, ask/mark “text ok”.
Clarity reduces complaints and increases replies.
If you want a printable “one-liner” permission note, add it at the bottom of every page so it’s always visible.
How to run this at the booth (so it actually gets used)
- Print enough copies for the whole day (don’t ration paper).
- Clipboards + pens that don’t disappear (bring extras).
- Train booth staff on “one note per lead” (3–8 words).
- Star Hot leads immediately (ready to buy, urgent timeline, asked for pricing).
- Photograph pages before you leave the venue (flat, bright, no shadows).
A simple script to get better lead sheet entries
Most messy lead sheets come from awkward asks. Use a consistent, polite script:
- “Want me to send you what we discussed? What’s the best email?”
- “If you write your email clearly, I’ll send the info today.”
- “If you prefer text, what’s the best number?”
When you tell people why you’re asking, they give cleaner info.
Staff training (5 minutes, huge payoff)
If multiple people are at the booth, train everyone on:
- What counts as a Hot lead (urgent timeline, wants pricing, wants a quote)
- The “one note per lead” rule
- Where photos go after the show (one shared folder/chat)
Consistency is what makes post-show follow-up easy.
Post-show workflow (so paper turns into replies)
Use this loop:
- Photograph pages (flat + bright)
- Upload and review contacts quickly
- Send follow-ups same day / next morning
If you need a repeatable checklist, use:
Pro tip: add one “permission” line
At the bottom, add:
“By sharing your contact info, you agree we may follow up about your request. You can opt out at any time.”
Ready to turn paper into follow-ups?
If you already use paper at the booth, the fastest win is uploading the sheet and sending follow-ups the same day.