In-Person GTM: How to Make Every Connection Count

This article was written by Colin Hannan, co-founder of Proven Partners, a marketing agency specializing in luxury real estate.

A few years ago, I was standing under a tented canopy on a cliffside in Zanzibar, watching a sunset turn the ocean gold. We were hosting a preview event for a luxury beachfront development and Proven Partners had been brought in to lead the brand launch. No amount of email sequences or retargeting ads could replace the moment a buyer stepped onto that site, shook hands with the founders, and saw the vision come to life. The personal touch and genuine human connection created in that instant made all the difference and that evening, a single conversation led to a seven-figure sale.

In-person GTM hasn’t disappeared - it’s just evolved. From trade shows to site visits, real-world interactions remain the fastest way to build trust, gather insights, and close deals. The difference now is that technology lets us scale those moments, enabling marketers to create more face to face connections. With tools like Popl’s digital business cards, we can turn spontaneous chats into structured follow-up to make every connection count.

Whether you’re a real estate developer launching a high-value project to a target audience, a brand ambassador working the trade show floor, or a marketer looking to drive ROI beyond the screen, we’ll break down the strategies, tools, and post-event workflows that turn quick chats into lasting business relationships. Let’s dive in.

Why In-person GTM Still Wins in a Digital World

Digital marketing might cast a wide net, but effective in person marketing goes straight to the heart. While digital interactions can reach large audiences efficiently, they often lack the depth and trust-building power of in-person experiences. There’s something irreplaceable about a handshake, a shared laugh, or a moment of eye contact when you’re presenting a high-stakes opportunity. These human interactions—though hard to measure—create trust faster and more deeply than even the best digital campaign.

Studies back this up. According to Harvard Business Review, face-to-face requests are 34 times more successful than those sent by email. And research from the content marketing institute shows that in-person events are still rated among the most effective tactics for B2B marketers to build brand recognition and close deals. Why? Because people remember how you made them feel. Real-world conversations create stronger emotional connections and better memory retention than digital touchpoints alone. Modern consumers, especially Millennials, value authenticity and personal engagement—qualities that In-person GTM delivers more effectively than online marketing.

At Proven Partners, we’ve seen this firsthand. When launching Johari Beach Residences in Zanzibar, we didn’t just rely on slick renders and landing pages—we invited potential investors to walk the land, meet the founders, and experience the brand’s vision in person. That emotional layer translated into a lasting impression, more qualified leads, faster conversion timelines, and higher perceived value. These in-person strategies not only support business growth but are also highly effective for driving sales growth. One particular prospect told us, “I knew I wanted to buy within five minutes of being on-site.”

Events That Convert: Making Moments Count

I once walked into a luxury real estate event where the venue was flawless - the branding, the lighting, even the cocktails. But the sales team? Heads down, clustered near the back, waiting to be approached. Despite the effort (and budget), dozens of valuable leads left unengaged. In-person GTM only works if your people do too.

Events, whether they’re trade shows, investor previews, or branded community activations, are high-stakes moments. Done right, they generate qualified leads, deepen relationships, and build brand equity on the spot. But it doesn’t happen by accident. You need a plan.

Choosing the Right Events

Not all in-person opportunities are created equal. Evaluate events based on:

• Audience fit: Will the attendees include your target clients, partners, or influencers?

• Event format: Is there enough room for real conversation, or is it just a crowded walk-through?

• Lead potential: Does the setup allow for meaningful interaction and data capture?

Train Your Team to Engage Naturally

An effective booth or brand presence isn’t just about visuals, it’s about people. Face to face meetings are crucial for engaging customers directly and building authentic relationships. Equip your team with:

• Talking points that sound conversational, not scripted

• A compelling sales pitch that feels natural and authentic, focusing on your brand purpose and the needs of each customer

• Live demos or tactile elements to make the interaction hands-on

• Roles and flow: Assign someone to greet, someone to demo, and someone to capture leads

Lead Scoring in Real Time

Not every contact has the same value. Use quick cues to assess and tag interest level:

• Hot lead: Strong intent, specific questions, clear next step → tag and trigger follow-up

• Warm lead: Interested, but not urgent → add to nurture flow

• Cold lead: Casual interest or vendor → capture lightly and monitor

Tip: Use tools like Popl’s CRM sync to assign tags during or immediately after the conversation, and to gather feedback from event attendees in real time—no more scribbled notes you can’t read later.

Don’t Forget the Follow-Up Process

Every great event ends with a smart system:

• Use email flows that recap your conversation and add value (not just a “nice to meet you”)

• Include links to custom resources like a presentation deck or case study

• Personalize with one sentence that reminds them what you talked about

Personalization at Scale: Post-Event Strategies That Stick

There’s a moment after every successful event when the energy fades and the work begins. You’ve made connections and captured leads, but what you do in the next 48 hours determines whether those contacts become clients or just another name in your database.

When we help our clients launch high-end developments, post-event strategy is never an afterthought. In fact, it's where most of the real conversion happens. Personalization is the key and it doesn’t mean writing 100 one-off emails. It means using systems that let you sound human, at scale.

Build a Follow-Up Flow That Feels Personal

Skip the generic “great meeting you” message. Instead, build email flows that reflect how someone met you.

Example follow-up email sequence:

1. Subject Line: “[Event Name] – Great Chat About [Topic]”

2. Email 1 (Day 1): Personal reference + link to a relevant resource or next step

3. Email 2 (Day 3–5): Case study or testimonial (e.g. a real buyer story)

4. Email 3 (Week 2): Invite to book a call or attend a follow-up experience

Segment Smartly, Then Nurture

Not every lead is ready to buy. That’s okay, smart segmentation allows you to:

• Nurture long-term prospects with brand-building content

• Hand off hot leads to sales or senior team members

• Re-engage cold leads with occasional check-ins or exclusive updates

Build a Feedback Loop

Face-to-face events offer valuable insights, if you capture them:

• Add a field in your CRM notes for key questions or objections heard at the event

• Use that data to adjust pitch decks, refine messaging, or shape your content calendar

• Send a short feedback survey to warm leads - you’ll gain trust and intel at the same time

In-person GTM doesn’t end when you leave the room; it lays the groundwork for personal connections. With the right follow-up strategy, that first handshake becomes the beginning of a thoughtful, tailored buyer journey.

Measuring Success: Key Metrics for Real-World Impact

One of the biggest misconceptions about In-person GTM is that it’s hard to measure. But with the right tools in place, it can be just as trackable, and often more insightful, than digital campaigns.

At Proven Partners, we treat physical interactions with the same precision as online conversions. Whether we’re capturing investor interest at a development launch or logging contacts at a trade show, the goal is always the same: turn moments into measurable outcomes.

Here’s how to do it:

Digital Business Card & Event Metrics

With tools like Popl, you can move beyond paper cards and gather data in real time:

• Scans & taps: How many people saved your contact or visited your profile?

• Follow-up actions: Did they click your calendar link, open your post-event email, or engage with your social media pages?

• Conversion points: Track how many card recipients entered your pipeline or booked a call

Tip: Popl’s dashboard makes it easy to view engagement over time, segmented by event or team member.

Sales Pipeline Movement

Sync your CRM to understand how in-person interactions drive results:

• Lead source attribution: Tag contacts as “event leads” to track close rates

• Pipeline velocity: Compare time-to-close between in-person vs. digital-only leads

• Revenue per event: Calculate average deal value tied to specific events or formats

Qualitative Feedback Loops

Numbers are crucial, but context matters too. After events, gather:

• Team debriefs: What questions came up repeatedly? What messaging landed best?

• Attendee feedback: Short surveys can uncover friction points or moments of delight

• Buyer language: Document the exact phrases your prospects use—it sharpens your sales and content messaging

Make Every Interaction Count

In a digital-first world, face-to-face marketing has become the competitive edge. It’s where brands become human, conversations become relationships, and small moments spark big opportunities. Whether you’re pitching a luxury development, introducing your brand at a trade show, or reconnecting with a past client over coffee—what you say matters, but how you show up matters more.

With Popl’s digital business cards and smart CRM integrations, In-person GTM is trackable, scalable, and strategic. And with the right follow-up systems in place, that first handshake can become the start of long-term revenue.

About the Author

Colin Hannan is the Co-Founder of Proven Partners, a global real estate marketing agency specializing in brand development, go-to-market strategy, and real estate lead generation services. With over 20 years of experience working alongside property developers and investors, Colin’s team has helped bring luxury residential and resort projects to market across five continents. His approach blends strategic insight with creative execution - crafting campaigns that turn face-to-face interactions into lasting business relationships and measurable growth.