If you’re here, you’re probably tired of presentations that look slick but do nothing for your sales pipeline. You want real leads, not just “engagement.” This guide is for anyone who needs to set up lead capture forms in Popcomms—whether you’re in sales, marketing, or just the poor soul tasked with “making the deck interactive.” No fluff, no jargon—just practical steps and the stuff you actually need to know.
Why bother with lead capture forms in Popcomms?
Let’s get real: a fancy presentation means nothing if you can’t follow up. Popcomms lets you build interactive presentations—think sales pitches, showrooms, or info kiosks. But the lead capture form is what turns a passive viewer into someone you can actually contact. Otherwise, you’re just showing off, not selling.
If you get this right, you’ll: - Collect contact details right inside your presentation (no more “I’ll email you the info”) - Cut down on lost leads from busy events or distracted prospects - Make your presentations do actual work for you
But if you do it wrong, you’ll either scare people off with clunky forms or collect a bunch of bogus data you’ll never use. So, let’s get it right.
Step 1: Plan your lead form before you build it
Don’t rush to drag and drop a form onto your slide. First, figure out: - What info do you really need? (Usually name, email, maybe company. The more fields, the less likely people complete it.) - When do you ask for it? (Up front? At the end? After a demo? The less intrusive, the better.) - What will you do with the data? (Sync to CRM? Send an email? If you don’t have a plan, don’t bother.)
Pro tip: Keep it short. If you wouldn’t fill out your own form at a busy trade show, neither will anyone else.
Step 2: Setting up your lead capture form in Popcomms
Now for the hands-on part. The exact steps can vary based on your Popcomms version and template, but here’s the general process.
2.1 Open your presentation in Popcomms
- Log in and open the presentation you want to add a form to.
- Decide which slide or section makes sense for the form. Don’t just stick it on the last slide unless that’s genuinely the right place.
2.2 Add a form module
- In the editor, look for an option like “Insert” or “Add Content.”
- Drag in a “Form” or “Lead Capture” module to your chosen slide.
- If you can’t find it, check the help docs or reach out to support—it’s easy to miss depending on your template.
2.3 Customize the fields
- Edit the default fields. Less is more: name and email are usually enough.
- Optional: add company, phone, or a quick drop-down (like “Interested in…”), but remember—every extra field lowers completion rates.
2.4 Set up data capture options
- Select where form submissions go. Popcomms can store them internally, or you can integrate with your CRM (like Salesforce or HubSpot) if your plan allows.
- If exporting to a spreadsheet is your only option, set a reminder to check it regularly. Otherwise, leads will just die in CSV purgatory.
Honest take: Integrations sound great, but they’re often fiddly. Test yours before you go live. Nothing kills momentum like a “missing lead” email.
Step 3: Make it user-friendly (and not annoying)
Your form should feel like a natural part of the presentation—not a pop-up ad or an afterthought.
- Keep it short. One or two fields on first contact. You can always ask for more later.
- Explain why. Add a quick line explaining why you’re collecting info (“We’ll send you the slides” or “Get a demo follow-up.”)
- Test it yourself. Fill it out on the device you’ll actually use (iPad? touchscreen PC?). If you hit a snag, so will your prospects.
- Mobile matters. If your presentation might be run on a tablet or phone, double-check the form's readability and tap targets.
What to ignore: Fancy animations and “gamified” forms rarely help. Focus on clarity and speed.
Step 4: Test the form—before you let it loose
This is where most people drop the ball. Don’t assume it works because it looks OK in preview.
- Do a dry run. Enter test data and make sure it actually lands where you expect (CRM, email, spreadsheet).
- Try to break it. Use fake emails, skip required fields, or enter weird characters. Make sure validation and error messages make sense.
- Check notifications. If someone on your team is supposed to get an email or alert, make sure it actually fires.
Pro tip: Set a calendar reminder to re-test your form monthly. Updates or browser changes can break stuff without warning.
Step 5: Launch, monitor, and adjust
You’re live—now what?
- Monitor submissions. For the first week, check that leads are coming through as expected.
- Collect feedback. Ask your team (or even a few prospects) how the form felt. Was it clear? Too long? Did anything break?
- Tweak as needed. If you’re getting junk submissions, tighten up validation (like requiring a real email format). If nobody’s filling it out, try making it shorter or moving it to a better spot.
Remember, no form is perfect out of the gate. The best ones evolve over time.
What works, what doesn’t, and what to skip
Let’s cut through some common traps:
- Works: Short forms, clear explanations, and seamless data integration.
- Doesn’t work: Asking for too much info, burying the form, or relying on manual data exports.
- Skip: Gimmicks like “spin to win” or “unlock the next slide by submitting.” They might look clever, but they annoy more people than they convert.
If you’re in a regulated industry (finance, healthcare), check with your compliance team before collecting data. GDPR and similar rules aren’t just buzzwords.
Real-world tips to get better results
- Follow up fast. The sooner you reach out after a submission, the better your odds of a real conversation.
- Review your data. Every few weeks, look at what’s coming in. Is it quality? Are you missing key info?
- Don’t set and forget. Update your forms as your products, pitches, or audience changes.
Keep it simple—and iterate
Here’s the bottom line: the perfect lead capture form doesn’t exist. Start simple, see what actually works in your Popcomms presentations, and tweak as you go. Don’t let “perfect” get in the way of “done.” If you keep forms short, test them regularly, and actually follow up, you’ll get way more out of your presentations—no matter how slick (or not) they look.
Now, go build a form and turn some of those viewers into leads you can actually use.