How can attending conferences help you build your CRM professional network?

Consider community-run conferences as well as the big commercial tech conferences. Community conferences are run by volunteers in a tech community, often the most enthusiastic and dedicated people working with that tech and great at networking, and the speakers are usually also community volunteers who love to talk about their topic with new people who show an interest. These conferences are smaller and more relaxed than formal conferences and are a great way to get involved with the technical community, make friends, improve your skills, and start a journey of sharing your knowledge with others.

When deciding upon a CRM conference, take into consideration what you want to accomplish, which might include increasing your connections, signing up new skills, perhaps being inspired from professionals in the field. Think about smaller and community-run events, across the globe tours, and remote events along with specific to the subject conferences. To get a feel for the vibrancy of community life, connect together with speakers, attendees, as well vendors followed by attend social gatherings. Get an idea of the conference's atmosphere through looking into presenter lineups, match participation demographics, including conference hashtags.

Selecting the right conference is much like choosing the perfect outfit. Each conference has its own specific focus, especially within the Salesforce ecosystem. Not only do prominent conferences like Dreamforce stand out, but there are also world tours and community-run Dreamin events that cater to various preferences and interests.

It’s imperative that when considering attendance at a conference, that you’re doing your due diligence. Most of these conferences will be during the work day so you want to make sure your time is being spent optimally. Consider whether the conference will bring enough intrinsic or extrinsic value to your goals in network growth and professional development. Some good starting points for your analysis is to research the conference organizers, local community members, venue, sponsors, listed speakers, and sessions before putting together a case to present to your team or purchasing any kind of tickets.

Attending CRM-related conferences, especially for Salesforce, requires careful selection to ensure they align with professional goals without impacting work commitments. In Brazil, the limited number of official, in-person Salesforce conferences makes online participation highly beneficial. Engaging in these events, often organized with diverse topics by the Salesforce community, offers valuable networking opportunities and insights. It's important to choose conferences that match your expertise level and interests, considering the convenience and format of virtual events to maximize learning and networking without disrupting work responsibilities.

Before attending a conference should prepare by researching speakers and attendees so you have an idea of who you want to network with. You should review the sessions so you can plan out your day, remember those who fail to plan are planning to fail. You also want to ensure that your LinkedIn profile is updated for when you make connections.

The Masterclass throughout Networking and Learning represents a complete look at that will improve the conference experiences that guiding participants by means of pre-game planning, connecting approaches, as well as objectives. The program encourages engaged participation across hashtags, private discussions, plus thinking critically. The book highlights having been an extremely organized exceptional ability, leveraging on the chances to network, as well as being highlighted, courageous, to actually occurring with the goal to successfully transform the conference becoming an opportunity for both professional and personal growth.

Free advice from SME and leaders for your current or future projects. Both in sharing and receiving. Exercising your critical thinking and solutioning skills by hearing and learning new use cases/approaches/tactics for CRM solutions and configuration.

In preparation for events, I focus on creating materials that add value or engage the audience on specific topics. This proactive approach goes beyond mere attendance. As a participant, selecting key presentations is crucial, especially when multiple sessions occur simultaneously. Aligning chosen sessions with career goals is essential. In this context, Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" advises prioritizing tasks (in this case, presentations) that are important but not urgent, ensuring a strategic approach to personal and professional development.

1. Research Attendees: Study the conference agenda and speaker list. Identify key individuals you want to connect with. 2. Optimize Your LinkedIn: Update your profile with relevant information. Connect with potential contacts beforehand. 3. Set Networking Goals: Define clear objectives for expanding your network. 4. Prepare Elevator Pitch: Craft a concise introduction about yourself, your expertise and goals. 5. Bring Business Cards, that include LinkedIn and contact details. 6. Engage on Social Media: Follow conference hashtags and discussions. Interact with attendees online before the event. 7. Schedule Meetings: Reach out to key contacts for one-on-one meetings. Use the conference app or platform for scheduling.

To effectively network while on conferences, thoroughly look at the conference, come across the potential connections as well as and develop a mental map that outlines the objectives. Make an appearance on time and they remain behind schedule for conversation along with the organizers, speakers, as well as people examining their cell phones. Get involved with seminars, inquire about thoughtful queries, correspond to your insights, and get involved in respectful dispute resolution. Keep up with up with prospective interactions, but send individual thank-you emails, offering knowledge about and interact with social media.

Networking is indeed the soul of CRM, vital both for users and implementers. Being proactive and engaging at conferences is not just about attendance but active participation. It involves arriving early, staying late, and seizing every opportunity to connect with others in the CRM field. Engaging in discussions, sharing insights, and following up post-conference are crucial for building meaningful relationships in the CRM community. Such interactions not only enhance personal knowledge and skills but also foster collaborative opportunities, reinforcing the core principle that CRM thrives on strong, interactive networks.

In the various Salesforce events I have attended throughout my career, one thing is obvious - you would need to make the push from your end to make something happen. By that, I mean, being proactive and engaging is the biggest attribute towards opening new possibilities. Discussions can begin from very open ended questions like 'Hey, did you look at that new cool AI feature from Salesforce?' or 'Hey I just heard you speak and I found your insights very meaningful'. The discussions should arise from an area of genuine interest, passion and one should always focus on bringing value to a conversation. Being proactive is the key, and rest follows

For the development of a strong CRM connection throughout conferences, adhere to honest questioning with attentive listening. Get ready for to obtain social gatherings through setting objectives regardless of evaluating speakers and choosing key stakeholders. Master the power source of the company through asking knowledgeable questions, getting involved in post-session conversations and including responding to digital details about yourself. To develop credibility alongside for a long-time connection, serve as assistance along with following through with individual thanks-you cards.

I can't say this louder but LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS and when I say listen, I do not mean just hearing them out and having your sales pitch ready to be bombarded. Being a good CRM professional is also defined by knowing the RIGHT TIME to provide your solution. Listening to your clients and empathising with them will do two things: 1. It makes the clients feel good and put in the trust in you. 2. It makes you more powerful in tweaking your sales pitch that sounds relevant to your client's needs and addresses their pain points.

Attending an event can be overwhelming, and everyone in attendance is also a human and could be experiencing similar emotions or feelings. It has served me exceptionally well to be genuine, and not always looking for the next business card. Ask people how they are doing and what drew them to the specific event in the first place. Then listen.

I recently worked with an entrepreneur whose business venture is in the tourism sector. He was awarded a prize to attend one of the biggest travel conferences held right here in South Africa. In preparation we spent a bit of time developing a networking plan & engagement strategy. Steps followed: 1. Goal setting - we defined a goal for the week 2. Researched the previous year’s conference to understand the audience, themes, sponsors etc 3. Identified stakeholders that were critical to the achievement of his business goals 4. Printed collateral that he will distribute to the different stakeholders Critical part of the plan was about defining success measures so that we were both clear on what success looks like.

You definitely want to select conferences that have interesting topics which attract interesting people. But, it’s what you do after the conference that will build your network. So many attend conferences, they meet people, go home. The End. Those connections had no further interaction. It’s like collecting business cards, and sticking them in your desk drawer when you get back. Conferences have CRM value when you extend the conversation after the conference. I’m not talking about endless email campaigns or pushy sales tactics. I’m talking about personally reaching out to set up a call or coffee with no agenda except to get to know that person better.