Dreamforce 2014: Why I Crave Content, Connections and Cocktails

Since its debut in 2003, I’ve attended every Dreamforce, by far the best cloud computing conference in the world. Last year’s event had 27 bands and DJs, and it’s a real joy to trade ideas with some of the most accomplished people on the planet, and the energy levels just keep on rising and rising. As always, this year’s event will be even bigger.

I often wonder why more people don’t understand the immense value of such social/business events. Sure, this one attracts over 125,000 professionals, but my sense is that most people—even sales people—fail to take full advantage of business events.

Not me. I’m Gen C. I’m the generation that’s connected: always on, always available, very transparent, very authentic, share everything, no filter. Guess what? A city filled with accomplished professionals is like catnip to a person like me. It’s an unlimited supply of ideas, connections, expertise and new possibilities.

My professional focus is Social Selling—the use of social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter to find and serve people who will not only become my buyers, but also become my advocates. Personal connections are the lifeblood of what I do and—guess what? They are your lifeblood, too, no matter what you do. Your network is your net worth so Always Be Connecting.

And yet, people get jaded. They don’t want to get on a plane and attend another event. Or they go, but then stand in a corner with three colleagues from their home office. To me, this is close to psychotic behavior.

Dreamforce gives me a year’s worth of content that I can use online and off. The sheer volume of OPC—other people’s content—is worth the trip, but the social interactions are what make such events utterly irreplaceable. They spark my imagination, renew old ties and establish new ones. Just as these interactions remind me of the hearts and minds that stir my soul, they also give me the opportunity to remind others that it’s good to have Jill around.

Is this how you approach events? It should be, because one of the most productive things you can possibly do is to routinely make time to seek out content, connections and cocktails.

This year, I’ll be participating in the Sales Summit on the Monday of Dreamforce; my session with Mark Hunter is Five Strategies Sales Leaders Use to Drive Results. If your income depends on selling, you won’t want to miss it. One day. Five sessions. Twelve of the world’s most respected sales minds. This promises to be one of the most educational (and entertaining) days at Dreamforce for sales executives.

See Koka Sexton and me on #SalesforceLIVE Tuesday morning, October 14th at 9am. www.salesforce.com/live

I’ll also be doing a Social Selling session on Tuesday, October 14th at 4pm with @KokaSexton from LinkedIn; our #SalesforceLIVE session we did on this topic in July had 177,000 live viewers.

I’m part of the Salesforce thought leader community, and as an “Industry Luminary” at the invite-only Executive Summit, I’ll be facilitating several roundtable discussions about:

• Customer Service in a Social World
• Employee Engagement through Collaboration
• Building a Thriving Customer Community

I’m super excited to kick off Dreamforce Sunday night at the Salesforce Women’s Network & Girly Geeks Panel: How to Cultivate One's Personal Brand and Leadership Style. I was honored to moderate the Women in Technology panel at Dreamforce in 2012 where we had over 500 attendees join us for fabulous content, connections & cocktails.

Finally, Thursday at 10am, I'll be doing a live interview with InsideSales.com as part of their Sales Acceleration Summit, where I'll be sharing what you can do with all the business cards you collect during Dreamforce.

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, and be sure to come say hello and ask me how you can embrace my ABC approach. If you can’t physically attend Dreamforce 2014, follow the happenings via the #DF14, #DF14Sales and #DF14SalesSummit hashtags. You can also follow me @Jill_Rowley.

What are your Dreamforce plans? Please share!

Jill Rowley delivers keynotes, strategy sessions and workshops on Social Selling. Always Be Connecting!

This post was originally published on the Salesforce.com blog.