People + Profit; Why you need to be attending industry events to build your business

Over the last 12 months, I've been fortunate enough to speak (and attend!) a variety of events and am always on the lookout for interesting and innovative business events in the UK. In fact, this Friday I'll be speaking at Expert Unrivalled in Cardiff; the UK's #1 Positioning Event - and I couldn't be more excited to be sharing my knowledge on hosting a profitable podcast.

But there's something else. You see, when I was working in the corporate world, I was always expected to attend events; industry conferences to improve my skills, CIPD events to continue my professional development... even networking breakfasts to get to know my peers and colleagues in other organisations. Yet, when I became an entrepreneur, I forgot just how important it was to attend these events.

Why?

Because after going to a local 'networking' event and meeting seemingly squillions of MLM advocates (and the odd frustrated solicitor) I figured that events, as an entrepreneur, didn't work.

How wrong was I?!

Over the last two years, I've focused on attending industry events to grow and develop my own skills and over the last 18 months, been fortunate enough to speak on some of the biggest stages to help others achieve their sales goals. And it reminded me why it really is so important to attend live events - and why you should be putting your marketing budget towards attending. Instead of thinking that 'live events don't work', I realised that I needed to invest in events that had the elements I prioritised; great networking, lead generation and the ability to increase my knowledge / skills.

But why should you invest your capital in attending a live event this year?

1. Connection. For me, events are a fun and easy way to get to know other people in my industry. Over the years, these connections have led to successful joint ventures, the sharing of industry knowledge, great friendships (and sharing a lot of wine and cheese!) masterminding, breakthroughs, introductions/ referrals and more. Speaking at Retain Live this year allowed me to get to know other amazing speakers, build relationships with delegated and even some of the incredible staff that had been hired to help with the event - all leading to referrals and shared work.
2. Cash. As a speaker, you get paid to share knowledge... but as an attendee you have even more opportunity to generate revenue from attending events! The networking gives you the opportunity to generate your own clients from attending - not to mention future referrals. But more importantly, you also get to add new people to your network and audience - which leads to revenue down the line. And if you want to be a speaker? Attending events is an awesome way of getting to know the organiser and the event - and getting paid to speak there next time! One of the best events I've spoken at (and would attend again!) was Media Influence Live; as a speaker I loved getting to spend tons of time with delegates and being paid to add value - but was also seriously impressed by the amount of networking time that was allowed (and encouraged) for attendees to network and generate their own clients from the event itself.
3. Clarity. Events take you out of working 'in' your business and allow you to work 'on' it. Which gives you time and space for new ideas, experimentation and masterminding to find clarity around what you want for your business moving forward - and how to achieve the result.

But even after all that, it's not just about attending any live event. It's really about making the best decision for you - and picking a live event that meets your needs. So my top 3 questions to ask yourself when you're deciding to attend a live event?

1. What is my main purpose for attending this event? You'll always have one primary purpose for attending an event; whether it's getting clients/ gaining knowledge/ the free bar... ;) Make sure that you have a clear purpose for attending a live event so that you can judge the ROI.
2. Will this event genuinely help me get the ROI that I'm looking for? It's not enough to go to an event simply because all your 'besties' will be there. (Unless of course, your primary purpose is a catch up and a beer!) Instead, start looking at what your goals are and whether or not this event will help you achieve those.
3. Does this live event tie into my near-future goals? I say this meaning - within the next 12 months (maximum.) There's no point heading to a live event on tweeting (for example) when you're not going to start using Twitter for 18-24 months. Instead, only attend live events that help with a goal that you are planning on achieving and actioning within the next 12 months so that the information and the networking is relevant and remains useful.

Attending live events should definitely be part of your business plan as an entrepreneur - so make sure that you're attending the right ones for you!

If you’re a service based entrepreneur who wants to start selling your services to corporate organisations - even if you don’t have any prior corporate experience, we currently just 10 tickets left for Converting Corporates: The Event where you’ll learn exactly how to create high ticket, high transformation corporate offers, the exact business development skills and strategies you’ll need to successfully sign corporate clients, put pitches and proposals together and even hear from real hiring managers from big brands, what they really look for in external suppliers. Grab your ticket by clicking here.

Jessica Lorimer is the UK’s most influential Sales Consultant for service based entrepreneurs, looking to sell to corporate companies and add profitable corporate revenue streams to their business. Featured in Forbes, City AM and a We Are The City ‘Most Inspirational’ Woman, Jess is responsible for helping entrepreneurs use simple, integrity based sales processes to build and scale supremely profitable businesses. With a successful corporate background as a top performing sales consultant and leader across EMEA and Asia Pac. responsible for new business development in a variety of FTSE 500 companies, Jess brings a unique understanding of new business development and fast sales growth in new markets to the table. Jessica is hosting Converting Corporates in 2019 to help more entrepreneurs successfully sell their services to corporate organisations in 2020 and beyond.