Navigating industry conferences, especially in government contracting, requires a blend of strategic planning, active participation, and timely follow-ups. Here's how to maximize your experience from start to finish.
- Ensure Key Buyers are Attending: Research the list of attendees. If the primary buyers of your products or services are present, your attendance becomes even more crucial.
- Secure Meetings in Advance: Identify people you want to meet or prospects you may want to target and include other team members in this search. Ask other attendees if they would like to meet for coffee at the conference. Having scheduled meetings better ensures you are focused and have a plan for when you arrive.??
- Stay At The Conference Hotel: Forgo a cheaper rate or staying at the hotel where you get points and take advantage of the organic connections that happen in hallways, elevators, at breakfast, and outside the formal sessions and events. For example, I recently connected with another attendee because we were both at the gym.?
- Announce You’re Attending on Social Media: Share posts that let others know you’ll be attending and welcome the opportunity to connect at the conference. To maximize reach, do this more than once in the weeks leading up to the event.
- Submit an Abstract to Speak: If you can speak on a unique topic relevant to the conference and want to share your experience, conferences are always looking for speakers. Speaking is a great way to put yourself out there as a thought leader in your industry.
During the Conference: Active Participation
- Adopt a Relationship Building Mindset: Stay focused on building relationships. Attend sessions that align with your objectives and find ways to implement the best practices you’ve learned into your business. Be open-minded!
- Network Effectively: Always have business cards and engage in meaningful conversations. Understand the needs of others but do that by asking questions and learning more about their company. Only sprinkle in what you do when appropriate, and don’t dominate the conversation about what you’re offering the market.
- Leverage Technology: Use conference apps or platforms like LinkedIn to keep track of new contacts and conversations. Mastering the conference app is critical, especially when you meet someone, and they don’t have a business card. Bookmarking them in your app will ensure you won’t forget their name or follow-up.
- Balance Work with Leisure: While networking is a priority, remember to enjoy some downtime. Attend social events with a networking mindset but also ensure you remain professional. Don't overindulge, and always represent your company and especially YOUR PERSONAL BRAND positively.
- Remember the 12-Hour Rule: Reach out to everyone you meet within 12 hours of the conference's conclusion. This keeps you top-of-mind, demonstrates professionalism, and capitalizes on fresh recollections.
- Personalize Your Approach: Avoid generic messages. Reference specific parts of your conversations, offer solutions to challenges they mentioned, or share beneficial resources.
- Use Different Channels for Follow-Up: Depending on the contact's preferences, consider reaching out through email, connecting with them on social media platforms like LinkedIn and staying engaged in their content, or even going 1980s on them and making a phone call.
- Schedule Face-to-Face or Virtual Meetings: For contacts with solid potential, propose a face-to-face meeting to discuss opportunities further.
- Maintain Momentum: Engage regularly with your new contacts. Share industry updates, invite them to future events, or check in periodically.
- Review and Reflect: Analyze the event's successes and areas for improvement. Sharing insights with your team can refine strategies for future conferences.
In conclusion, industry conferences offer unparalleled growth, networking, and business development opportunities. By effectively preparing before the event, engaging proactively during, and following up promptly afterward, you set the stage for lasting professional relationships and potential collaborations. Always remember, at a conference, to be there for business first. If you want a vacation, book one separately. But with the right mindset and strategies, these events can significantly propel your business forward in government contracting.
