The Right Way To Do In-Person Events
I'm loving these super human tips for in-person events from the master of ceremonies, CMO of Gong, Udi Ledergor. The reason why sales leaders rave about Gong is because they create an awesome atmosphere wherever they go. Sales has never been my territory, but these down to earth tips Udi shared can be applied to any industry:
We just completed our first in-person road show in 2.5 years: The Road to Reality. It was amazing meeting old and new friends. A lot of the old magic came back but there certainly are differences between now and pre-COVID.
1?? Folks are coming to network and meet peers, which they've been craving for the last 2 years. Go easy on the slides, which we've all learned to consume on web conferences. Ensure at least half the time of the event is dedicated to no-slides networking meetings over food and drinks.
2?? Get your best customers and hottest prospects in a room together. Nothing creates a sense of urgency and social proof better than a prospect surrounded by your customers gushing over your product and service. Those deals will move forward quickly.
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3?? It doesn't have to be fancy. You don't want to cheap out on your customers, but we created an equally memorable experience for attendees at both the 18,000-seat Chase Center and at charming local restaurants and small clubs in other cities.
4?? You don't need celebrity speakers. Yes, they can add some flair to your event that might draw in some audience members but if you've been nurturing a good relationship with them, folks are mostly coming in to hear from you and meet their peers.
5?? Don't make it all about you. While folks know there are no free lunches and they're fully expecting a sales pitch to be woven into the event, balance it out with truly valuable thought leadership and customer stories to ensure your audience walks out of the event with 3 new things they learned, which they can put to work immediately. If you fail at doing this, they won't come back to your next event.
6?? Have a company representative sitting at each table with your attendees to ensure they are part of every conversation and can quickly alert the account manager of potential risks and opportunities.
7?? Follow up quickly. As in the day of the event or the next day, latest. Thank folks who took the time and effort to come out and nudge them to take the next step. Don't forget to ping all the no shows, too. Writing them to tell them you missed them at the event will get you many apologetic responses you can use to move things forward.