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Prospecting During a Conference - as an Attendee ...
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Prospecting at a Conference - If You’re an Attendee “Ideally, you’ll have booked several meetings before the conference even starts.” Don’t come with a hard sell.
Many of the people you’ll talk to are getting pitched all day, and they’ll shut down if it looks like you’re trying to make a sale. Just see if they might be a good fit for your business. If they are, make a later appointment to talk about it in more detail. “One of the best questions you can ask up front is, “Why did you personally want to attend this conference?”” Do they like to attend every educational session they possibly can? Do they maybe hit a few sessions and get some work done in between? Are they there to let loose at the happy hours, networking, and after parties? Understand their motivations, take mental notes, and use these motivations in your follow up communication.
Many of the people you’ll talk to are getting pitched all day, and they’ll shut down if it looks like you’re trying to make a sale. Just see if they might be a good fit for your business. If they are, make a later appointment to talk about it in more detail. “Inevitably they will bring up the company they work for and why the conference was a fit.” Do they like to attend every educational session they possibly can? Do they maybe hit a few sessions and get some work done in between? Are they there to let loose at the happy hours, networking, and after parties? Understand their motivations, take mental notes, and use these motivations in your follow up communication.
Don’t come with a hard sell. “Both in your meetings and when you meet people around the conference, ask questions. Let people talk about themselves and their businesses. Use this time to determine whether they’d be a good customer for your company.” Many of the people you’ll talk to are getting pitched all day, and they’ll shut down if it looks like you’re trying to make a sale. Just see if they might be a good fit for your business. If they are, make a later appointment to talk about it in more detail.
Both in your meetings and when you meet people around the conference, ask questions. Let people talk about themselves and their businesses. Use this time to determine whether they’d be a good customer for your company. “If they are, make a later appointment to talk about it in more detail.” One of the best questions you can ask up front is, “Why did you personally want to attend this conference?” Inevitably they will bring up the company they work for and why the conference was a fit. But you will also receive some human, personal insight into what makes them tick and what their motivations are for attending a conference.
Both in your meetings and when you meet people around the conference, ask questions. Let people talk about themselves and their businesses. Use this time to determine whether they’d be a good customer for your company. “Many of the people you’ll talk to are getting pitched all day, and they’ll shut down if it looks like you’re trying to make a sale.” One of the best questions you can ask up front is, “Why did you personally want to attend this conference?” Inevitably they will bring up the company they work for and why the conference was a fit. But you will also receive some human, personal insight into what makes them tick and what their motivations are for attending a conference.
Another way to connect with leads on a more personal level is by attending events happening just outside the perimeter of the conference center and schedule. Many companies expand their presence off the expo floor for innovative, no-stress events that allow for networking and connection outside the conference environment. For example, SPJ Go-To-Market Accelerator hosts “Startup Suite” events usually a block away from large conferences at a nice hotel suite where they invite their startup founders, C-Level executives, thought leaders, and partners to attend fireside chats, meetings, and happy hours throughout the week of the conference. “You can find these events by searching the conference hashtag on social sites, looking at meetup groups, checking out sponsor social sites, and following industry influencers that are attending the conference.” Invite your highest-quality prospects to join you at one of these events or ask which ones they might be attending and tag along. You never know - you might make some very valuable connections for your pipeline that you wouldn’t have inside the conference walls.
Prospecting at a Conference - If You’re an Attendee “Ideally, you’ll have booked several meetings before the conference even starts.” Don’t come with a hard sell.
Many of the people you’ll talk to are getting pitched all day, and they’ll shut down if it looks like you’re trying to make a sale. Just see if they might be a good fit for your business. If they are, make a later appointment to talk about it in more detail. “One of the best questions you can ask up front is, “Why did you personally want to attend this conference?”” Do they like to attend every educational session they possibly can? Do they maybe hit a few sessions and get some work done in between? Are they there to let loose at the happy hours, networking, and after parties? Understand their motivations, take mental notes, and use these motivations in your follow up communication.
Many of the people you’ll talk to are getting pitched all day, and they’ll shut down if it looks like you’re trying to make a sale. Just see if they might be a good fit for your business. If they are, make a later appointment to talk about it in more detail. “Inevitably they will bring up the company they work for and why the conference was a fit.” Do they like to attend every educational session they possibly can? Do they maybe hit a few sessions and get some work done in between? Are they there to let loose at the happy hours, networking, and after parties? Understand their motivations, take mental notes, and use these motivations in your follow up communication.
Don’t come with a hard sell. “Both in your meetings and when you meet people around the conference, ask questions. Let people talk about themselves and their businesses. Use this time to determine whether they’d be a good customer for your company.” Many of the people you’ll talk to are getting pitched all day, and they’ll shut down if it looks like you’re trying to make a sale. Just see if they might be a good fit for your business. If they are, make a later appointment to talk about it in more detail.
Both in your meetings and when you meet people around the conference, ask questions. Let people talk about themselves and their businesses. Use this time to determine whether they’d be a good customer for your company. “If they are, make a later appointment to talk about it in more detail.” One of the best questions you can ask up front is, “Why did you personally want to attend this conference?” Inevitably they will bring up the company they work for and why the conference was a fit. But you will also receive some human, personal insight into what makes them tick and what their motivations are for attending a conference.
Both in your meetings and when you meet people around the conference, ask questions. Let people talk about themselves and their businesses. Use this time to determine whether they’d be a good customer for your company. “Many of the people you’ll talk to are getting pitched all day, and they’ll shut down if it looks like you’re trying to make a sale.” One of the best questions you can ask up front is, “Why did you personally want to attend this conference?” Inevitably they will bring up the company they work for and why the conference was a fit. But you will also receive some human, personal insight into what makes them tick and what their motivations are for attending a conference.
You can find these events by searching the conference hashtag on social sites, looking at meetup groups, checking out sponsor social sites, and following industry influencers that are attending the conference. These will all likely reveal an event or two happening offsite that is open for you to attend. “Invite your highest-quality prospects to join you at one of these events or ask which ones they might be attending and tag along.”