With AdWeek approaching, there’s no better time to talk about how to make the most from the conferences and events that you attend. One very effective strategy my team uses is to review the attendee list prior to the event. While many conference attendees quickly glance at the list, I am suggesting more than just a “quick skim.”
It’s critically important to be able to target the right prospects, the ones you’ve been chasing, the ones who have the highest propensity to buy the product or solution you’re offering. This way, you’re laying the groundwork for interactions at the event, as well as the post-event follow-up that can lead you to the deal close.
Once you receive the list:
Go through it to see which of your clients and prospects are attending. After that critical process is complete:
Reach out to your current clients. Tell them you will be at the event and schedule some time to catch up. It is always good to make sure your current clients are happy, but it is just as important to have current clients advocate on your behalf at the event.
Then stack-rank the prospects that you want to get in front of and compile all your notes on each one into a shared document for review.
Throughout your pre-event planning, ask yourself:
If we get just one minute with this prospect, what’s the one thing that we should know about them?
What’s something that we want to make sure that we relay to the prospect, so that we can continue to move this opportunity forward?
Prepare to “break the ice” with help from LinkedIn:
Do we know these attendees or others from their current or a past company?
Do we have any connections in common with them?
Where did they go to school?
All these seemingly little, but very important prospect details – should be noted the master shared document. In this way, you’re prepared to know exactly who you want to meet at the conference, and when you do get a chance to talk to them – what you should say.
For Further Reading:
5 Easy Ways to Build Business For Your Agency
5 Ways to Validate Your Price Point
