Written together with fellow networking speaker and author Will Kintish, this guide was written for the Professional Speaking Convention in October 2019 but hopefully contains useful advice for any conference.
Before Inspire
1. Know why you are going. Which sessions are most relevant to where your business is now and what do you want to achieve from the conversations you enjoy over the weekend? What challenges would like to solve?
2. Is there anyone you particularly need to have a ‘proper’ conversation with? Reach out to them in advance to see if they are coming and agree a time. Don’t rely on it just happening, it probably won’t!
3. Bring business cards. Not to dish out like confetti but to give to people who want to follow up with you. And write on the back of the cards you receive your action points; you might not remember every conversation over three days!
During Inspire
4. It’s wonderful to catch up with our tribe once a year but remember that there will be a number of you attending for the first time or who may not be as well connected. Share that special PSA welcome with everyone. And if you are new…come up and say hello!
5. Experience tells us that we gain as much value from the breaks and general conversations around convention as during keynotes and workshops. Use the time effectively and leave your phone in your room.
6. Look for people standing on their own and ask if you can join them. EVERYONE AT PSA WILL BE DELIGHTED TO MEET YOU.
7. If fellow members seem to be engaged in an intense conversation, respect their boundaries. Some serious business conversations take place at Inspire.
After Inspire
8. You will go away with your brain bursting with ideas and lots of notes. Block off some time in the days after the event to review your actions and decide on a handful of clear follow-ups to which you know you must commit.
9. Agree with a colleague to act as accountability partners for each other. Arrange a time to follow up and check in; not just for a pleasant conversation but to ensure you have done what you promised. This can be integrated into your next Mastermind meeting if your fellow members are there.
10. Follow up with the people you had a great rapport with at convention. Remember 24-7-30. Follow up after 24 hours (don’t worry about being seen as keen, it’s not dating!). Then a week and then again after a month. After that you will be in each other’s network as well as part of the same tribe.