First things first: all I can share is from my own perspective and experience, so please feel free to take what feels right for you, and feel free to discard the rest!
Also, please be advised: Brevity is not the source of my wit. ;^)
Okay… that being said:
If there is a Convention and Visitor’s (ConViz) Bureau in your area, you could join and get access to the list of all inbound conferences and events in your area. You could send collateral out to each of those folks listed as the point of contact, try to get them on the phone to follow up, get frustrated, pay some coach or consultant to tell you how to really get the conference business, try to think of some attention-grabbing way to get in front of your target market, spend a lot of money…
Yuck. I can’t even finish that train of thought. That process is SO not my style!
(I should probably let you know that I do not cold call… and I don’t “sell” so much as create opportunities to for interested folks to buy.)
The Secret
Here’s the thing: conferences (or even organizations) don’t hire you. People hire you.
Think about the folks you hire, or you choose to do business with. As Jeffrey Gitomer says:
All things being equal, we tend to do business with the folks we we know, like, and trust.
All things not being equal, we STILL tend to do business with the folks we know, like, and trust!
In other words, [highlights color=”ffea00″]it’s all about relationships.[/highlights]
Therefore, if you have conferences (or companies) that you would like to work with, cultivate genuine relationships with your “right” folks in those organizations. Two key words here: “genuine” and “right.”
First, the genuine:
Folks can smell a fake relationship from a mile away. Heck, it’s the core of the used car salesman with the swarmy smile and the thumbs up gestures.
If you are cultivating a relationship solely to sell someone something, people can tell. YOU can probably tell when folks do this to you, right? What do you find yourself thinking? “Man, she’s only doing this because she wants to sell me some Mary Kay products… “
Or something like that. (No offense to the folks who sell Mary Kay. ;^)
But you see what I mean. [highlights color=”ffea00″]There’s a difference in getting to know someone just to sell them something, and getting to know someone as a whole person.[/highlights]
In the first example, you might buy a facial mask from them… and that’s it. The transaction may leave you feeling a bit used and dissatisfied at the end… and you’ll go to another Mary Kay consultant – or even another skin care line – when you need something else.
In the second example, though, you’ve made a friend… and a fan. Not only will they go to you for their skin care needs, but they’ll tell their friends they need to get to know you as well. And when other folks present their skin care products for consideration, odds are pretty good that our friend will stay true to you.
Next, the “right:”
Who are your “right” folks? I think there are actually three categories here:
– the folks who decide,
– the folks who help the deciders decide, and
– the folks who are right for you to be authentically connected with
Those first two are pretty straight forward. Identify the right decision makers and their circles of influence. Maybe it’s the internal project coordinator… who also needs to make sure the CEO approves of the choice. Or it’s the external event planner… who also needs to make sure the internal project coordinator approves of the choice. You get the idea.
However, the more interesting one to me is the third: the folks who are right for you to be authentically connected with.
And that brings us back to “genuine.” But I’ve probably gone on enough about that topic! ;^)
Building Relationships With Social Media
So what about those four conferences you talked about in the beginning?
If you’re a member of your local ConVis, I’d start with their inbound events list. Who’s listed as the point of contact for those conferences? Are they internal or external to the organization? And who ARE these people, anyway? Start to get to know them as people.
That leads to LinkedIn. (Which is a good place to start if you don’t belong to ConViz.) Who do I already know in these organizations? Who do I know that already knows those folks? What groups do they belong to? What are their interests? What interests do we genuinely share that could serve as a touch point for getting to know each other better?
Do they have a Twitter profile? Follow it, and engage in meaningful conversations.
Do they have a blog? Follow it, and engage in meaningful conversations.
However and wherever you connect with them, get to know them as people and engage in meaningful conversation.
And, by the way, meaningful conversation isn’t: “Great post! I can offer you this service… ” or “Cool pic! I do this graphic recording thing… ” It’s about what they wrote. What they shared. Who they are. And how you connect to it.
[highlights color=”ffea00″]Build connection. See and hear these people. Share with them. Cultivate real relationships.[/highlights]
After all, you can sell to them once. Or you can share with them year after year after year.
I cannot wait to see what you draw forth,
