{3:50 minutes to read} Business professionals often wonder: Is it worthwhile to market my practice during the various conferences I attend?
At Practice Marketing, we’ve used conferences for marketing for a number of years, and fairly successfully.
Whenever possible, we try to be in a room full of potential clients.
Many of our clients don’t necessarily have that option, but they may have an opportunity to be in a room full of centers of influence or potential referral sources. We can use mediation as an example. Mediators often get referrals from mental health professionals and guess what? Mental health professionals have conferences and seminars.
So how can a mediator participate in those conferences and seminars?
One way is by joining the association/group and attending their meetings first. Get your feet wet, become a bit known in the group, find the powers that be, network, and get to know each other.
Look for any opportunity to present to the group, whenever possible.
Oftentimes, seminars and/or mini-conferences seek sponsorship and/or exhibitors, which especially makes sense if you’re going to present.
Speaking and exhibiting are something Vik and I pay special attention to. If a seminar or conference is attended by potential clients or centers of influence, and we have the opportunity to speak, we’re certainly going to want to exhibit (i.e., get a table). That combination seems to be the best possible way of leveraging to more fully engage with the group.
In addition to meeting people, you have the opportunity to introduce yourself and enable others to learn about your business. It’s always important, though, not to promote your business at a conference if you are an attendee; however if you are a sponsor/exhibitor, discussing your business is expected. Your primary purpose is to open the door for further conversation down the road.
Do the follow-up after the conference.
If you are a sponsor/exhibitor, you’re expected to introduce yourself; in fact you’re paying for that privilege. That doesn’t necessarily mean just standing at your exhibit table. It includes engagement with the other attendees at meals and other social events that happen at conferences. I always recommend using a branded name badge, with your name & company logo, in addition to whatever is provided by the conference. Attendees know you’re a sponsor/exhibitor, and you’ve got the perfect excuse to introduce yourself.
When networking, remember: If you want people to take an interest in you, take an interest in them. Ask what they do, what they specialize in, and ask how they get their business, where their clients come from, etc.
Take a few minutes to get to know people individually and focus on one at a time. If you think there’s some synergy potential there, exchange business cards and follow up with a cup of coffee or a conference call.
Remember, following up afterward is the most important thing.
What methods do you use to market your business when attending a conference or seminar?
Which of those methods have worked, and which ones haven’t?
Mark Bullock
Telephone: (631) 754-0800
Email: Mark@phoneBlogger.net
Website:phoneBlogger.net
A conference or a presentation is a great opportunity to get business, however, its important to say that the audience´s profile is a key factor … following up is the other one in my opinion