If you have ever been to a Suzanne Evans event you know exactly what I mean. During my 13 hour drive home I spent a lot of time thinking about everything that I had just taken in and there are a few things I want you to think about.
First, have you ever sponsored an event in your industry? This was the first time I officially sponsored an event. It was an amazing learning experience. If I can give you any advice it is to stretch your sponsorship. Sponsor at a scary level. For me this sponsorship was both monetarily scary and putting myself out there scary. As a shy introvert, the thought of standing in a booth and talking to total strangers gives me the shakes but I easily got around that by having 4 wonderful clients taking turns working the booth with me. They would start a conversation with someone walking by and then introduce them to me. This worked fabulously.
However, I think the biggest benefit of sponsoring wasn’t necessarily the many hours I spent meeting people in my booth but the ability to be promoted as an expert in my field by someone who has a powerful voice in her own community. Each attendee (all 650 of them) brought home a resource binder with my advertisement in it and a write up about my business. This is something they will be able to refer to for a long time. Then there is the power of Suzanne standing on stage and introducing me as the expert. Remember people are much more likely to rely on Suzannes recommendation than mine. Then there is my logo on the website for the event which will stay there for months to come.
The second thing I was thinking about was the actual networking that was going on over these 3 days. You could see it everywhere – in the halls, in the breakout sessions, in the booths, in the restaurants and in the bar to name a few. So my question for you is do you understand the value of face to face networking? I know that I talk a lot about social media and how powerful it is for networking but let me tell you that you reach a totally different level in your relationship when you meet someone face to face.
I met some powerful people at this event, people I have been connected with on social media for a while, but now that we have met and had personal conversations we are going to be promoting each other products/services, interviewing each other for radio shows and teleseminars, and much much more. I want to make sure that you understand the real value behind face to face networking. I just can’t stress this enough.
The third thing I wanted to talk to you about was something Suzanne said during the event. She said “Pick your brain is code for I want your stuff for free.” How many times had someone said to you “I just want to visit for a little bit and pick your brain.” No more I say!! You are an expert in your field and you need to be getting paid for your expertise. So when someone asks if they can pick your brain you politely answer “Absolutely, It is $397 for an hour or $197 for a half hour.” End of discussion.
So I would love to hear some of your experiences with in person events – what words of wisdom do you have to share?
Live events are powerful on so many levels. Whether you just attend them to further your education and make important connections like 650 of your closest friends did, host them to boost your visibility, grow you business and have a BIG payday, like Suzanne did or sponsor like you, great events benefit everyone.
I commend you for being a sponsor and would love to hear your results when the dust settles…
@Daphne – even if I don’t get anything more from the event than I have – the connections I made and the people I met made sponsoring well worth it.
Great post. I really appreciate you discussing this from the perspective of an introvert. As a fellow introvert, I love the idea of having others there with you to help greet people and introduce you. That’s a great strategy!
@Marta – it worked very well for me — and gave me a chance to get to know the clients who were helping me even better.
I’ve never sponsored an event on any sort of major level but I have to say that I get significantly more out of live, in-person events than any other kind. You just can’t beat the stuff you get in the halls!
Live events are the best. Every major leap I’ve made in my business started in an event hallway.
Wow Michele! I can feel your powerful energy oozing through these words. I agree that live events are crucial for building meaningful relationships. I’m all set to attend your upcoming event and can’t wait to see you again!
Warm wishes,
Cindy
Can’t wait to see you Cindy
Michele, you are so right – nothing beats the face-to-face. I am happy to meet you at the event and be able to give you a hand in the booth. It’s so much easier to promote others:). I think meeting face-to-face takes the relationship to another level.
I gave a lot of people at the event ideas right on the spot. May be I was “giving away the store”, but I believe giving often leads to receiving. I just got a client, who I “gave” first:) It’s all about strategy and discretion. Doctors don’t see patients for free, but they use professional reciprocity with their colleagues.
Farina — thank you for your help with the booth. It was great to meet you in person 🙂 And, I think that giving people ideas at an event is a different animal than having them schedule time in your schedule for the “brain picking”.
I actually heard those words on the LiveStream “Let me pick your brain — for free…” And I too thought Suzanne’s message was very powerful and empowering. Looking forward to seeing your bit.. I’m signing up for it right now from the email Suzanne sent. Lots of people I know attended this time around…
Peggy, I was bowled over by all the energy in the room. And.. I am vowing to stop letting people pick my brain.
I would never of guessed you to be a shy introvert Michelle.
You Go Girl! That is an awesome experience for you and THANK YOU very much for sharing your experiences with us.
It is one thing to attend a live event, but I think that many times people forget to process what they learned at the event. A long drive home is perfect for that. I like to stay an extra day at an event so I can start processing what I want/need to do, compile my notes, and take a deep breath!
Way to go, Michele!
Be Well.
Paul.
@paul – staying an extra day… I like that idea. Although the car ride does help me decompress…
Michele – I love the energy of live events. As you know, I have grown my business almost totally from in person networking. I especially loved helping out in your booth because I got to meet lots of people i may not have met on my own and i got to brag about you and your great products and services and tell people how much they’ve helped me. It was great fun hanging out with you!
Hey, Thanks Debbie! I love the energy YOU bring to events — it was great to get to spend some time together 🙂