Marketing tips for conferences to land new gigs, clients and work

[The Gorn]

Financial parallel: This reminds me of the mentality exhibited by many in the investment community. "The market's up! (or down)" They declare. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't buy or sell "the market." I am concerned about how individual stocks are performing, and react accordingly.
...
As far as IT goes: Don't give in to the herd. Research and determine your most marketable skills and experiences. Then focus only on potential customers who need and can afford your time and talent. ...

Your motivation needs to come from within. Don't let others define you or your maketability.

More Zen of the day. Well said.

Appsdba, you listening? This is for you. And for anyone else, actually.

[appsdba]

Got it, thanks. Yes, I need to meet real decision makers like VP and CIO level. I presented at Oracle conference but only 10 people showed up for my session! It was a disaster! So, I think next time will attend the CIO conference to meet execs who can make a real decision. Lesson learned. Techies do not provide real opportunities to sell services.

[The Gorn]

I'd say that you don't need a conference, unless you are sponsoring it as the main headliner. You don't need someone else's conference. Except as an adjunct to what you are already doing.

Invent a reason to meet CIOs. You become the reason they attend/pay attention.

I am dramatically simplifying the process, of course.  But I am serious.

[appsdba]

Thanks, well I have four books that will be available next month on database technology and plan to do some book signings at local bookstores.
Still looking into a promo for a tech session.

[The Gorn]

Thanks, well I have four books that will be available next month on database technology and plan to do some book signings at local bookstores.
Still looking into a promo for a tech session.

My gut feeling is that a book signing will attract other consultants, FTEs and students. Not your target audience. CIOs and CTOs and managers don't pay attention to technology books.

I think you need to do some prospecting and actually bug some of the types who would recommend to hire you, to generate some interest in the right quarters.

[The Gorn]

I have committed to attending the Software Industry Conference in Dallas in July. http://www.sic.org

Well, I just paid for the plane ticket, and it's non-refundable. Watch me get called for jury duty. 

I am not illustrious as AppsDba is - no books, and I have set up no speaking engagement. I am attending as a regular "user".   A lowly, humble one-of-many type prole.  No audience, no public.

To paraphrase AppsDba: "I will be looking for good ways to market my services at the conference to land new contracts and clients. What would be some good hooks to bring in new clients while I network at the conference?"

My interest in this is to present myself as a copy writer and business writer to help mISVs with their marketing and promotional needs. I think that my background (hardcore developer working with ISVs over the years) will give me an 'in' to come across as someone that they'd want to deal with in writing their materials.

I had a few thoughts.

Best not to approach this as a marketing exercise. I probably need to pay careful attention to the atmosphere. It may be very social and directly pitching people may be frowned upon or counterproductive.

Probably the best thing to do is to go with the intention of listening and asking questions. Not selling.

However, going in with no intention of selling may result in my being aimless. I need to place the focus on becoming known for what I do - spreading the brand, so to speak. I want to become known to at least a few people as a go-to person for copy. How to best do this?

I think I should probably not prepare a lot. Maybe practice on how I introduce myself, and making my interest in copywriting a fluid part of my "elevator speech" or self bio.

Materials to take: I know that I absolutely need business cards. What else? Would brochures be useful today? They seem very old-school. I advised AppsDba at the start of this thread that I thought that brochures were a big production if you want to do them right, and otherwise they are just pretty folded paper that people pitch out when you are out of sight. But maybe they are valuable just to have as a statement that you have a business that is "for real."

One idea I'm thinking of is perhaps develop a "portfolio" that I could get printed that would be sort of an echo of my web site: sample copy, testimonials, and my philosophy about copy. A small booklet, that I would give to those who express high interest in my services. But even this feels like overkill.

My thinking is that no matter what I think of taking or preparing, it won't be used and I will have needed something else that I didn't prepare.

Thoughts appreciated. Actual past experiences that are somewhat similar to this, appreciated even more.

[Richardk]

Since you're not setting up a booth, I'd take business cards and something "small" that's easy to carry like a trifold brochure and that's it. Question is what to put on the brochure?

Also you want to be prepared but not look like you're doing a prepared presentation. Most of all act natural and have fun.

I found these events are hit or miss. You might meet more potential clients at the airport or hotel than the conference.

Good luck and have fun!

[David Randolph]

GB, I looked at the event web site. I figured that a booth at the exhibit hall would be of benefit, but it is $1,000 for only friday night (3 hours). That is after all the program has finished and people are already heading home. It doesn't sound like it would help. A hospitality suite would be a better buy as that would run for three days, but you have to be a program sponsor to purchase one ($1,250 + $500 in food & drink).

I have left materials near the entrance to exhibit halls. I have traded business cards with people at conventions. None of which got me any business over the years. However, the act of doing that is part of being open to doing business.

[The Gorn]

None of which got me any business over the years. However, the act of doing that is part of being open to doing business.

Then it sounds like you should have stayed home.  I don't believe anyone should do "what is expected" just to punch a list. The futility is just too toxic. I've had the past futility of dealing with completely sales oriented types.

I think the biggest potential here is to make acquaintances and to create a list of attendees that I can follow up with. What is in favor of my attending this conference is that it is composed of owner-operators, not simply professional salespeople out to preen.

If there are 300 attendees, my goal is to personally meet and exchange cards with 20% of them. That's 60 people targeted to the software vendor market that I didn't know before.

[datagirl]

Hey, GB.

If your website is polished and has good examples of your copywriting prowess, pull a few printouts just to have, but mostly make sure the url is prominent on your business card.  It might be worthwhile to purchase a short, catchy url that forwards to your site.

If you can afford to sponsor some sort of drawing where folks can leave you their business card, you will garner a lot of cards.  However, you might prefer to have actual conversations where you can exchange cards.  Just be a better listener than talker - all that Dale Carnegie stuff.

Good for you for making a commitment to get out of your normal environs.  Keep us posted on how it goes.

Regards,
-DG

[David Randolph]

None of which got me any business over the years. However, the act of doing that is part of being open to doing business.

Then it sounds like you should have stayed home.  I don't believe anyone should do "what is expected" just to punch a list. The futility is just too toxic. I've had the past futility of dealing with completely sales oriented types.

It wasn't about "punching a list". It was about learning what I could do marketing wise at a convention. I don't do well trying to meet people in the hallways and get their contact information. That is what I learned when I tried to do it. I believe that I would do better having a booth in the exhibit hall. But it has to be the right convention.

Likewise, I support you in going and learning what works for you. You may do a better job of that than I would.

[The Gorn]

It wasn't about "punching a list". It was about learning what I could do marketing wise at a convention. I don't do well trying to meet people in the hallways and get their contact information. That is what I learned when I tried to do it. I believe that I would do better having a booth in the exhibit hall. But it has to be the right convention.

Likewise, I support you in going and learning what works for you. You may do a better job of that than I would.

That is clearer ... thanks for explaining what you attempted. I don't see going up to people either. That is just not me.

My agenda in going is simply to: talk and listen (aka the Dale Carnegie stuff); learn what hot buttons that mISVs have; perhaps, if a few are willing to open the kimono, get told what they would want in terms of content; or maybe not. Learn in general.

IOW, I will probably "kill" myself there if I go thinking to myself "get work". People are repelled by pressure and they are turned off by one way flows of information.

Also - and this is not a small part of it - talk about my copywriting business in present tense as an ongoing thing - in other words, live the part in real life for a few days.  Right now my client's project has me swamped with non-creative programming dreck that is rotting my creative talents. I need to do this or something like it or else I just won't ever get started.

[The Gorn]

I attended the conference (see my notes in the private section.)

The title of this thread: "Marketing tips for conferences to land new gigs, clients and work" - is extraordinarily misleading.

You go to a conference in order to socialize. Not to drum up new business. It would be nice. But most vendors I ran into were selling into a vacuum, and really just tried to provide information, not "sell". It seems like it's really just part of a long term commitment to being visible.

AppsDba, give back something to this community. I am interested in reading how it went for you as a presenter. Post your experiences, as I did in my thread on conference attendance.